I’m also chiming in to wish you good luck with your search. I’d recommend the Episcopalian Church near me, (have heard great things about it) but 3000 miles is a bit of a commute for Sunday mornings.
Church shopping can be difficult (keep your sense of humor about you while you’re going ahead) - but when you find the right place, I am sure it will be exactly where God wants you to be. Thoughts and prayers are with you.
cj, I’ve no answer for you but I enjoyed reading your post. Good luck in finding a new spiritual community 
ultrafilter, I freely admit to consorting with Wiccans, pagans, etc., not to mention having sat za-zen once in a Buddhist monastery in Japan. What makes you think the UU’s will be any problem? Admittedly, not all of the pagans know what my religion is, but still. . .
I’ve been referred to as an “Episco-Pagan” and, a compliment I still treasure, “the damndest Episcopalian I’ve ever met!” There are too many reasons I’ll be staying Episcopalian to explain here, and besides, that would move us over to GD anyway. I’ll still, however, continue to associate with my Wiccan friends and explore the areas that, as I once put it, “simply aren’t covered in the Book of Common Prayer.” Who knows? One day maybe I’ll even post here saying that I’m about to be ordained!
The thing is, this is a rough time for me. I’m not foolish enough to ask what I could lose next, but I’m starting to sympathize with Job! StGermain, the Episcopal church does have provisions for one-on-one confessions. They’re not required, but I have made use of it once when I overreacted to a racist remark and pretty much trashed one of my personal vows to God. Since I do have this lovely history of clinical depression, I consider having a priest I can trust/confessor to be vital.
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I’m sure og (it was a typo, but why not?;)) knows where I’m supposed to be and what job I’m supposed to get. I just wish he’d let me in on it!
CJ
While I know you’re not specifically looking for a gay-friendly church per se, based on your own piety and emotional stance it seems obvious that an affirming parish would probably be one that is amenable to your views and spirituality.
With that in mind, and because I’ve been remiss in not posting this link for the gay people here with an interest in churches who think much as I do, look at this. The list is nowhere near complete – my own parish, for example, is not on it – and those in Pennsylvania are pretty sparse on the ground. But it may be of interest to you or to others.
I had a feeling that retreat would be interesting when my mom told me you were going. She seemed to have a good time, but then again, she’s a muggle who’s probably never struggled with religion (as far as I know), and she’s your typical church lady. Oh, the shame of having insanely normal immediate family members (my extended family ranges from mundane to almost as eccentric as me). Ah well. Anyway… I’m sorry. When my mom told me about Father M. leaving, I knew it would be just pouring vinegar into your wounds. Just whatever you do, don’t look up and ask, “Lord, what else can go wrong?” You learned that the hard way.
I can offer sympathy (or empathy or whetever the word is… they’re all similar), but I’ll also encourage you to overcome the obstacles surrounding you. You’ve done it before, and I know you can do it again. It’s hard to be happy right now, and building your life back will take time… and I’ve given you this lecture several times before, but I’m repetitive for a reason.
As for defending Wiccans, good for you (I hope my mom didn’t say anything offensive… I know she doesn’t believe what I believe, but she better respect my beliefs…). You’re a true ally. Though you’re not officially Wiccan (you’re about 25% Wiccan, 75% Christian, the way I see it, which is fine with me), you’re very respectful to us, and Christian allies are what we need.
“Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you think everything’s okay and everything’s going right. And life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything’s gone wrong and everything blows up in your face.”
-Ironic, by Alanis Morissette (hey, her music helped me survive junior high!)
CJ: Nothing much I can do to help you this time around, but you’ll always have my support and compassion.
cj, finding a church and a priest that works for you is tough. it is a search that may take some time.
in my family, churches have been switched about a bit. my grandmum, mum, and her siblings all went to one church when mum and sibs were young. none of them go to that church anymore. as young adults, my mum ended up at a church 2 blocks west of the orig, and my aunt at a church 2 blocks east. my mom and aunt have not moved homes since the 30’s.
today, my mum and aunt go to the one 2 blocks west, while my cousins go to the one 2 blocks east. at one point my aunt went to one miles away about a 20 minute or more drive, and one cousin to a church 10 blocks to the east of the orig…
sometimes the change would be church politics, some times the priest.
i am always amused by the fact that we go to 3 different churchs, instead of one family church. we all have reasons for the church we go to.
it is all part of the journey.
me? i go to a church 15 blocks east of the orig parish. it is a 10 minute walk from my house.
i hope you find what you want and need in a church.
Uhmm Polycarp, I’m afraid the closest church to me on that list is in Cleveland! Sigh, and here I was hoping to shorten my commute. Besides, in Cleveland they might commit such heresies as praying that the Browns beat the Steelers! 
There’s a pretty big church in a rather yuppie-ish neighborhood a few miles from me which I think I’ll check out first. The neighborhood runs to single, technical types. Hopefully the church will do the same – my old one was at least half engineers, originally.
CJ
Unfortunately, I can’t reccomend anything-heck, I haven’t been to church in ages (since I’m not really practicing, per se).
But good luck. {{{{CJ}}}}
cj, I’m also in the position of not being able to recommend a church in the Pittsburgh area. But you’re in my prayers. I know how tough church-shopping can be, even when everything else is going great.
The SDMB is a fellowship of sorts, isn’t it? I mean yes you need a physical bricks and mortar flesh and blood church that you actually go to each Sunday…
…but there are plenty of good Christians, Unitarians, Wiccans, agnostics, atheists and whatever right here on the board.
Hmm. Maybe an email list - and each week it’s someone’s turn to write something about faith and life, and then everyone discusses it. I know those sort of things exist already, but maybe an sdmb one might be an idea.
Maybe it’s too elitist, in a sense. Maybe the discussions that go on in GD and the Pit, and the chats about life (and faith) that happen in MPSIMS are enough.
I think some sort of “SDMB More-or-Less Christian Fellowship” would be a good thing, whether it took the form of a thread or series of threads here, a listserv, an EZBoard, or whatever. We really ought to think seriously about this.
CJ, I believe I can suggest a church for you. It’s been a few years since I was there, but I believe it was the Church of the Incarnation. At any rate, it’s the large downtown church that isn’t the cathedral. I attended there for several months when I was doing some grad school work and I found it to be very welcoming.
cj, I won’t be any help in suggesting a church, but I’ll put in a word on your behalf during my prayers.
By the way, the more of your posts I read, the more I see a person to respect. I hope you find a like-minded community to support you.
I just thought I’d let you know that all is finally well. I’ll spare you the details, but I’ve had a deep conversation with God and a long conversation with a friend from my former church, and I’ve come to realize that I haven’t lost my faith, nor will I. Also, while it may be my time to change churches, I will still always be welcome at my old one, and not just because the woman I was talking to and I are 1/3rd of a six-person choir!
I’m still not sure where my path will lead me, in terms of job or church, but I’m sure I’ll wind up somewhere. In the meantime, based on past experience, it should be an interesting trip.
Thanks, everyone, for your kind words. They really do mean a lot to me.
CJ
That’s wonderful to hear, cjhoworth!
May God go with us all in this journey, and boy is it an interesting one, huh?
Take care in whatever church home you may find.