A History of the Church of the Good Shepherd

CHAPTER NINE: The Schism

"Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore opprest
By schisms rent assunder,
By heresies distrest..." --1940 Hymnal 396

The Rev. Donald D. Lopes had come in July 1974 to fill the vacancy of curate. It was during this time that schisms began to develop within the National Church over recent liberal trends. The Rev. William L. Gatling, Jr., rector, and the Rev. Mr. Lopes, curate, both expressed concern that the Episcopal Church had departed from its Catholic doctrine and teachings. They expressed anger concerning the general convention of 1976 to ordain women, to change the Book of Common Prayer, to move in social action aiding militant minorities and to ease the hitherto firm positions on abortion, divorce and remarriage, adultery and homosexuality. Around the leadership of its clergy the Church of the Good Shepherd became an outspoken opponent of such changes.

Not wanting to separate himself from the Episcopal Church and realizing that was what the Church of the Good Shepherd was coming to, the Rev. Mr. Lopes left the parish in March 1977, later becoming rector of a parish in California. Shortly, thereafter, he was replaced by the Rev. William D. Ladkau, who had been curate of Good Shepherd from August 1969 until October 1971, when he left to fill the rectorship of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Greer, South Carolina.

In September 1977 the Rev. William L. Gatling, Jr. and the Rev. William D. Ladkau with a large group of laymen from the Church of the Good Shepherd attended in St. Louis, Missouri a congress of dissatisfied conservatives in the Episcopal Church. The result of this congress was a pro- visional charter for the Anglican Church in North America contained in an "Affirmation of St. Louis," a statement of the beginning of a new church structure of separation and renewal.

On Sunday, September 18 the congregation of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd heard the "Affirmation of St. Louis" read from the pulpit as a prelude to discussions on leaving the Episcopal Church to form what was called a "continuing" church of traditional faith and practices. The following Sundays, September 23 and September 30, were set aside for discussions, in which tempers frequently flared, on Catholicity and the ordination of women priests, which seemed to be the heart of the problem.

On October 6, at Trinity Cathedral, where the Church of the Good Shepherd had been created as a mission, the Rt. Rev. George M. Alexander, Bishop of the Diocese supported by the Archdeacon (now Bishop Beckham), the Chancellor of the Diocese, John G. Martin, and clergy of the Diocese, met with more than one hundred members from the Church of the Good Shepherd, as well as other interested members of the diocese, to seek reconciliation of parish and clergy. A question and answer session covered major points of which the understanding of the term catholicity seemed to be at the center. It seemed that the emphasis on catholic orthodoxy was one of the reasons why the Columbia parish was breaking away from the National Church and its designated local authority, the diocese. The Chancellor of the diocese stated that every effort would be expended to protect the church property for those who remained loyal to the Episcopal Church.

On Sunday, October 9 immediately after the 9:15 Eucharist, the congregation of the Church of the Good Shepherd voted two to one (106 to 50) to endorse the "Affirmation of St. Louis". The 157 eligible voters present proceeded as their names were called to a voting table located in the center of the Church next to the chancel steps, received their ballots, marked them, then placed them in the ballot box and returned to their seats. The voting was orderly and quiet, taking place in an atmosphere of controlled emotion -- the loyal minority already aware they would be out voted.

On Wednesday, October 12 a carefully worded written statement was given out that the dissenting faction did not intend to occupy or otherwise assert a claim to any property now owned by the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

On Sunday, October 16 following the 9:15 service of Holy Communion, the congregation of Good Shepherd voted two to one (104 to 48) to sever all relations with the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. After the final vote came it was clear that the Church of the Good Shepherd would be split. The Rev. Mr. Gatling entered the pulpit saying, "We are going to call ourselves 'Good Shepherd;' I don't know what you'll call yourself." This was the Church of the Good Shepherd as it had been through the ages. It would not be called anything else.

The large conservative group saying "We won" walked away to form the Good Shepherd Anglo-Catholic Church, while the small loyal group remained at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. As the Archdeacon (now Bishop Beckham) said, "Schism is one of those occurrences in the life of the Church which elicits all types of emotions from those within the Body. This is especially true when it happens here at home." When it touches us and separates us from persons we know and love, we find it a painful experience indeed." Such was the experience at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Families were split apart and friends separated from friends.

The Rt. Rev. George M. Alexander met with the remnant congregation on Monday October 17, for the purpose of reorganization, that the church might begin a new parish life. A new vestry was constituted with ten new members appointed by the Bishop to join the two vestry members who remained when the dissenting majority left on Sunday.

With the Bishop's recommendation and the congregation's approval, the Rev. Canon Jules F. Haley of Trinity Cathedral became vicar protem until the parish could call a rector. The bewildered and confused congregation was assured by the Bishop that the diocese and its clergy would give financial and human support, as required, to keep the church worship and activities proceeding without interruption. The Bishop also announced with great reluctance and sadness ''as of this day, I have taken action inhibiting Fathers Gatling and Ladkau from exercising their priestly functions in the diocese and in the Episcopal Church." The Bishop said that anytime during the next six months, the two priests could retract their statements of withdrawal from the National Church and regional diocese and be returned to Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church. Otherwise, the canonical process of "deposition" would follow at the end of that time. Both priests were later deposed.

The bitter struggle was over. The schism was tempestuous, but marked with a great recovery. The congregation went about the business of rebuilding with excitement and enthusiasm -- faithful to Christian teachings and loyal to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church, confident that with faith, patience and fortitude the parish would remain the historic Church of the Good Shepherd.