Sermon 27 December 2015: The Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 27 December 2015, The Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. The texts were 1 St. John 1:1-10 and St. John 21:19-25.

Sermon 25 December 2015: Christmas Day

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 25 December 2015, Christmas Day. The texts were Hebrews 1:1-12 and St. John 1:1-14.

Sermon 20 December 2015: The Fourth Sunday in Advent

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 20 December 2015, the Fourth Sunday in Advent. The text was Philippians 4:4-7.

Sermon 13 December 2015: The Third Sunday in Advent

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 13 December 2015, the Third Sunday in Advent. The texts were 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 and St. Matthew 11:2-10.

Sermon 6 December 2015: The Second Sunday in Advent

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 6 December 2015, the Second Sunday in Advent. The texts were Romans 15:4-13 and St. Luke 21: 25-33.

Sermon 22 November 2015: The Sunday Next Before Advent

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 22 November 2015, the Sunday Next Before Advent. The text was Jeremiah 23:5-8.

Sermon 15 November 2015: The Twenty-fourth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 15 November 2015, the Twenty-fourth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 6:45-56.

Bobbie Tiller, RIP

When I was a student at Erskine Theological Seminary there was a meeting that would take place periodically, almost always but not exclusively at the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina, under the auspices of the Reformed Fellowship of the Southeastern United States. It was an ecumenical affair with Presbyterians (which I then was), Reformed Baptists, and a few non-denominational Reformed types (I don't remember any Anglicans, unfortunately) coming together for a worship service, lecture, and then a lunch. It was a good gathering that served for me to supplement seminary and as continuing education for those out of school -- I wish it would come back. The attendees were ministers, ruling elders, and theological students and it was at those meetings that I first got to know a PCA Ruling Elder named Robert James Tiller but known to almost all who had the privilege of knowing him as "Bobbie."

Bobbie Tiller was from Mayesville, South Carolina, and through the years had recieved bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of South Carolina, served in the Navy, taught, and farmed cotton and hogs. He had also married, twice, a good woman named Annette Corbett (the first time was when they were in a mock wedding when they were schoolchildren [I told him that as the only kid with white-tie and tails he was a shoe-in]) whom he loved dearly and with whom he had two sons and a daughter and two grandchildren. Somewhere along the way he and Annette had acquired a condominium in Myrtle Beach and they split their time between Mayesville and the beach. Once when I had moved back to Myrtle Beach in the late 1990s they surprised me by stopping by to see me while out riding their bicycle built for two -- they had several of them and enjoyed both the sightseeing and exercise that they provided. They also had a boat and for many years would take a cruise down various rivers all over the United States each summer.

Both stalwart Presbyterians, Bobbie was a member and longtime Ruling Elder at Faith Presbyterian Church (PCA) , Annette a member of the Mayesville Presbyterian Church (ARP), both of which they supported faithfully. In the mid-2000s Bobbie ran for Myrtle Beach City Council -- I encouraged friends and family who lived there to support him and he would've gotten my vote if I still did; unfortunately he wasn't elected.

My friendship with Bobbie continued even as the Book of Common Prayer drew me to Anglicanism. We corresponded and in the mid-2000s I first assisted and later began serving as Vicar of the Chapel of St. Charles, King and Martyr, a private chapel in Mayesville, where services are held several times a year. Despite the fact that I doubt he shared the enthusiasm for the Royal Martyr that some of us have, Bobbie and Annette would usually be found at the services and later the the dinners that follow and seeing them and catching up was always something that I looked forward to when at the Chapel.

Bobbie Tiller loved his Lord and served Him through the church and as an active Gideon. He loved his family and especially his wife of 62 years, from whom he was inseparable, his country and particularly the Southland whence his roots went deep. To count him as a friend was a blessing and he touched many lives in his 86 years on this earth.

It was with great sadness, therefore, that I learned that Bobbie had died suddenly late last month (the services were private). I am saddened that I will not be able to visit and commiserate with my friend again in this life but give thanks for the hope that was his through Christ Jesus Our Lord and also rejoice for the privilege of knowing him and his beloved wife. "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Blessed indeed,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!'” -- Revelation 14:13 (ESV)

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Sermon 8 November 2015: The Twenty-third Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 8 November 2015, the Twenty-third Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 6:30-44.

Sermon 1 November 2015: All Saints' Day

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 1 November 2015, All Saints' Day and the Twenty-second Sunday After Trinity. The text was Revelation 7:2-17.

An Unofficial Cycle of Prayer for the Anglican Church in North America.

Presented as a service by the Church of the Atonement to aid in prayer for the Anglican Church in North America.  Click here to download.

Sermon 25 October 2015: The Twenty-first Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 25 October 2015, the Twenty-first Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 6:14-29.

Sermon 18 October 2015: The Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist.

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 11 October 2015, The Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. The text was 2 Timothy 4:5-13.

Sermon 11 October 2015: The Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 11 October 2015, The Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 6:1-13.

Sermon 27 September 2015: The Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 27 September 2015, The Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 5:21-43.

Sermon 20 September 2015: The Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 20 September 2015, The Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 5:1-20.

Sermon 13 September 2015: The Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 13 September 2015, The Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 4:35-41.

Sermon 6 September 2015: The Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 6 September 2015, The Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity. The text was Daniel 3:1-4:3.

Sermon 30 August 2015: The Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 30 August 2015, The Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 4:26-34.

Sermon 23 August 2015: The Twelfth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 23 August 2015, The Twelfth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 4:21-25.

Sermon 16 August 2015: The Eleventh Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 16 August 2015, The Eleventh Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 4:1-20.

Sermon 9 August 2015: The Tenth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 9 August 2015, The Tenth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 3:31-35.

Sermon 2 August 2015: The Ninth Sunday After Trinty

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 2 August 2015, The Ninth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 3:22-30.

Sermon 12 July 2015: The Sixth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 12 July 2015, The Sixth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 3:7-21.

Sermon 5 July 2015: The Fifth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 5 July 2015, The Fifth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 2:23-3:6.

Sermon 28 June 2015: The Fourth Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 28 June 2015, The Fourth Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 2:18-22.

Sermon 21 June 2016: The Third Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 21 June 2015, The Third Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 2:13-17

Sermon 14 June 2015: The Second Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 14 June 2015, The Second Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 2:1-12.

Sermon 7 June 2015: The First Sunday After Trinity

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 7 June 2015, The First Sunday After Trinity. The text was St. Mark 1:29-45.

An Unofficial Cycle of Prayer for the Anglican Church in North America

The latest installment in the Unofficial Cycle of Prayer for the Anglican Church in North America produced by The Church of the America to encourage the members of our Province to pray for one another may be found here. Please report any errors or omissions to drew.collins (at) gmail.com

Sermon 31 May 2015: Trinity Sunday

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 31 May 2015, Trinity Sunday. The texts were Acts 4:1-11 and St. John 3:1-15.

Sermon 24 May2015: Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 17 May 2015, Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday. The texts were Acts 2:1-11 and St. John 14:15-31.

Sermon 17 May 2015: The Sunday After Ascension Day

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 17 May 2015, the Sunday After Ascension Day. The texts were I St. Peter 4:7-11 and St. John 15:26-16:4.

Sermon 10 May 2015: Rogation Sunday

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 10 May 2015, the Fifth Sunday After Easter, commonly called Rogation Sunday. The texts were St. James 1:22-27 and St. John 16:23b-33.

Sermon 3 May 2015: The Fourth Sunday After Easter

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 3 May 2015, the Fourth Sunday After Easter. The texts were St. James 1:17-21 and St. John 16:5-15.

Sermon 26 April 2015: The Third Sunday After Easter

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 26 April 2015, the Third Sunday After Easter. The texts were 1 St. Peter 2:11-17 and St. John 16:16-22.

The Red Shoe Strut: The Emasculation of the Warrior Class

CDR Salimander, one of the better mil-bloggers out there, has an excellent discussion of recent data showing that Army morale is low despite a six-year, $287million dollar campaign to make soldiers more optimistic. In the midst of this he also brings in a discussion of allegations that Army ROTC Cadets at Arizona State University were pressured to participate in "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes"  events earlier this month that involved shedding their issued combat boots and donning red high heels -- in uniform -- to combat rape, sexual assault, and gender violence. One cadet alleged that he and others had been told that failure to participate would result in a negative counseling statement and possible ramifications for failing to support the battalion's mission in the packets that are used to assess cadets for branch selection and active duty -- no idle threat, particularly in an Army that is projected to shrink. It turns out that the Army supported this campaign last year but that in 2015 there was an increased emphasis to participate, especially in Army Cadet Command. I've received word that there was some participation at The Citadel and my source is himself a Citadel graduate -- not someone who likely would say that that had happened if it were not the case.

It should go without saying that no sane or decent person is for rape, sexual assault, or gender violence, but having men dress like women -- especially when in the case of ROTC cadets those men are young, eager to get positive recommendations, and doing so under pressure, is not the way to do it. 

On 29 September 1988, while a senior in high school, I enlisted in the South Carolina Army National Guard and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1-263rd Armor in Mullins. Not a few of the older soldiers were Vietnam veterans -- including a few officers who'd either had a break in service or attended OCS later in their careers -- and 1SG Charlie Lee, who could often be seen puffing on a Falcon System pipe and retired shortly after I joined the unit had a Combat Infantryman's Badge from service in the Korean War. On 5 June 1989, a few days after graduating from high school, I reported to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for Basic Training, and while practically none of my drill sergeants were Vietnam veterans the Company First Sergeant was as was the Brigade Commander and most of the Sergeants Major. After a hot and harried summer I reported to Georgia Military College, in Milledgeville, Georgia (and in the interest of full-disclosure I am not sure whether or not the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes even was promoted there or not), where I was in the Corps of Cadets and the Early Commissioning Program, being commissioned in Armor in December of 1991 and attending the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky the following year.

I didn't appreciate it at the time but those were interesting times. Many of the senior leaders and even a few of the mid-level ones in the Army that I joined had been through Vietnam or had entered the Army following the hollowing out that followed and had rebuilt the service into the force that I joined that was able to perform so magnificently in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm -- the immediate aftermath of which was clear at Fort Knox in the Spring and Summer of 1992. These were the guys who made do with less in lean times and enjoyed and took advantage of the Reagan buildup and our nation is in their debt. 

My intention had been to make the Army a career but while at Fort Knox, to no ones surprise more than my own, I began sensing a call to ordained ministry and so after returning home and serving as a tank platoon leader while finishing my undergraduate work I went instead to seminary while remaining in the Army Reserve in various capacities for a while. Serving in a Training Support Brigade and later a Corps-level Engineer Brigade, both of which were co-ed, was a different experience than the all-male Armor units I'd been used to, but I enjoyed my service and got to serve alongside some great soldiers, male and female. My service was unremarkable, but I am thankful to have served.

When I enlisted and later prior to being commissioned I was asked if I'd ever even had thoughts that indicated homosexual inclination; I hadn't and said so -- these were the days before Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and those were standard questions. In 1992 Bill Clinton was elected President and had said that he'd lift the ban on homosexuals serving in the military -- as a new platoon leader I listened to a lot of grumbling from my soldiers before the compromise of DADT was reached. Before and after that if I served with any homosexual soldiers I was unaware of it -- but as a convinced heterosexual I didn't go around announcing my own activities and inclinations either.

Now, of course, that policy has been lifted to the relief of some and the concern of others. I would imagine that in almost all if not all units the troops will drive on because that's what they do, but pressuring male cadets and soldiers to don high heels is promoting an agenda and that kind of social engineering isn't going to help matters one iota and those that are imbibed with the warrior ethos are likely to be repelled rather than attracted by it.

Friends of mine who are more connected with the military than I am -- some of whom are still serving, some of whom are recently retired -- tell me we seem to be replicating the hollowing out that took place in the years that followed Vietnam. I hope I'm wrong, but I worry that we may not be able to bounce back from it this time.

Sermon 19 April 2015: The Second Sunday After Easter

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 19 April 2015, The Second Sunday After Easter. The texts were 1 St. Peter 2:19-25 and St. John 10:11:16.

Sermon 12 April 2015: The First Sunday After Easter

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 12 April 2015, The First Sunday After Easter. The texts were 1 St. John 5:4-12, and St. John 20:19-23.

Sad Day in North Charleston

North Charleston, South Carolina, is in the national news today as the result of a fatal shooting this past weekend. On Saturday morning North Charleston Police Patrolman 1st Class Thomas Slager, a 33 year-old, five year veteran of the Department who had previously served in the Coast Guard stopped Walter Scott, a 50 year-old Coast Guard veteran, for a malfunctioning tail light in the parking lot of Advance Auto Parts on the corner of Craig Street and Remount Road. Although Mr. Scott had had some previous run-ins with the law his only current issue was an outstanding warrant for delinquent child support -- according to his family he did not want to be arrested, a reasonable sentiment. A struggle purportedly ensued with Mr. Scott charging Officer Slager and the officer reaching for his Taser, announcing that he'd deployed it, and that Mr. Scott had tried to wrest the Taser from him.Shots were fired and Mr. Scott fell; although first aid and CPR were administered prior to the arrival of EMS, he was pronounced dead on the scene.

When I discovered the location of the incident my attention was immediately piqued. In late 2002 I returned to South Carolina after a couple of years living in Texas and first moved to the city of Hanahan -- not at all far from that location. I passed by it daily and have shopped in that Auto Zone store. Remount Road is known as a fairly high crime area although when living in Hanahan I rode a bicycle there in the daytime and didn't feel threatened. I have also been stopped in that area -- without incident -- for a burned out headlight.

The story of Officer Slager, who had an honorable discharge from the Coast Guard and a clean record with the North Charleston Police Department except for two complaints, the most serious one of which was dismissed after it was investigated, began to unravel. A video was released (which is graphic) showing Mr. Scott running from Officer Slager and the officer drawing his pistol and shooting Mr. Scott in the back eight times with something -- presumably his Taser -- at own feet. On Tuesday the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which has responsibility for the investigation, announced that Officer Slager would be charged with murder and at the press conference dealing with the situation Mayor Keith Summey and particularly Chief  Eddie Driggers were palpably distressed at the situation. In a later press conference with Mr. Scott's family their pain was, understandably, clear.

Several points:

--Whether or not race was a factor in this incident is not clear. While some have drawn comparisons to incidents in, among other places, Ferguson, Missouri -- a case in which investigations repeatedly cleared the officer -- race as a motivation has yet to be proven.

--While the video is damning and it is hard to imagine preceding actions that would've justified shooting Mr. Scott in that manner, Officer Slager has not been convicted by a jury. It is essential that the case be tried by the proper means -- not in the court of public opinion.

--Assuming that Officer Slager is as guilty as he appears to be, he's violated a sacred trust and dishonored a profession in which the vast majority of officers serve honorably. He should be severely punished and one would hope that the state will aggressively prosecute. 

--Thankfully calm has prevailed. Pray that that will continue.

Sermon 5 April 2015 (Easter Day)

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 5 April 2015, Easter Day. The texts were Colossians 3-14 and St. John 20:1-10.

Sermon: 4 April 2015 (Easter Vigil)

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 4 April 2015, Easter Vigil. The texts were Genesis 1:1-2:2, Exodus 14:10-15:1, 1 Corinthians 5;6b-8, and St. Mark 16:1-6.

Sermon: 2 April 2015 (Maundy Thursday)

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 2 April 2015, Maundy Thursday. The texts were 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 and St. Luke 23:1-49.

Sermon: 29 March 2015 (Palm Sunday)

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 29 March 2015, Palm Sunday. The texts were Philippians 2:5-11 and St. Matthew 27:1-54.

Sermon 22 March 2015

Sermon Preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR., UE, at The Church of the Atonement, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 22 March 2015, The Fifth Sunday in Lent, Commonly Called Passion Sunday. The texts were Hebrews 9:11-5 and St. John 8:46-59.

On the PC(USA) and Ammendment 14f

Although I've been an Anglican since my entry into the Reformed Episcopal Church, in which I was ordained deacon in 2001 and priest in 2003, I was born and baptized into and joined the Presbyterian Church in the United States, the old "Southern Presbyterian Church" which ceased to exist in 1983 when it participated in the merger that resulted in the creation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) . At least one line of my family tree has Presbyterian roots going back directly to Scotland with a number of other ancestors having stopped off in Ulster before coming to the New World. My great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, John Makemie Wilson, was a scrappy Scotch-Irish kid from the Waxhaws (he had a boyhood friend named Andy Jackson you may have heard of) who entered the Presbyterian ministry and served as the Minister of Rocky River Presbyterian Church in Concord, North Carolina, for 30 years, where he also had a classical school where he taught some of the men who went on to found Davidson College; he and his wife had several sons enter the ministry including one who perished as a medical missionary. When to no one's surprise more than my own I began to discern a call to the ordained ministry I took the initial steps to do so in the Presbytery of New Harmony with the intention of attending Columbia Theological Seminary because, well, that's where the Presbyterian ministers whom I knew had pretty much gone -- I knew I'd tend toward the evangelical wing of the PC(USA) but honestly, with all of the vigor of an early twentysomething with a sense of vocation figured that things could be turned around, something that an interview with the then-admissions officer made pretty clear wasn't welcome (it was pretty much made clear that she'd rather not have my kind there) and resulted in my departure for the Associate Reformed Presbyterians and going to Erskine Theological Seminary instead. Despite not being a member of the PC(USA) since 1993 and not even being a Presbyterian any more I follow events there because many of my family and quite a few friends still in that body.

For that reason I was disappointed but not surprised when I learned that sufficient presbyteries had ratified Amendment 14f to their Book of Order which neutralized the definition of marriage to allow for same-sex unions. I had known it was coming as they trends were clear that that portion of the Church was following cultural trends rather than being grounded in Scripture and Sacred Tradition in standing against the culture (something that was made clear in a local news story where the Rev'd Deane Kemper, Stated Clerk of Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery, commented that the church had to follow the state in how it conducted marriage ceremonies and used a very simplistic example drawn from the Latter Day Saints' abandonment of polygamy in order to gain Utah's statehood [in point to fact some "Mormons," the term that Kemper used retained the practice]). The Church is called to bear witness to culture and transform it through the preaching of the Word, evangelism, discipleship, and works of charity, it is not called upon to follow the whims of culture and when it has done so the results have been negative.

I suspect that many in the leadership of the PC(USA) have vastly underestimated the fallout that they will experience from this. Although my father was raised in the Presbyterian Church he is only an occasional attender and doesn't really follow church news, When I spoke with him today he brought it up and noted that he might withhold any contributions from his own congregation as a result -- if he is sitting up and taking notice then I'm sure others are as well and with the recent South Carolina court decision regarding the ownership of property in The Episcopal Church (about which I wrote here), South Carolina presbyteries may find that they no longer can intimidate those congregations seeking to depart. Look for more conservative Presbyterian bodies like the Presbyterian Church in America, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and especially two options that allow for women officers (a practice long accepted in the PC[USA] and entrenched in most congregations at this point) -- the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians to make substantial gains in light of this.

Decisive times are no doubt ahead.

Sermon: 15 March 2015

A sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, U.E., at The Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on the Fourth Sunday in Lent, 15 March 2015. The texts were Galatians 4:21-31 and St. John 6:1-14.

Sermon: 8 March 2015

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr. SBR, UE, at the Church of the Atonement in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 8 March 2015, the Third Sunday in Lent. The texts were Ephesians 5:1-14 and St. Luke 11:14-28.

Sermon 1 March 2015

Sermon preached by the Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., Vicar of the Church of the Atonement, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 1 March 2015, the Second Sunday in Lent. The Text was St. Matthew 15:21-28.

Religion of one’s choice: The liberty to leave

Published in the March 2015 Charleston Mercury.

By Charles A. Collins, Jr.

“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it was never meant to be.” So goes an anonymous quote that featured prominently in cheesy posters from the 1970s, but despite the indeterminate source and somewhat unusual context (at least in my mind), it contains at least a nugget of truth.

The ruling handed down by the Judge Dianne S. Goodstein of the First Judicial Circuit on February 3 has ramifications that go beyond Anglican Church or even religious issues. Citing a 1984 case, Robert v. United States Jaycees, Judge Goodstein asserted, “With the freedom to associate goes its corollary, the freedom to disassociate.” That seems elementary even to this (legal) layman — association and affection that is compelled may be many things, but it most certainly is not free.

For this Anglican who is one by conviction and studied choice — who entered seminary as a Presbyterian and was drawn to the Anglican Way in large part because of the Book of Common Prayer — the timing comes at a most precipitous time. My friend the Rev. Dr. Peter Moore has elsewhere in this issue done an excellent job tracing the decline of orthodoxy in The Episcopal Church that led to this point as only one who lived much of it as a priest and seminary dean could do. Although I may not look like it in comparison to the youthful and vigorous Dean Moore, I’m a bit younger with a more limited range of personal experience.

This decision comes at a precipitous time and not so much because of the inevitable appeals; rather, these things don’t happen in a vacuum. (A motion to reconsider was filed by TEC and its local representatives on February 13, but it was denied a few days before we went to press.) Indeed, let us consider church matters beyond the Episcopal/Anglican dispute. Note with care the theological revisionism evidenced in TEC, which has closely paralleled that taking place in other religious bodies belonging to what was largely known as the Protestant Mainline.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church, the largest Lutheran body in the nation, has undergone the largest church split in American history during the past few years with 500,000 members departing primarily for the North American Lutheran Church, which has parishes locally in North Charleston and Goose Creek and held their 2014 Convocation at The Citadel last July. The policies involving ownership of property among the Lutherans precluded the kind of court battles that occurred in TEC; that is not, however, the case with the Presbyterian Church (USA), in which presbyteries lay claim to the property held in trust by local congregations.

As was the case with the Lutherans and Episcopalians, issues surrounding human sexuality have been the area in which the symptoms of theological revisionism have been most evident. Those congregations wishing to depart the Presbyterian Church (USA) have typically had to pay some of the assessment that would be due had they not departed under a policy known as “gracious dismissal.” In at least one case a minister allowed the manse in which he and his family lived to be sold so that the congregation that he served could depart. Locally, Rockville Presbyterian Church on Wadmalaw Island departed Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church several years ago.

If Judge Goldstein’s ruling stands, it could have significant implications for mainline Presbyterians in South Carolina, possibly making it easier for congregations to depart with their property — something that is relevant as the two presbyteries that cover the coast of South Carolina will vote on whether or not to allow same-sex blessings in late February or early March.

Judge Goldstein’s ruling upholds the historic principle that free association cannot be coerced. It will be appealed and studied for years to come. Stay alert for breaking developments that will almost certainly have ramifications far beyond Episcopal/Anglican circles.

The Reverend Charles A. Collins, Jr., serves as vicar of The Church of the Atonement, a Reformed Episcopal Parish in the Anglican Church in North America in Mount Pleasant. He may be contacted atdrew.collins@gmail.com.