Beyond the conflict

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20070623-9999-lz1c23church.html

[SignOnSanDiego.com] 23 June 2007--The Rev. Cathey Dowdle likes to call it a resurrection story.

“Their past is not defining their future,” she says.

Dowdle is speaking of Christ the King Episcopal Church, which in December 2005 became the first local casualty of the rift in the U.S. Episcopal Church over biblical interpretation and sexuality issues.

Now the Alpine church is making history again – this time, with Dowdle becoming Christ the King's first female priest.

In the Episcopal Church women priests are often assigned to dying churches to serve as hospice ministers to help the church to come to terms with its demise. They are thought to make better care takers.