WHEREAS the Diocese of Mid America of the Reformed Episcopal Church, meeting in its 97th Synod at Church of the Holy Communion, February 21, 2003.

1. The Church is the Body of Christ (Colossians 1:24);
2. The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15) and thus must speak out regarding the truth and expose error;
3. The Church is established by our Lord Jesus, and not by man, and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it (St. Matthew 16:18);
4. The Church is purchased with His blood, "the blood of God" (AC:28);
5. The Church has been marked since its establishment by sound doctrine, ministry of the Word, edifying fellowship, rightly administered sacraments, and prayer (Acts 2:42); and

WHEREAS the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion recognize, according to the teachings of Holy Scripture, that the Church of Christ "...is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached and the sacraments be duly administered according to Christ’s ordnance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same" (Article XIX); and, that "the Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in Controversies of Faith," and that the Church is ''....a witness and a keeper of Holy Writ" (Article XX); and

WHEREAS Bishops and Presbyters in particular, and all faithful Christians in general, have a sacred duty to "...banish and drive away from the Church all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God’s Word; and both privately and openly to call upon and encourage others to do the same" (Timothy 1:3-4; Titus 3:10-11; The Ordinal); and

WHEREAS the Holy Scriptures teach that heresies will come in order that those who are genuine believers will be manifested, and false professors and heretics exposed (1 Corinthians 11:9); and

WHEREAS Harold Camping, President and co-founder of Family Radio has, since 2001, openly taught, contrary to the Holy Scriptures, that ''the king in the churches is Satan; that the Church age is over; that, in obedience to God, Christians should depart from their churches, and retreat into home fellowship groups where there are no officers, no discipline, and no sacraments; and that the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion are merely ceremonial ordinances that have passed away; along with other unbiblical teachings, such as are stated in his book 1994?, and

WHEREAS Mr. Camping's dangerous teaching has resulted in the dissolution of some local congregations, and has caused numerous individuals to depart from other churches; and

WHEREAS since 1956 Family Radio has carried doctrinally sound programming, as a result of which many faithful Christians listen to Family Radio and have a high degree of confidence in the teaching heard there, possibly causing them uncritically to accept whatever teaching is broadcast; and

WHEREAS Family Radio affiliates within the geographic boundaries of the Diocese of Mid America carry Mr. Camping's teachings, potentially exposing members of our parishes to those teachings through the regular broadcast media, as well as by short-wave radio and the internet;

NOW. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Diocese of Mid America, meeting in its 97th Synod in Dallas, Texas, on February 21, 2003, does hereby declare these teachings of Mr. Harold Camping to be heretical and contrary to Holy Scripture; and warns believers of the danger of these teachings, inasmuch as they wrest the Scripture to the destruction of the soul, as the Apostle Peter warns in his second Epistle: to wit, "...our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles. speaking in them of these things...which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest. as they do also the other scriptures unto their own destruction. Ye therefore. beloved seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness'' (Peter 3:15-17); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Diocese of Mid America of the Reformed Episcopal Church does hereby call upon all believers earnestly to pray that Mr. Harold Camping will repent of and renounce his heretical teachings; and

BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED that the Diocese of Mid America of the Reformed Episcopal Church, in accordance with scriptural admonition, does hereby call upon the members of our parishes, as well as upon sincere Christians everywhere, to reject the heretical teachings of Mr. Herald Camping, imploring all the faithful to avoid him as the Scriptures command: namely, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." ( Romans 16:17-18)

DONE in Dallas, Texas. this 21st day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand three.

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