A Pittsburgh Episcopal Voice: News

News

Note (9/22/2008): News relevant to Pittsburgh Episcopalians has been coming at a furious pace of late. Rather than trying to update the list below, readers are encouraged to check our companion blog, Pittsburgh Update. This site is updated every Monday with news of particular interest to Episcopalians in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

This section will be used for entries that represent, when posted, significant events in the life of the church. Such entries, assuming they are of long-term interest, will also be listed in an appropriate subject category (“Episcopal Church,” “Property,” etc.). The category for each entry is shown in brackets after the document title. Visitors interesting in bookmarking an entry are urged to bookmark the entry in its subject category.

Note: Recently added items are marked “New.” Use “Next” and “Previous” links to move easily between entries. To view a document, click on “View.”

TITLE	Where St. Paul’s Vestry Stands [Episcopal Church]
AUTHOR	Vestry, St. Paul’s, Mt. Lebanon
DATE	9/21/2007
ADDED	10/4/2007
TYPE	Letter
FORMAT	PDF
DESCRIPTION	Letter to parishioners from members of the vestry declaring their intention to keep St. Paul’s in The Episcopal Church irrespective of what the diocese or other parishes might do
COMMENT	St. Paul’s is one of the largest parishes in the Pittsburgh diocese. Although there has been little uncertainty regarding where its sympathies lie—its vestry had already declined Anglican Communion Network membership—it has largely sat on the sidelines as the diocese has increasingly isolated itself from its parent body. This letter was issued shortly after Bishop Duncan revealed his plan to remove the diocese completely from The Episcopal Church. A Web page version of the letter can be found here.

TITLE	Bishop Robert Duncan’s pre-convention report [Church Polity]
AUTHOR	Bishop Robert Duncan
DATE	9/11/2007
ADDED	9/21/2007
TYPE	Letter
FORMAT	PDF (Web page version available here)
DESCRIPTION	Letter addressed to the “clergy and lay leaders of the Diocese of Pittsburgh”
COMMENT	This letter treats a number of topics, including the upcoming “250th anniversary of Anglican presence” in Pittsburgh and the mounting costs to the diocese of defending diocesan leaders in the Calvary lawsuit. The bishop also advocates for constitutional amendments (see below) that “would begin the process to exercise our right to end the accession of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh to the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church.”

TITLE	Proposed Constitutional Amendments [Church Polity]
AUTHOR	Anonymous
DATE	9/11/2007
ADDED	9/21/2007
TYPE	Proposed amendments to diocesan constitution
FORMAT	PDF
DESCRIPTION	Constitutional amendments to diocesan constitution advocated by Bishop Duncan
COMMENT	The set of five constitutional amendments and one canonical addition was proposed by Bishop Duncan at the 9/11/2007 Diocesan Council meeting. The admitted intent of the proposals (see Bishop Duncan's pre-convention report) is to allow the entire diocese to be removed from The Episcopal Church. It is doubtful that any objective observer would call the proposed changes permissible.

TITLE	Resolution to Restore Article I Section I of the Diocesan Constitution and Canons to its Historic Form [Church Polity]
AUTHOR	Mary Roehrich, et al.
DATE	9/11/2007
ADDED	9/21/2007
TYPE	Proposed amendment to diocesan constitution
FORMAT	PDF
DESCRIPTION	Amendment to restore accession clause to Diocese of Pittsburgh constitution
COMMENT	At the same Diocesan Council meeting at which Bishop Duncan revealed his audacious plan to remove the diocese from The Episcopal Church, this amendment was introduced by Episcopal Church supporters who would have the diocese pursue the option that diocesan leaders no longer talk about. This option was originally characterized as “submitting to The Episcopal Church.” The amendment would return the diocesan constitution to its pre-2004 condition.

TITLE	Changes to Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh as recommended by the Committee on Constitution and Canons [Church Polity]
AUTHOR	Committee on Constitution and Canons
DATE	Undated, but presented to Diocesan Council on 9/11/2007
ADDED	9/21/2007
TYPE	Proposed changes to constitution and canons of the diocese
FORMAT	PDF
DESCRIPTION	Proposed changes based on a committee review of the entire constitution and body of canons of the diocese
COMMENT	Although many of the proposed changes are innocuous, others tend to make the diocese less democratic. Certain changes anticipate a diocese tied less closely (if at all) to The Episcopal Church.