Q - Why are so many Episcopal church doors painted red?
(See pictures alongside of red doors on St. Paul's Church and Parish Hall.)

A - There has been much discussion here concerning "red doors" on Episcopal churches.  At first I felt sure I knew the answer to the question posed "Why do Episcopal Churches commonly have red doors?"  However, after reading the other (online) posts I find that I am just plain enjoying myself.  Obviously, there is no one definitive answer to this query.

The story as it was delivered to me is that church doors were painted red as a sign of sanctuary, as a reminder of the Passover, as a sign of the Holy Spirit, as a reminder of the Martyrs, etc... (as) all of the things mentioned.  And, yes, this history is long and goes back indeed to the Middle Ages (or perhaps even to the time of the Torah in the Hebrew Scriptures).  However, with all of this rich imagery abounding it still was the case in Great Britain and Canada in the 19th and early 20th century that only certain parishes painted their doors red.  These were Anglo-Catholic parishes of the Oxford Movement (at least this was how it was reported to me by Urban Anglo-Catholic slum priests in Detroit and Toronto).  In addition, a cross might appear on the parish steeple on these parishes.  These were bold and controversial symbols at one time. Candles on the altar, liturgical vestments, Processional Crosses, Red Doors, Steeple Crosses, Weekly Eucharist - not to mention incense, bells, and lights that twinkle, i.e., votive candles - these were all considered radical.  We take most of this in stride today.

Evangelical parishes at that time had their own external markings.  Instead of a Cross atop a steeple and red doors (this was called - POPISH!!!), Evangelical parishes had a "Crowing Cock" (a common symbol of the Passion of our Lord) atop the steeple and brown or gray-colored doors. These parishes thought of themselves as a place where one could find "The Word" preached with authority without all the fuss and popery of those "other" Anglican Christians.

The American Church experience has always been more eclectic.  A few decades ago, "High Church" or "Anglo-Catholic" parishes probably had red doors more commonly than "Liberal Protestant Parishes" (these were far more common in the American experience than the Evangelical parishes of Britain and Canada).  Today however this connection is lost.  Presently, virtually every Episcopal Church parish has a cross on it and every parish uses candles.  Today even Methodist and Baptist Churches in the United States have crosses on them and use candles. These signs and symbols are almost universally accepted.

Let me close by saying what a pleasure it is to embrace these lovely signs and symbols of our faith in Jesus Christ.

- The Rev. Kenneth M. Near, Rector, St. Paul's Church, Englewood, NJ

[Source, c. 2000: The Church of Our Saviour in the Town of Secaucus, New Jersey]
 

St. Paul's
Red Doors



Church Street Entrance

Parish Hall Entrance

"Red Doors" Photographs alongside are by Azim L Mayadas

Q - What is The Windsor Report?

A - The Windsor Report is the ecclesiastic document containing the finding of the Eames Commission. In 2003, Archbishop Robin Eames, the Anglican Primate of Ireland, was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury as Chairman of the Lambeth Commission on Communion, which was given the task of examining significant challenges to unity in the Anglican Communion, stemming from the reaction of conservatives to the consecration of Gene Robinson, who is gay, as the Bishop of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church USA, and the blessing of same-sex unions in the Diocese of New Westminster. The Commission published its report ("The Windsor Report") on October the 18th, 2004.

The report recommended solidifying the connection between the churches of the Communion by having each church ratify an "Anglican Covenant" that would, in part, commit them to consulting the wider Communion when making major decisions. It also urged those who had contributed to disunity to express their regret.

The report was criticized by liberals (for example, in The Windsor Report: A Liberal Response) for seemingly taking for granted that the actions of New Hampshire and New Westminster - and homosexuality in general - were wrong. For example, while it calls for both conservatives and liberals to apologize for disunity, it acknowledges that the conservatives may have acted out of a sense of duty. However, it concedes no such acknowledgment to New Westminster and New Hampshire.

Note: The above summary of The Windsor Report is drawn with minimal editing from Wikipedia - the online encyclopedia. This is timely, as the Rev. Kenneth M. Near made a detailed and unbiased commentary on The Windsor Report in his excellent sermon to parishioners of St. Paul's Church on Sunday, June the 25th, 2006.  He also hinted at the possibility of a gay Episcopal priest's being named as the next bishop of Newark.
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Click this hotlink The Windsor Report to access the complete text from the Anglican Communion Website. 
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