Most people who have been through a splitting church congegation will agree it can be a pretty un-Chistian experience. That sort of nastiness could happen with the splitting Episcopal Church in South Carolina.
But it needn't be. Instead, the splitting church could become a bright demonstration of why the church exists in the first place, just by practicing what it preaches.
Basically, the church is divided over theological issues. Conservative members say the national church is becoming increasingly liberal in ways that run counter to biblical teachings. They focus primarily on the church's consecrating an openly gay bishop.
And so the church is splitting. But does that have to be a bad thing? Why not this: You have your belief and I have mine, and since nobody can claim an exclusive knowledge of Truth, we'll all get along and be happy.
If the disagreement is a matter of who owns what church property, leaders of both sides could sit down together, without lawyers, and go into each session with one thought in mind: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If they did that honestly, I'm sure they could arive at compromise.
By doing so, the Episcopal Church could demonstrate the truth and value of its own teaching, just by getting along.
-Skip
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