News for Week Ending 7/21/2008

GAFCON leaders respond to Williams critique, criticize covenant draft

The primates of Nigeria, West Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Southern Cone responded July 18 to Archbishop Rowan Williams’ criticism of the Final Statement issued at the end of GAFCON. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) In their response, the primates deny that they have asserted that they are “the only ones to hold a correct interpretation of scripture according to its plain meaning,” while asserting that others are promoting a “false gospel.” They argue the need to “evangelise among people of other faiths,” and they defend the legitimacy of GAFCON and its innovations. The primates’ statement also defends boundary crossings and the acceptance of clergy into one province after their having being disciplined in another.

At the same time the primates’ statement was released, GAFCON’s Theological Resource Team—the group’s members are not named—issued an analysis of the so-called St. Andrew’s Draft Text (SAD) for an Anglican covenant. The team declares the SAD “seriously limited and severely flawed,” defective in ways incapable of correction “by piecemeal amendment.” The document enumerates seven “theological flaws” of the SAD, while asserting that “a crisis of obedience to Scripture” is the problem any covenant should address. The team attacks the so-called Instruments of Communion generally, but it is especially critical of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is said to have “undue influence” and a role assigned by the SAD that is “frankly colonialist.”

Andrew Goddard has just posted “GAFCON & The Anglican Covenant,” which analyzes “Changes between the Nassau and St Andrew’s Drafts of an Anglican Covenant” another GAFCON paper that is related—it is unclear how—to the GAFCON analysis of the SAD. (The link here is to Anglican Mainstream, as the GAFCON briefing paper disappeared from the GAFCON public Web site after Goddard posted his analysis. The original GAFCON link is here.) Goddard questions the conclusions of the Theological Resource Team’s work, as it seems to rely on a comparison not between the Nassau covenant draft and the SAD but between the SAD and an earlier document that predates the covenant proposal of the Windsor Report. (He points out other problems as well.)

Participants in GAFCON are not alone in criticizing the SAD, of course. A paper given by the Rev. Canon Marilyn McCord Adams, of Christ Church, Oxford, has been widely circulated. “Unfit For Purpose or, Why a pan-Anglican Covenant at this time is a very bad idea!” was presented at the 2008 Modern Churchpeople’s Conference. The 14-page paper carefully analyzes the history of the covenant concept and the specific drafts that have been put forward. Her conclusion is apparent from the title of her paper.

Lambeth Conference moves into full swing

The 2008 Lambeth Conference moved into full swing Sunday, July 20, 2008, as the main program began with a service in Canterbury Cathedral. The grand event has been widely reported, for example, in the Guardian and the The Times, both of which quote Pittsburgh bishop Robert Duncan.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams later delivered an address at the first plenary session of the conference. He described the Communion as being at a “deeply significant turning point,” and urged that the bishops move toward the adoption of an Anglican covenant. (The Archbishop’s address can be read here. See also the Times story here and Telegraph story here.) Bishop John Howe, the Central Florida bishop who recently broke with the Anglican Communion Network but who nevertheless opposes trends in The Episcopal Church (see Pittsburgh Update story here) has written a very clear account of the options for the Communion offered in Williams’ Sunday address.

Sunday’s events followed a three-day retreat for the assembled bishops that included a number of addresses by Rowan Williams. (Episcopal News Service provides an overview of the Lambeth Conference here.) Williams, of course, remains the central figure in ongoing disputes, and the current Lambeth Conference is very much his. The Guardian has brought back its former religion reporter Stephen Bates to do a profile on the archbishop, and his piece “Church of England: Beset by liberals, hounded by conservatives, Williams needs a miracle to keep church intact” provides helpful insight into Williams, Lambeth, and the conflicts in the Communion generally.

It is fair to say that the conference has yet to produce much news, but commentary abounds. A number of bishops are blogging about the conference, and The Lead has thoughtfully offered a syndication feed from blogging bishops. The “Lambeth Daily” feature on the official conference Web site will help Web visitors follow conference events. The popular church cartoonist, Dave Walker, is contributing cartoons to “Lambeth Daily” and providing his own commentary on his personal blog. Stories on significant developments will likely be noted quickly on Thinking Anglicans. Religion reporter Ruth Gledhill of The Times has her own blog, Articles of Faith. Her postings will add color to Lambeth reporting and may, on occasion, offer actual news.

Schofield not attending Lambeth

Bishop John-David Schofield, the former Episcopal bishop who engineered the “realignment” of the Diocese of San Joaquin to the province of the Southern Cone, will not be attending the Lambeth Conference. According to a letter to Schofield from Southern Cone Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrote that “it is acknowledged that his [Schofield’s] exact status (especially given the complications surrounding the congregations associated with him) remains unclear on the basis of the general norms of Anglican Canon Law.” Under the circumstances, Schofield declined the invitation to Lambeth that he received while he was still an Episcopal Bishop.

Perhaps significantly, the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, but not the diocese that Schofield claims to lead, is listed on the official Anglican Communion Web site. Bishop Jerry Lamb, the new provisional bishop of San Joaquin is attending Lambeth.

Unlike some GAFCON attendees, Venables has chosen to attend Lambeth, though, according to the BBC, he was “one of several bishops who did not take communion [at the opening service of the conference proper, in Canterbury Cathedral], arguing that he is no longer in communion with many of his colleagues

Remain Faithful calls for ‘definitive action’ against same-sex unions, ordination of gays

The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported July 19 that the conservative Remain Faithful group has called for “definitive action … not just more ‘discernment periods’” against same-sex unions and the ordination of active homosexuals. It took the action July 12 during a convention held in Arlington, Texas. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The Star-Telegram story reports that Remain Faithful claims 700 members in 60 dioceses.

News for Week Ending 7/14/2008

Press taking diverse views on Lambeth Conference

The Lambeth Conference, the once-a-decade gathering of Anglican bishops from around the world, is scheduled to open officially at the University of Kent on Wednesday, June 16, but most of the 660 bishops attending have been in England for a while, participating in pre-conference activities.

Nearly all the bishops from four countries (Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda) are staying away as a form of protest against actions by The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada.

Press coverage is quite varied. The Daily Telegraph has been printing stories predicting the break-up the Anglican Communion. Other coverage has highlighted those bishops attending the conference despite the boycott. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams’ leadership has been assessed in a variety of ways, even in the same paper. The Guardian took a positive approach. The Telegraph carried both a sympathetic and a more critical piece.

The uninvited Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire has been getting a lot of press attention, especially after a heckler interrupted his sermon at St Mary’s Church in Putney. Stories can be read in the Guardian, Times, and Telegraph. Stories about the heckler have been provided by the Guardian, Daily Mail, and the BBC.

Presiding Bishop preaches at three services in Salisbury

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori had a full schedule in Salisbury on Sunday, July 13. Her reflections at the 8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer (Real format) service and her sermon at a 4:00 p.m. choral Evensong were both broadcast by the BBC and are available on-line. She also preached at the 10:30 a.m. Eucharist at the Cathedral Church of St. Mary in Salisbury. The text of that sermon (Microsoft Word format) and of the sermon (Microsoft Word format) preached at 4:00 p.m. are also available on line. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and the bishops of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan were guests of the Cathedral in Salisbury as a part of the pre-Lambeth Conference Hospitality Initiative.

Salisbury Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in England whose dean is a woman. According to information on the Salisbury Cathedral Web site, the Presiding Bishop came to Salisbury from Oxford, where she attended a pre-Lambeth conference, Oxford entitled “Transfiguring Episcopé: Women, Leadership and the Anglican Communion.” She gave the keynote address to this official gathering of Anglican women leaders from around the world. The Sudanese bishops were celebrating their church’s 35 year partnership with the Diocese of Salisbury. On Monday, The Presiding Bishop, Dean June Osborne, and the Sudanese bishops will consult with each other and participate in a question-and-answer session with the press. Episcopal News Service covered the visit here.

Welsh primate would ordain gay bishop

The primate of the Church in Wales, Archbishop Barry Morgan, has indicated his willingness to ordain a gay person to the episcopate if his fellow bishops choose such a candidate, according to WalesOnline. Morgan said that he agreed with the decision of The Episcopal Church to consecrate Gene Robinson. “There should be a backlash against this fundamentalism that has been thrust upon us,” Morgan is quoted as saying. “It is contrary to the ministry of Jesus and damaging the Church.” The story was published a few days after the Welsh bishops issued a press release urging the upcoming Lambeth Conference to concentrate on environmental issues, rather than on sexuality. According to the bishops, “Jesus’ ministry was full of concern for God’s world for he proclaimed and embodied God’s love for it. The real challenges, therefore, are not about sexuality but about eradicating poverty, injustice, violence and tackling climate change.”

Presbyterians okay further dialogue on closer relationships with Episcopalians

The recently concluded General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) agreed to continue dialogue with The Episcopal Church on a plan aimed at encouraging closer relationships between congregations of the two churches. The General Assembly’s vote is subject to approval by a majority of the 173 regional presbyteries. If such approval is achieved, the matter will be an item of business at The Episcopal Church’s General Convention next year.

The proposed agreement would allow Presbyterian and Episcopal clergy to perform ministerial functions in each other’s congregations “when requested and approved by the diocesan bishop and local presbytery.” It stops short of being a full-communion agreement. The Presbyterian Committee on Ecumenical Relations is due to oversee continuing talks and to report on them at the next General Assembly in 2012.

Episcopal News Service reported on the Presbyterian vote here.

Tenth Episcopal Youth Event held in San Antonio

The tenth Episcopal Youth Event (EYE), a triennial gathering of Episcopal high school students, was held July 9 through July 13 on the campus of Trinity University, in San Antonio, Texas. More that 850 young people, joined by more than 300 adult sponsors and resource persons attended the church-wide event. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori spoke to participants at a July 8 evening event before the official start of the EYE. Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies of The Episcopal Church, spoke to the gathered young people on July 9. Further details are included in an Episcopal News Service story here.

Church’s Midwest regional office now open in Omaha

As part of its ongoing reorganization and decentralization, The Episcopal Church has opened a regional office in Omaha, Nebraska, in the office building of the Diocese of Nebraska, adjacent to Trinity Cathedral. The office space has been provided to The Episcopal Church rent-free under a five-year agreement.

Much of the work of the church’s Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations and Evangelism and Congregational Life Center will now be conducted in the new Midwest office. Episcopal News Service reported the opening of the office here.

Bishop Duncan visits Dallas

Bishop Duncan was in Dallas this weekend attending the consecration on Saturday, July 12, of Canon Paul E. Lambert as suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, according to a source who was present. Press coverage was minimal, but the Dallas Daily News carried this story on the consecration.

The Bishop of Pittsburgh has been on the road much of July. He attended the opening of the GAFCON Conference before going to Italy, where he celebrated his birthday with family. He is heading back across the Atlantic soon to be at the Lambeth Conference, which opens on July 16.

Calvary Church requests “monitor” to watch diocesan assets

With the leadership of the Diocese of Pittsburgh pressing for a vote in October to realign the diocese, i.e., to remove it from The Episcopal Church and attach it to the province of the Southern Cone, Calvary Episcopal Church returned to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas last week to request that the court appoint a “monitor” who would “inventory and oversee property held or administered by the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.” The move is intended to help enforce the stipulation agreed to by all parties in 2005. Calvary has also asked the court to allow any parish wishing to do so to pay its assessment into an escrow account pending resolution of property issues. Episcopal News Service reported the story here. As this is being written, the link in that story to Calvary’s petition is not correct. A searchable version of the court filing can be found here.

Central Florida bishop breaks with Network

According to The Living Church, the Bishop of Central Florida, the Rt. Rev. John Howe, has resigned from the Anglican Communion Network (ACN), led by Bishop Robert Duncan, and is supporting the Anglican Communion Institute (ACI). The story is based on information in the July 2008 Central Florida Episcopalian, which has not yet been posted to the diocesan Web site. According to Howe, the ACI seeks “to promote orthodoxy within The Episcopal Church.” The ACN, on the other hand, “is now made up of far more people who have left The Episcopal Church than those who remain inside it,” and Howe has not been pleased with “the secessionist direction of the Network.” Peter Frank is quoted in the Living Church story as confirming Bishop Howe’s action. Frank noted that it was not clear if the diocese or the member parishes had withdrawn. The Network has written each parish directly to ascertain their intent regarding membership.

NOTE: After the above story was written, the Diocese of Central Florida posted the July 2009 Central Florida Episcopalian on its Web site. You may view it here. Bishop Howe’s letter appears on page 2 and is continued on page 4.

News for Week Ending 7/7/2008

GAFCON continues to make news

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) has announced that the BBC will telecast a documentary on the conference July 21. (See earlier Pittsburgh Update story on GAFCON here.) The conference Web site contains audio clips from many of the GAFCON presentations, including audio from the final press briefing on June 29 in Jerusalem. Questions were answered by Archbishops Henry Orombi of Uganda, Peter Jensen of Sydney, and Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda.

Comment on GAFCON has been sharply divided. Bishop David Anderson, in the American Anglican Council e-mail update, described the process for developing the GAFCON final statement as “steel sharpening steel.” He said that it is now necessary to work to perfect a proposal for the GAFCON Primates’ Council to recognize the Common Cause Partners Federation as a North American province.

Archbishop Fred Hilz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, on the other hand, said in a statement that “I challenge and repudiate” GAFCON’s charge that Anglican churches in both the U.S. and Canada proclaim a “false gospel that has paralysed the Communion.”

In a controversal move, Archbishops Orombi (Uganda), Jensen (Sydney), and Venables (Southern Cone) took the GAFCON message to England, where they addressed Church of England supporters on the newly announced Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.

Church of England takes next step in authorizing women bishops

On July 7, at the end of a long afternoon and evening of debate and voting on fourteen amendments, the Church of England General Synod passed a resolution authorizing the drafting of legislation allowing women to be ordained as bishops. Despite pleas by both the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to make special provision for those who cannot accept women as bishops, the final resolution required only that “special arrangements be available, within the existing structures” for those who cannot accept women bishops. This fell short of the special diocese or “super bishop” proposals requested by those opposing women as bishops. The resolution authorizes the legislative group to draft a code of practice inclusive of women as bishops. The code will require approval by the Synod in 2009.

Ruth Gledhill’s report for The Times can be read here. More detail is available on her blog, which provides a running summary of the debate, the amendments, and the votes.

Presiding Bishop participates in gathering on Hispanic and Spanish ministry

More than 200 people from 8 countries gathered in Atlanta last week to share experiences in ministering to Spanish-speaking and Hispanic congregations. This was the first such meeting in six years. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori preached in Spanish at the opening Eucharist. Spanish was the primary language at the conference, with English translation available. The conference looked at pastoral care, legal issues, and how to handle the growth that most Hispanic and Spanish congregations are experiencing. Episcopal News Service covered the conference here.

Episcopal Church Web site gets makeover

The Episcopal Church has announced another makeover of its Web site, to be launched July 8. The new site is intended to be more visually arresting, to provide better search capabilities, and to reflect better the current organization within the Episcopal Church Center. Additional changes will be implemented in the coming months. Episcopal News Service describes the changes in a July 7 story here.

Remain Faithful group plans first event

Remain Faithful, organized last month by individuals in the Diocese of Fort Worth as a lay-led organization of “orthodox” Episcopalians and Anglicans, will hold its first event July 12 in Arlington, Texas, a conference entitled “Mobilizing the Faithful.” Its keynote speaker will be Dr. Michael Howell of St. Petersburg, Florida, an official lay representative at the recent GAFCON gathering in Jerusalem. A marine scientist, he is also a trustee of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, serves on the board of American Anglican Council, and on the council of Forward in Faith/North America. Others participating will be Rev. Dr. Tom Hightower, rector of St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Arlington, and the Rev. Dr. Bill Dickson, rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Fort Worth. Episcopal News Service reported on the conference here.

On its Web site, Remain Faithful claims more than 500 members from over 60 dioceses.

Episcopal Church joins Connecticut Diocese in lawsuit

The Episcopal Church has formally entered a lawsuit as a co-plaintiff with the Diocese of Connecticut against the former rector and vestry members of Bishop Seabury Episcopal Church in Groton, Connecticut. (See earlier Pittsburgh Update story here.) The suit asks the court to prevent the defendants from retaining church property, since they are no longer Episcopalians. Other plaintiffs are the Bishop Seabury Episcopal Church congregation that continues to be a part of The Episcopal Church and its priest-in-charge. The former rector, Ron Gauss, was one of the “Connecticut Six” priests who insisted, in 2004, on oversight of their parishes by a bishop from outside the diocese. This January, Gauss, and many parishioners, voted to affiliate with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). Bishop Smith appointed a priest-in-charge for the congregation remaining in The Episcopal Church. When the CANA group refused to leave the property, the diocese filed suit in April 2008.

The Connecticut controversy has been bitter. Smith deposed one priest and took control of his parish in 2005. The “Connecticut Six” sued the bishop in federal court and filed presentment charges against him with the church. The federal suit was dismissed in 2006, and, in 2007, the Title IV Review Committee refused to move the presentment forward. All but one of the six parishes has experienced a withdrawal of members, and the diocese sued the group from Trinity Parish, Bristol that tried to retain control of the church property. In May 2008, the Bristol group decided to end the legal battle by giving the property to the diocese.

The New London Judicial District Court late last month granted a motion adding The Episcopal Church as a plaintiff.

Virginia bishop pledges to “exhaust every possible option” to reverse court ruling

In a letter published July 3, Bishop Peter Lee, of the Diocese of Virginia, said the diocese and The Episcopal Church will press ahead with efforts to reverse the recent court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of a state law dealing with a “division” in religious bodies. (See earlier Pittsburgh Update story here.) According to Lee:

The ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Virginia Division Statute threatens all hierarchical churches in Virginia. We continue to believe that hierarchical churches have the First Amendment right to organize themselves without interference from the State. The Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church will exhaust every possible option to correct what I believe to be a profound injustice and injury to America’s First Freedom, born here in Virginia.

“Stop the World” blog comes to an end

The Rev. Terry Martin, otherwise known as “Father Jake,” has announced that he is shutting down his blog, “Father Jake Stops the World,” which he has operated for five years. “I believe that a constant exposure to some of the toxic rhetoric found on the net has had a negative impact on my spiritual health,” Martin said. “I find it more difficult to discern the glory of God. Most likely this is because I’ve become too preoccupied with the depravity of man. I need to take care of myself.” He said he is considering launching a new project, but gave no details.

“Father Jake Stops the World” was notable for its liberal author’s analysis and the lively community discussion—not all of it relevant to the matter at hand—that it provoked. No more posts or comments are being added to the blog, but the trip to its Web site has served up a variety of fare since Martin’s announcement. It is not clear how much of the blog will remain visible on the Web long-term.

News for Week Ending 6/30/2008

GAFCON challenges Anglican ways

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON: see Pittsburgh Update story here) ended June 29 and issued a “Statement on the Global Anglican Future” likely to deepen the Anglican crisis. The Statement declares conference participants to be a “fellowship of confessing Anglicans,” but one “not breaking away from the Anglican Communion.” It justifies continued incursions into provinces, such as the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church, that teach a “false gospel,” announces the development of a “Primates’ Council” that would “authenticate and recognise confessing Anglican jurisdictions, clergy and congregations,” and calls for the Common Cause Partnership, headquartered in Pittsburgh, to be recognized as “a province in North America.”

The Primates’ Council would likely comprise the primates of Nigeria, West Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Southern Cone, possibly joined by Tanzania, depending on a vote by its bishops.

As part of the Statement, “The Jerusalem Declaration” enumerates “tenets of orthodoxy which underpin our Anglican identity.” The tenets include the “plain” reading of scripture (“the Word of God written”), subscription to the Articles of Religion, and the 1662 prayer book “as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer” to be translated and locally adapted.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, to whose prerogatives the GAFCON statement is a clear challenge, quickly issued a response calling the GAFCON proposals “problematic.” The Primates’ Council will “not pass the test of legitimacy” for some, he said, and the claim to be able to operate across provincial boundaries “is fraught with difficulties.”

Durham Bishop N.T. Wright, in a brief essay, “After GAFCON,” applauds the enthusiasm of the participants, but, like Archbishop Williams, he is unenthusiastic about the details of the Statement.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori also responded to GAFCON. “This statement does not represent the end of Anglicanism, merely another chapter in a centuries-old struggle for dominance by those who consider themselves the only true believers,” she said.

As reported here last week, Pittsburgh’s Bishop Robert Duncan delivered the opening plenary address in Jordan, but he did not follow participants to Jerusalem.

As we write this, press reports on GAFCON are just beginning to catch up with events. Recent stories can be found in the Telegraph, Christian Broadcasting Network, and Time. More stories will surely follow.

Prominent Church of England bishop to boycott Lambeth

Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, a prominent conservative voice in the Church of England and spiritual leader of the Diocese of Rochester, says he will boycott the Lambeth Conference as a matter of conscience. “I would find it difficult to be in Eucharistic fellowship with, and teaching the common faith alongside, those who have ordained a person to be bishop whose style of life is contrary to the unanimous teaching of the Bible and the Church down the ages,” he said, referring to Bishop of New Hampshire Gene Robinson. The openly gay Robinson is the only Episcopal bishop not formally invited to the upcoming Lambeth Conference. The story is reported by Episcopal News Service here.

Church court convicts Pennsylvania bishop on charges of conduct unbecoming; attorneys vow appeal

On June 25, The Episcopal Church’s nine-member Court for the Trial of a Bishop announced a guilty verdict on two counts in the trial of Bishop Charles E. Bennison of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The court finding was unanimous on the count of failing to respond properly 35 years ago, as rector of a church in Upland, California, after learning that his brother, whom he had hired as youth minister, was “engaged in a sexually abusive and sexually exploitive relationship” with a 14-year-old parishioner. The verdict was 6-3 on the charge of suppressing the information about his brother until 2006 and “fail[ing] to minister to people who he understood to have been injured by his brother’s conduct.” Attorneys for Bennison told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he was “obviously disappointed” and said they plan an appeal to an appeals court composed of nine bishops.

The bishop told the court he was unaware of his brother’s sexual abuse of the victim until several years after it began. He also said the church at the time lacked any process for dealing with such situations and that he received no special seminary training in dealing with problems of that nature. The victim and her mother both testified for the prosecution.

All parties involved have until July 30 to submit additional evidence concerning sentencing, which could range from an admonition to deposition. After the trial court verdict was announced, the Diocese of Pennsylvania Standing Committee issued a statement saying it “shares in the grief of the victims and all whose lives have been impacted by these events. Our prayers and thoughts are with those affected by the trial and the verdict. We pray for healing for all. The canonical process is long and far from over.”

The Episcopal News Service story on the verdict can be read here.

Diocese of Maryland consecrates first African-American bishop

The Rev. Canon Eugene T. Sutton became the first African-American bishop in the Diocese of Maryland when he was consecrated June 28 in a service held at the Washington National Cathedral. For the past eight years, Sutton has served as the canon pastor and director of the Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage at the the cathedral. In an interview published June 27 in The Baltimore Sun, the newly chosen bishop said he especially wants to emphasize environmental concerns and education. He has testified before Congress on climate change, and he said in the interview that he would like to explore the possibility of establishing an Episcopal school in Baltimore for low-income children. The Sun’s interview noted that that Sutton is the great-great grandson of slaves and that the diocese’s first bishop was himself a slaveholder.

Virginia state court upholds constitutionality of “division” statute

A state court handling litigation between the Diocese of Virginia and congregations that have left it to become part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) has ruled that the Virginia statute on “divisions” in religious bodies is constitutional. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) In an earlier ruling, the court held that the “division” statute was properly invoked by the CANA congregations. The Episcopal Church is party to the lawsuits, and a number of other churches sided with the diocese and church in friend of the court briefs.

Commenting on the court decision of June 27, the diocese issued a statement that said, in part:

“We are unwavering in these beliefs and will explore fully every option available to restore constitutional and legal protections for all churches in Virginia.”

The Episcopal News Service story on the decision can be read here. A story from The Washington Post can be read here.

News for Week Ending 6/23/2008

GAFCON convenes in Jerusalem

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) has now convened in Jerusalem and will continue through June 29. (See Pittsburgh Update story on GAFCON here.) The conference, attended mostly by conservatives from the U.S. and representatives from the Global South, is receiving extensive coverage in the press, including The New York Times, Reuters, and the BBC.

Episcopal News Service reported that Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, who had earlier objected to GAFCON’s being held in Jerusalem at all, has called for participants to show a spirit of “peace, reconciliation and goodwill.” Religion Correspondent for The Times, Ruth Gledhill, has explained on her blog that eight people, not all of whom are even attending GAFCON, have been barred from GAFCON sessions. Among the so-called “GAFCON 8” is Colorado Bishop Robert O’Neill, who was asked by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to monitor the conference.

Participants in a closed pre-conference planning meeting that had been moved to Jordan at least in part because of the objections of the Jerusalem bishop adjourned early on June 19. The meeting was transferred to Jerusalem after Archbishops Akinola and Venables were refused entry into Jordan.

Conference organizers made available an on-line book, The Way, The Truth, and The Life, written by the conference’s Theological Resource Team shortly before GAFCON’s official opening. A statement by Archbishop Peter Akinola in one of the book’s essays was widely reported in the press: “There is no longer any hope, therefore, for a unified [Anglican] Communion.” The Nigerian primate’s rhetoric in his speech at the conference Sunday, June 22, however, seemed to hold out greater hope. (See the Telegraph story here.) Other addresses have been given by Pittsburgh’s Bishop Robert Duncan and Sydney’s Archbishop Peter Jensen.

London gay “marriage” condemned by Archbishops of Canterbury and York

In response to the blessing of the domestic partnership of two gay priests that took place in London earlier this month (see Pittsburgh Update story here), the Archbishops of Canterbury and York issued a brief statement in which they expressed “very great concern” over the incident. Clergy are not at liberty to disregard “the Church’s teaching,” the statement said. The statement was reported in The Guardian and elsewhere.

Duncan names “collegiate vicar” for Common Cause congregations in West

In his capacity as moderator of the Common Cause Partnership, an alliance of “orthodox” groups in the U.S., Pittsburgh’s Bishop Robert Duncan has named a priest as a “collegiate vicar” for the Association of Western Anglican Congregations. The individual chosen is the Rev. Bill Thompson, rector of All Saints’ Anglican Church in Long Beach, California. His appointment was announced June 14 at the Western Anglicans House of Delegates meeting in Newport Beach. Ron Speers, president of the Western Anglicans organization, said, “Hopefully, the appointment of the Collegiate Vicar for us can serve as a model for other CCP-related church clusters elsewhere in the country.” The story was reported by the Anglican Communion Network.

First openly gay deacon ordained in Diocese of San Diego

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported June 21, 2008, that Bishop James Mathes, Bishop of San Diego, recently ordained the diocese’s first openly gay deacon to the transitional diaconate. The new deacon is Thomas Wilson, a former schoolteacher who moved to San Diego eight years ago with his partner of 20 years. The Rev. Susan Russell, president of Integrity, said the action shows how San Diego’s generally conservative philosophy is gradually changing under Bishop Mathes’ leadership.

Prominent Fort Worth rector reiterates loyalty to Episcopal Church

The Rev. Christopher Jambor, rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church—one of the most prominent parishes in the city and diocese of Fort Worth—has gone on record pledging his loyalty to The Episcopal Church. “[L]eaving The Episcopal Church and claiming to be able to take her assets with you is not within the bounds of our polity. Doing so is not reforming that which is deficient. It is abandoning it. For me to support or advocate this course of action would be to break my solemn oaths made when I was ordained deacon and priest,” Jambor says in his statement.

San Joaquin congregation returns to Episcopal Church

The mission congregation of St. Andrew’s Parish has decided to reject the actions of its vestry and priest by requesting recognition as a congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. The vestry and vicar of the Taft, California, mission had originally aligned the parish with Bishop John-David Schofield’s breakaway Anglican diocese now identifying itself as part of the province of the Southern Cone. In April, Bishop Lamb of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin received a petition signed by 25 pledging members of the mission—average Sunday attendance is 18—asking for recognition as part of the Episcopal diocese. Lamb appointed a new bishop’s committee and is providing supply clergy to serve the mission. The congregation has changed the locks to its building to ensure that its rejected leaders cannot seize the property. Conservative blogs have accused Bishop Lamb of theft of both the congregation and its property. When Bishop Schofield broke with The Episcopal Church, he allowed congregations not in debt to choose whether to realign or stay in The Episcopal Church. Mission congregations such as St. Andrew's were given no choice, however; Schofield claimed them all.

Quite different interpretations of what has happened in Taft may be found on the Web sites of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, and conservative blogger David Virtue.

Pennsylvania bishop cleared of financial charges but awaits court verdict

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Title IV Review Committee found no basis on which to try Bishop of Pennsylvania Charles E. Bennison, Jr., for misuse of diocesan funds. Charges had been brought forward by the Diocese of Pennsylvania’s Standing Committee, which has been feuding with its bishop for some time. Bennison is still awaiting a verdict in his trial for conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy. (See the story from Religious Intelligence Web site here, as well as the earlier Pittsburgh Update story.)

Pittsburgh convention to be held October 4 in Monroeville

Whereas Pittsburgh’s annual diocesan convention is usually held over two days on the first weekend of November, there has been much talk of moving up the date to minimize the time before the convention during which the Diocese of Pittsburgh might be without a bishop should the House of Bishops depose Bishop Robert Duncan in September. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The diocese has now posted a letter from the bishop setting the date for the convention as October 4. The venue will be St. Martin’s, Monroeville. As explained in the letter, pre-convention hearings will be held in late September. The diocesan constitution requires that the annual convention be held in either October or November.

News for Week Ending 6/16/2008

GAFCON opens next weekend

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) opens next weekend in Jerusalem with registration beginning on Saturday, June 21. The conference will run through Sunday, June 29. According to its Web site, the conference aims to “prepare for an Anglican future in which the Gospel is uncompromised and Christ-centred mission is a top priority,” in addition to providing opportunity for fellowship and to “develop a renewed understanding of our identity as Anglican Christians.” The conference was planned largely by primates of the Global South and their Northern evangelical allies. Some GAFCON attendees have announced that they will boycott the Lambeth Conference, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury July 10–Aug. 3, although a widespread boycott seems unlikely. Some bishops, including both Pittsburgh bishops, have said will attend both conferences.

Male priests “married” in London ceremony

Two male priests who had already registered in England as civil partners were “married” June 14 in a London service that used the traditional marriage rite and included a Eucharist. The Telegraph reported on the service performed in defiance of the Bishop of London. The couple, the Rev. Peter Cowell and the Rev. Dr. David Lord, participated in a ceremony at St. Bartholomew the Great Church. The Rev. Martin Dudley officiated. Conservative reaction was strong and quick. Ugandan primate Henry Orombi, for example, called upon the service “blasphemous” and urged the Archbishop of Canterbury to take decisive action to prevent such ceremonies.

Executive Council expresses hope that Bishop Robinson can have Lambeth impact

The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church wound up a three-day meeting Sunday, June 15, 2008, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by adopting a resolution on this year’s Lambeth Conference. The resolution contains language expressing hope that Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, although not a formal participant, can nevertheless have some influence. Robinson, the only active openly gay Anglican bishop, plans to be at the conference site as an observer to “see and be seen.” The resolution says that, although the conference’s “structured discussions will not include the voice and face of the Bishop of New Hampshire, who has not been invited to participate, we pray that his voice will be heard through those who are there speaking the truth about The Episcopal Church and hearing the truths of others, to the benefit of the wider Communion." In earlier remarks, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori reminded Council members that the conference “is not going to be a legislative Lambeth; it’s going to be a conversational Lambeth, as was the first Lambeth.”

In other Council business, Linda Watt, chief operating officer for the church’s central offices, reported that a new regional office in Los Angeles is “up and running” and that another in Omaha is nearing the same status. In Seattle, she said, the church is close to settling on space on a school campus adjoining St. Mark’s Cathedral. But in Atlanta, Ms. Watt said, “hope is kind of faint” that rent-free space owned by the diocese can be found. She said the church remains committed to having a regional office in Province IX, made up of seven Latin American and Caribbean dioceses.

The Council was also briefed on proposed changes to Title IV, the church’s disciplinary canons. An attempt to revise the Title IV canons at the 2006 General Convention was unsuccessful.

Episcopal News Service has provided extensive coverage of the Executive Council meeting, most of which cannot be dealt with in this brief overview. The final ENS story on the meeting can be found here. It contains links to earlier stories.

President of House of Deputies has new Web site

For the first time, the president of the House of Deputies has her own Web site. President Bonnie Anderson welcomes visitors to the site, explaining that “the work and ministries of the deputies continue throughout the triennium.” She pledges to use the site to report on her ministies and those of other deputies to the General Convention. Initial features include remarks Anderson delivered at the Episcopal Relief and Development network meeting in April and at the Diocese of Missouri Flower Festival in May. It also includes news stories and a “Featured Voice” essay by the Rev. Brian N. Prior, of the Diocese of Spokane, the House of Deputies vice president.

Two California bishops urge couples to wed in civil ceremony first

According to an Episcopal News Service story, Bishop Marc Anrus of the Diocese of California said June 11 that all couples planning marriage, regardless of sexual orientation, should be wed in a civil ceremony before seeking a church blessing. He said such actions would be a way to support same-gender couples and “our continued witness to God’s inclusive love.” Bishop Mary Gray Reeves announced similar guidelines to her clergy according to The Living Church. Three other bishops in California—Jon Bruno of Los Angeles, James Mathes of San Diego, and Barry Beisner of Northern California—said their dioceses have not yet decided how they will deal with same-sex couples seeking blessing of their unions. The California Supreme Court ruled that, beginning June 16, gay couples can marry in that state. Interim Bishop Jerry Lamb of San Joaquin said his priority now is continued work to reconcile and restore the diocese because its previous leadership attempted to align it with South American Province of the Southern Cone.

Church court weighs fate of Pennsylvania bishop

A nine-member Court for the Trial of a Bishop is deliberating the case of Bishop Charles Bennison of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. His trial on a charge of conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy ended Friday, June 13, after three days of testimony taken at a downtown Philadelphia hotel. The court has 30 days to reach a verdict. A two-thirds majority is required for conviction on each charge. Bennison faces a sentence that could range from a reprimand to deposition.

Bennison is accused of failing to respond properly 35 years ago when, as a novice rector in Upland, California, he learned that his married younger brother John, a deacon and newly hired youth minister, had a ongoing sexual relationship with a girl that had begun when she was 14 years old. The bishop is further charged with covering up that information when his brother, who had once renounced his orders, was reinstated as a priest. John Bennison was forced from the priesthood a second time in 2006 after the abuse was publicly revealed.

Bennison’s attorney contended that his client had no church training, guidelines, or protocol to govern how he should respond at the time. He said that the 31-year-old rector handled the situation as best he knew how, a position Bennison himself took later in the proceedings when he testified on his own behalf.

The trial has been covered in detail by the Diocese of Pennsylvania. (Detailed accounts of the trial can be found here. Note that they appear in reverse chronological order.) The same reporter, Jerry Hames, who is providing stories for the Diocese of Pennsylvania, is also filing stories with Episcopal News Service. His ENS story on the final day of the trial can be found here. It contains links to earlier ENS stories on the trial.

Bishop moves to claim “Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh”

Rector Harold Lewis, in his latest column in Calvary Church’s newsletter, has revealed details of a recent move by Pittsburgh’s bishop, Robert Duncan, to strengthen his claim that he is the rightful leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop Duncan has registered a new nonprofit Pennsylvania corporation named “Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.” (The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, that diocese that is a part of The Episcopal Church, has always been an unincorporated entity.) Lewis speculates that the new corporation is a piece of a plan to claim Episcopal Church property as part of “realignment.” The bishop apparently intends to claim that he is the leader of the “Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh” even in the event of his deposition and a vote by diocesan convention to leave The Episcopal Church. Lewis’s essay, “What's in a name?” and a copy of the articles of incorporation, in the bishop’s handwriting, can be found here. The listing for the new corporation on the site of the Pennsylvania Department of State can be found here.

News for Week Ending 6/9/2008

New Archbishop of Tanzania enthroned

On May 25, the Most Rev. Valentino L. Mokiwa was enthroned for a five-year term as the primate of Tanzania. Archbishop Mokiwa, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, has been bishop of the Diocese of Dar es Salaam since 2002. Among those attending the ceremony were the Rev. Emmanuel Sserwadda, The Episcopal Church’s program officer for Africa, and the Rev. Sandra McCann. McCann is an Episcopal missionary serving in Tanzania and a VTS graduate serving as official representative of VTS at the event. Archbishops Kolini of Rwanda and Akrofi of West Africa attended. Nigeria, Uganda, Burundi, and Kenya sent bishops as representatives. Episcopal News Service reported the story.

The new archbishop has joined Archbishop Drexel Gomez of West Indies and Bernard Ntahoturi of Burundi as primates willing to support the thirteen Episcopal Church bishops who are working on a proposal for a slightly expanded “episcopal visitors” group that could work with parishes or diocese anxious about remaining in good standing within the Anglican Communion. The group has committed to working only where the local bishop gives permission. (See “Communion Partners initiative expands to provide ‘relational fellowship’.”)

Bishop Robinson and partner exchange vows; diocese protests Lambeth snub

Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire and his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, were joined Saturday, June 7, 2008, in a private civil union held at St. Paul’s Church in Concord, N.H. The brief ceremony in the narthex of the church was followed by a service of thanksgiving for the couple that included a celebration of the Eucharist attended by approximately 120 friends and family members. The story was reported by the Concord Monitor.

In the same issue, the Concord Monitor also reported that the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council of the Diocese of New Hampshire wrote to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on May 28 protesting their bishop’s being excluded from the Lambeth Conference and his being prevented from preaching or celebrating the Eucharist while in England. The letter, which has not yet received a reply, described the actions of the Archbishop as “an insult to the people of the Diocese of New Hampshire.”

Church broadens lawsuit in San Joaquin property dispute

The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, in central California, filed an amendment in a state court on June 2 to the lawsuit to recover property held by former Episcopal bishop John-David Schofield.

The amendment added two new defendants, Merrill Lynch and a new holding company called the Anglican Diocese Holding Corporation. After the latest brief was filed by the plaintiffs, Merrill Lynch, which manages diocesan funds, immediately froze the disputed accounts pending resolution of the court case. Schofield had begun transferring assets to the new holding company from a corporation he formerly headed as the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.

The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal diocese filed suit in April to assert ownership of diocesan property. A December vote of the diocesan convention to join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone and the subsequent deposition of Schofield by the House of Bishops on March 12 led to the original filing.

The Web site for the Southern Cone-affiliated diocese contains a statement saying that the diocese remains confident the courts will rule for its ownership of the disputed property.

The Associated Press, Fresno Bee, Episcopal New Service and San Jose Mercury News all carried stories on the filing. ENS filed a separate story on the Merrill Lynch action.

San Joaquin reconciliation efforts continue

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, headed by Interim Bishop Jerry Lamb, is moving ahead with its reconciliation program. It will hold a one-day retreat June 14 at Holy Family Church in Fresno, focusing on reconciliation among individuals and congregations.

After the retreat, Bishop Lamb will visit four diocesan locations in an activity being called “Reconciliation Conversations with the Bishop.” The purpose of the “conversations” is “to seek reconciliation with those who remain in discernment about participating in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.”

The reconciliation programs are described in “Reconciliation in the Diocese of San Joaquin” in the diocese’s June newsletter.

Bishop Carol Gallagher to offer pastoral services in North Dakota

According to Episcopal News Service, Bishop Michael Smith has requested that Bishop Carol Gallagher assist in his diocese to “reach out especially to congregations and clergy who feel alienated and hurt by me due to different understandings of human sexuality.” Bishop Smith has declined to ordain partnered gays and lesbians, license partnered gay clergy who move to North Dakota, or allow same-sex blessings. The arrangement is pioneering a new kind of relationship between bishops and is intended to aid the listening process and discernment in the diocese around issues of sexuality.

Pittsburgh diocese makes Southern Cone destination official

Diocesan Council made public three resolutions to be voted on by the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s 143rd annual convention, which is expected to be held this year in early October, rather than early November. The convention will be held shortly after the scheduled September House of Bishops meeting at which Bishop Robert Duncan is expected to be deposed for abandoning the communion of The Episcopal Church.

The three resolutions announced by the Diocesan Council are available on the diocesan Web site here. They are predicated on the convention’s passing, on second reading, the constitutional amendments that intend to end the diocese’s accession to the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church. (The constitutional changes approved at the 2007 convention can be read here.)

Resolution One would establish a canon declaring the diocese to be part of the province of the Southern Cone. Resolution Two gives parishes 24 months to adjust their bylaws or similar documents to be in conformity with the new alignment. Resolution Three adopts as a temporary expedient “until a more comprehensive set of Constitution and Canons can be developed and approved by the Diocese” the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church, while at the same time explaining that this is not to be taken as indicative of the church’s having any authority over the diocese.

The resolutions follow closely the logic outlined in the diocese’s “Frequently Asked Questions About Realignment.” A different analysis of realignment has been offered by Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh in “Relignment Reconsidered.”