The Presiding Bishop regrets......

From the Dallas Morning News:

The Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, released the following statement Saturday:

“The Episcopal Church Kingdom of Egypt grieves the departures of a number of persons indentured servants from the Diocese of Fort Worth Province of Goshen. We remind those former Episcopalians involuntary workers that the door is open if they wish to return. We will work with Episcopalians indentured servants in the Diocese of Fort Worth Province of Goshen to elect new leadership appoint new over-seers and continue the work of the gospel Millennium Development Goals in that part of Texas Egypt.

“The gospel Millennium Development Goals work to which Jesus our vehicle to the divine calls us demands the best efforts of faithful egocentric, hedonistic, sin-enslaved people from many theological poly sexual and social transgendered perspectives, and the Episcopal Church Kingdom of Egypt will continue to welcome that diversity lock-step conformity.”

--Pharaoh

And Quincy makes three.......

Resolution 2008-RM-1
Annulling Accession to the Constitution and Canons of
The Protestant Episcopal Church


WHEREAS, the General Convention and leaders of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
United States (“The Episcopal Church”) have failed to uphold the teaching and authority of
Holy Scripture, have challenged or belittled core doctrines of the Christian faith, have refused
to conform to the agreed teaching and discipline of the Anglican Communion, and have
rejected the godly counsel of the leaders of our Communion; and
WHEREAS, the Diocese of Quincy desires to remain faithful to Holy Scripture and to the
historic faith and order of the Church as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer, and to
preserve its link to historic Anglicanism by considering affiliation with the Anglican Church of
the Southern Cone;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, under the authority and provisions Article II of the Constitution of this Diocese as
adopted in 1993, that this 131st Synod of the Diocese of Quincy, gathered the ____ day of
November, 2008, hereby annuls its accession to the Constitution and Canons of The
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United
States of America, otherwise known as The Episcopal Church; and be it further
RESOLVED, that by this action the Diocese of Quincy is no longer subject to, nor bound by,
the authority of the Episcopal Church, its General Convention, its officers, councils or agents;
and as of this date no actions or asserted claims of the Episcopal Church, or its General
Convention, or its officers, councils, and agents, whether for acts or omissions alleged to
have occurred before or after the date hereof, shall have any canonical or legal effect upon,
or application to, this Diocese, its Bishop, any retired bishop, its clergy, its lay members, or
its member churches.
----
EXPLANATION: Since 1993, under Article II of our Diocesan Constitution, our accession to
the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church has been “contingent upon the
continuing consent of Diocesan Synod.” This Resolution withdraws that consent and thereby
Diocese of Quincy, Proposed Synod Resolutions, 2008, Page 2
annuls our accession. Such action is necessary if the Diocese wishes to re-affiliate with the
Province of the Southern Cone.
NOTE: Since Resolution 2008-CC-1 below (the 2nd reading of 2007-CC-1), will amend the
same Article II of our Constitution, 2008-RM-1 is presented first to make clear that this first
action is taken under the authority of our Constitution as it has stood since 1993.
FUNDING IMPLICATIONS: Ending our affiliation with the General Convention of the
Episcopal Church may result in the Diocese or individual churches facing legal challenges
from officers or agents of the Episcopal Church if they attempt to assert control of properties
or funds held by our Diocese and churches. The likelihood of such litigation is uncertain, and
the costs cannot be accurately predicted.


Thanks to Stand Firm.

Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh re-elects Bishop Robert Duncan

Bishop Robert Duncan is once again the diocesan bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Clergy and lay deputies to a special convention of the diocese on November 7 voted to invite Bishop Duncan back into leadership of the diocese 50 days after the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church voted to remove ("depose") him.

"It is good to be back. God has clearly watched over the diocese and watched over me and Nara as we have walked through these challenging days together. God willing, I look forward to many years together sharing the good news of Jesus Christ," said Bishop Duncan.

Leaders representing a majority of the world's Anglican Christians, as well as many inside and outside The Episcopal Church in North America, never accepted the validity of The House of Bishops' decision to remove Bishop Duncan from leadership. In spite of the decision's deep defects, Bishop Duncan and the diocese elected to submit to the purported "deposition," so long as the diocese was part of that denomination.

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh was able to invite Bishop Duncan back into leadership after it voted to leave The Episcopal Church and temporarily join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone on October 4. The diocese made the decision after years of disagreement with the leadership of The Episcopal Church over basic Christian beliefs about the authority of the Bible, the unique role of Jesus Christ in salvation, and Christian moral standards. At the conclusion of that diocesan convention, the Standing Committee of the diocese, led by the Rev. David Wilson, announced that there would be a special convention on November 7 for the purpose of electing a bishop.

With the election complete, clergy and laity from around the diocese are participating in the "Moving Forward in Mission" conference at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh on November 8. The conference features the Rev. Mike Breen, who has done extensive work helping parishes effectively make new Christians in their local communities.

"The most important thing now is to move beyond our conflict with the leadership of The Episcopal Church and turn all of our energies toward living as Christians and effectively sharing the good news of God's love and mercy for all people in the places God has put us. I am looking forward to hearing what Mike has to say to us tomorrow," said Bishop Duncan.

Reformation Rap

This one goes out to JerusalemAnglican. Happy Reformation Day!



Thanks to Stand Firm

I'll start my own club & you can't join!

This is hysterical.

Someone styling himself "President of the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh":

On Wednesday afternoon, I received a phone call from David Wilson, President of the Standing Committee, informing me that in 15 minutes there would be a conference call with the other seven members and that they intended to remove me from the Standing Committee. Two reasons were given. First, I had not accepted my letter of transfer to the Southern Cone. Actually, I had missed the announcement at convention and the letter was never offered to me. When I returned home that evening I found it in the mail having been sent the previous day. The second reason given was that my parish, St. Michael’s, appeared on this web site as having decided to stay in the Episcopal Church. I was not asked to join the conference call and was offered no due process. I do not recognize the authority that purported to take these actions. Providentially at that moment, I was meeting with key leaders of the Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church. After I reported the phone call to those assembled, and with the advice of the Diocesan Chancellor, I immediately appointed two new members to the Standing Committee, which the canons give me the authority to do. This was done at 2:44 P.M. I am pleased to announce that Ms. Mary Roehrich and The Rev. Jeff Murph, who were in attendance at the meeting, immediately accepted those appointments.

So let me get this straight. The Rev.Dr. James B. Simons is kicked off the Standing Committee and he decides that he and he alone is the one true, real, legitimate and only member of the Standing Committee, so he appoints himself president and appoints new members to his "Committee". The two members just happened to be "in attendance" at his clubhouse meeting. I wonder if they met in a treehouse and had a special handshake? This is just beyond satire.

Pittsburgh joins the Southern Cone

Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh Changes Constitution, Joins Anglican Province
Document Actions


Deputies to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh’s 143rd Annual diocesan convention voted by strong margins on October 4 to join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

Vote totals on the key constitutional provision that opened the way for the change were as follows. A total of 191 laity voted. 119 voted in favor. 69 voted against, 3 abstained. A total of 160 clergy voted. 121 voted in favor. 33 voted no. 3 abstained. 2 invalid ballots were cast.

“We deeply value our shared heritage and years of friendship with those still within that denomination, but this diocese could not in good conscience continue down the road away from mainstream Christianity that the leadership of The Episcopal Church is so determined to follow,” said the Rev. Peter Frank, director of communications for the diocese.

The rest here....

Diocese of Quincy Standing Committee votes to re-align

From The Living Church:

Quincy Standing Committee Opts for Realignment
Posted on: September 30, 2008
The standing committee of the Diocese of Quincy has recommended that the diocese seek realignment with the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone based in Argentina, while continuing as a member of the Common Cause Partnership, according to Fr. James Marshall, president of the standing committee.

Bishop Keith Ackerman of Quincy is on sabbatical through the end of October. In the absence of the bishop, the standing committee is in charge of non-sacramental ecclesiastical duties. Bishop Ackerman will be back in time to preside at convention, which is scheduled to meet Nov. 7-8 at St. John’s Church, Quincy.

The standing committee decision following a Sept. 25 meeting at Grace Church, Galesburg, is similar to recommendations made by the standing committees in Pittsburgh and Fort Worth. Both of those dioceses have also scheduled votes similar to the one in Quincy.

Last year delegates to the annual synod in Quincy approved a number of canonical changes in preparation for this year’s decisive vote on whether to remain in union with the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.

And so it goes. Any thoughts on who will be next?

Subcutaneous Sinsick Blues

Another gem from anglicanbeachparty

Dear Bob????!!!!!

For something as momentous and painful as deposing a Bishop from his ministry and, in effect, excommunicating an entire diocese, don't you think something a bit more formal than "Dear Bob" is called for? This woman is so lacking in class. And doesn't she have a secretary, for crying out loud? When I worked at 815, if I had allowed something like this to get past me and embarrass my boss, I would have had to answer for it.

The Episcopal Church
The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate

September 22, 2008

Robert W. Duncan
125 N. Linden Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208

Dear Bob,

I wanted to write you personally to inform you that following the House of Bishop’s decision to consent to your deposition, of which you are already aware, I have signed the Sentence of Deposition, a copy of which is enclosed.

I think the press statement following the vote accurately sets forth the prayerful and thoughtful atmosphere of the discussions.

Please know that I urged the bishops gathered to hold you in prayer, and to do what they can to maintain a pastoral relationship with you. I pray that you may know the peace of Jesus Christ, and I remain

Your servant in Christ,


Katharine Jefferts Schori

From t19

Statement from the Province of Southeast Asia on the Deposition of the Bishop of Pittsburg

22nd Sept 2008

We received with great distress the news of the deposition of the Rt Revd Bob Duncan, the Bishop of Pittsburgh, by the House of Bishops (HOB) of The Episcopal Church (TEC).

The Communion has repeatedly asked TEC to make pastoral provisions and avoid steps that will alienate further those within TEC who wish to live by the Anglican faith which they believe to be true and remain in fellowship within the Anglican Communion. Even as recent as at the recent Lambeth, the great majority of Bishops present, including those from TEC, have expressed sincere desire for healing and reconciliation and to observe restraints on contentious issues for the Windsor-Covenant process to proceed.

The HOB has instead proceeded to depose a faithful bishop of the Gospel and the diocese under his care. This raises serious questions yet again, and more strikingly so soon after Lambeth, as to how sincere TEC and some of its bishops are in wanting to bring reconciliation, healing and resolution to the Communion crisis at hand.

The Province of Southeast Asia will continue to support, remain in full communion and prayerfully explore steps to strengthen our shared life with Anglican leaders like Bishop Bob Duncan and the Diocese of Pittsburgh as well as other TEC bishops who respect the mind of the Communion and remain faithful to the teaching of Scripture as expressed in the tradition and life of the Church. We urge those who have not chosen to ‘walk apart’ to work actively and sincerely with the Windsor-Covenant Process and other measures agreed at the Communion level. This is probably the only remaining opportunity to bind the Communion together out of this crisis which will strengthen our future common life, witness in the world and our place as an Anglican ecclesial family within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Most Rev’d Dr John Chew
Province of Southeast Asia

Bishop Duncan responds to "deposition"

e+News Release- September 18, 2008

BISHOP DUNCAN'S STATEMENT ON HIS "DEPOSITION"

It is a very sad day for The Episcopal Church. It is a sad day for me, a faithful son of that church.

Nevertheless it is also a hopeful day, hopeful because of the unstoppable Reformation that is overtaking the Christian Church in the West. It is also a hopeful day for me personally as I am unanimously welcomed into the House of Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, an act applauded by Anglican archbishops, bishops, clergy and people all around the world.

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will move forward under its new Ecclesiastical Authority, its Standing Committee. That body will carry the diocese through to our realignment vote on October 4. With the success of that vote, it will be possible that we be joined together again as bishop and people.

I offer my deepest thanks to the company of saints all around the globe who have sustained me, my work and all who are dear to me in these days.

Robert Duncan

Bishop Duncan received into Province of Southern Cone

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh
September 18, 2008

DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH MAINTAINS COURSE AFTER PURPORTED DEPOSITION

The House of Bishops purported deposition of Bishop Robert Duncan will not change the agenda for the Oct. 4 Diocesan Convention or change Bishop Duncan's status as a bishop in good standing within the Anglican Communion.

The action of the House of Bishops, which was taken in a closed meeting on September 18 in Salt Lake City, Utah, contravenes numerous canons of The Episcopal Church. While Bishop Duncan continues to believe that the "deposition" is unlawful, he will not challenge the "deposition" prior to the end of the diocese's October 4 convention unless forced to do so by the leadership of The Episcopal Church.

On October 4, diocesan convention deputies will consider the second reading of a constitutional change that would realign the diocese with the Province of the Southern Cone. With the passage of that constitutional change, the diocese will be free to welcome Bishop Duncan back as its bishop. In the meantime, under the diocese's governing documents, the standing committee will serve as the diocese's ecclesiastical authority.

"This is of course a very painful moment for Pittsburgh Episcopalians. The leadership of The Episcopal Church has inserted itself in a most violent manner into the affairs and governance of our diocese. While we await the decision of the diocesan convention on realignment to a different province of the Anglican Communion, we will stand firm against any further attempts by those outside our boundaries intimidate us," said the Rev. David Wilson, president of the Standing Committee.

Bishop Duncan's own continuing status as a bishop in The Anglican Communion has been secured by the Province of the Southern Cone.

"As was resolved by resolution made at the Provincial Synod in Valparaiso last November 2007, we are happy to welcome Bishop Duncan into the Province of the Southern Cone as a member of our House of Bishops, effective immediately. Neither the Presiding Bishop nor the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church has any further jurisdiction over his ministry. We pray for all Anglicans in Pittsburgh as they consider their own relationship with The Episcopal Church in the coming weeks," said Archbishop Gregory Venables.

A statement from the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh can be found at http://www.pitanglican.org/news/local/standingcommitteepastoral.

Letter to the Presiding Bishop

via email:

September 16, 2008



The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church Center

815 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10017



Dear Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and Members of the House of Bishops,



The Standing Committee and Bishop of the Diocese of Albany express our grave concern and hereby formally protest the planned deposition proceedings directed against Bishop Robert W. Duncan, called for by the Presiding Bishop in her Memorandum to the House of Bishops, dated September 12, 2008. We urge you in the strongest terms possible, not to proceed in this matter for the following reasons:



1) From a procedural and fairness standpoint, while it had been widely speculated that deposition proceedings would be brought against Bishop Duncan at the September HOB Meeting, the Presiding Bishop’s Memorandum to the House of Bishops, dated September 12, 2008, was the first official notification that such proceedings would in fact occur. There was no mention of deposition proceedings referenced in the draft agenda for the September HOB Meeting sent out on August 20, 2008. In the text of the agenda, it is stated that, “The main purpose of this meeting will be to reflect and deliberate together following the Lambeth Conference.” We believe that in a matter of such importance as the deposition of a bishop, every member of the House of Bishops should be notified well in advance of such actions, in order that every effort can be made by them to attend the proceedings. In accordance with the General Rules for Meetings in this House, Rule XIX on page 193 in the Rules of Order, House of Bishops, in order for any resolution to come before the House of Bishops at a special meeting the resolution must have been circulated 30 days in advance to all of the members, unless there is a two-thirds vote to allow the resolution. Should not the deposition of a bishop have, at a minimum, that same level of notification?



2) As acknowledged by the Presiding Bishop herself in the September 12th Memorandum, there have been significant differences of opinion expressed in regard to the interpretation of Canon IV.9 and the criteria that must be met as outlined in the canon. Specifically there is much debate centered around two major areas of concern: A) The required number of bishops needed to consent to the deposition of a bishop (whether it be a majority of all bishops in the House of Bishops eligible to vote or simply a majority of those present at the HOB meeting

in which the deposition proceedings occur); and B) Whether or not the inhibition of a bishop is a prerequisite to deposition. As you are well aware, the depositions of Bishop Schofield and Bishop Cox on March 12, 2008, were followed by an outcry by many within the Episcopal Church and the larger Anglican Communion. At question was the legality of the actions taken by the House of Bishops, particularly in regard to whether all the criteria outlined in Canon IV.9 were properly met and adhered to. While Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and her Chancellor David Booth Beers have both expressed their belief that they have properly interpreted the canons in regard to these matters, in a letter to the Presiding Bishop, dated March 27, 2008, the Standing Committee and Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, made a strong, well reasoned argument for an interpretation of Canon IV.9 which differs greatly from that held by the Presiding Bishop and her Chancellor. The Dioceses of Central Florida, Northern Indiana, Springfield and Western Louisiana, in statements published by their Standing Committees and or/Bishops in recent months, have raised similar concerns and interpretations of Canon IV.9 as those expressed by South Carolina. Due to these widely differing views and interpretations of Canon IV.9 and the extreme damage that can occur if misinterpreted, we call upon the House of Bishops to refrain from acting on this canon, until the House of Bishops is able to receive a legal interpretation of Canon IV.9 from a panel, consisting of a minimum of five canon lawyers/experts who are not involved in the proceedings against Bishop Duncan or any of the on going legal proceedings dealing with property disputes or parishes or dioceses leaving The Episcopal Church. While we appreciate the Presiding Bishop, her Chancellor and Bishop Stacy Sauls’ attempts to provide clarity in interpreting Canon IV.9, due to their current high level of involvement in legal proceedings throughout TEC that could be influenced by the outcome of the interpretation of Canon IV.9, we believe it is important to get an unbiased, outside interpretation of the canon, to prevent any appearance of a conflict of interest.



3) In defense or justification of the Presiding Bishop’s interpretation of Canon IV.9 in the depositions of Bishop Schofield, Bishop Cox and the pending deposition proceedings against Bishop Duncan, the depositions of Bishop Davies, the resigned bishop of Fort Worth in 1993, and Bishop Larrea, the Bishop of Ecuador Central in 2004 are cited as precedent, therefore paving the way for future depositions. The fact that no one apparently challenged the 1993 and 2004 depositions does not necessarily mean that the Presiding Bishop and her Chancellor have interpreted the canons correctly. If precedent is going to be used as justification for future actions, it is imperative that the canons are being properly interpreted and applied and that the process is agreed upon by the House of Bishops before action is taken. Again, the recent outcry by many over the believed failure to follow and apply the Canons properly in the depositions of Bishop Schofield and Bishop Cox, have only added to the growing division within TEC and the Anglican Communion.



4) In a letter to the Bishops of the Episcopal Church, dated August 24, 2008, Bishop Duncan stated, “The proper forum to determine whether I have violated constitution or canons would be a church trial, as I am a Bishop of this Church. But such a trial would have required due process and all the protections of the trial canons. The Course chosen…was an expedient course, requiring none of the justice, none of the expense, none of the rights of the accused, none of the lengthy timetable.” We concur with Bishop Duncan’s assessment that the proper forum to determine his guilt or innocence in regard to the charges that have been brought against him would be a church or ecclesiastical trial. The deposition of a bishop is an extremely serious matter as you well know. It is equivalent to the death penalty in regard to one’s ordained ministry. This is NO time to seek the most “expedient course” in determining one’s guilt or innocence. Bishop Duncan has dedicated his life to serving our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. While we question the charges brought against him, if he is to be charged, it should be dealt with in an ecclesiastical trial with all the protections guaranteed in the trial canons. Anything less is doing Bishop Duncan and the Church a great injustice.



5) In their attempts to explain their interpretations of Canon IV.9, The Presiding Bishop, her Chancellor and Bishop Sauls make numerous references to the “intent” of a canon. In her September 12th Memorandum, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori stated, “…the General Convention in enacting this canon did not intend to give the three senior bishops a “veto” over the House’s right to determine whether or not a bishop who has been certified by the Review Committee as having abandoned the Communion of this Church should be deposed. Rather, that decision was intended to be made by the House.” First we would argue that is purely a judgment call on the part of the Presiding Bishop and her advisors. Others could well argue that the canonical stipulation that the majority vote of the three senior bishops was inserted to provide another level of discernment and to protect the House from having to deal with frivolous accusations. Second, after studying the history of Canon IV.9, a strong argument could be made that this canon was never intended to be used in the manner in which it was applied in the depositions of Bishop Schofield, Bishop Cox and the pending deposition proceedings against Bishop Duncan. It would seem that the intent of the canon is to deal with those bishops who not only leave the Episcopal Church, but also the Anglican Communion. That is clearly not the case with the three bishops just mentioned. While Bishop Schofield and Bishop Cox may have left TEC and in the case of Bishop Duncan it would appear he has plans to leave TEC, none of the three bishops have abandoned the Anglican Communion, but simply realigned with another province within the Anglican Communion. Because TEC is part of the Anglican Communion, it would seem that a charge of abandonment of Communion has no merit.



Despite the attempts of some to downplay the seriousness of the current situation in which tens of thousands of once loyal Episcopalians are leaving TEC, with no end in sight, the Episcopal Church is in a state of chaos. It is our belief that unless the current downward spiral is reversed, current and future charges of abandonment of communion will be a moot point. Within the not-too-distant future, if things continue as they currently are, there won’t be a communion to abandon. If the current on-going depositions of bishops and priests are intended to stop the mass exodus out of TEC, it isn’t working, but rather having the opposite effect. More and more clergy and laity are reaching the point that they can no longer accept or tolerate the recent theological innovations that have become so pervasive throughout much of The Episcopal Church’s leadership. The current attacks directed against the theologically conservative orthodox Christians within TEC are not scaring or intimidating them, but rather angering and emboldening them. With each new attack, more fuel is thrown on the fire. The depositions and lawsuits must stop. What type of example are we setting for our children and the rest of the world? What are we saying about how Episcopalians treat one another? Jesus commands us to love our enemy; to love our neighbor as we love ourselves; to love one another as He loves us. Clearly many in the Episcopal Church have not heard or listened to His command, when it comes to the way we relate to one another within TEC and the wider Anglican Communion.



The Standing Committee and Bishop of Albany call upon the House of Bishops, the House of Deputies and all involved in the current theological war to call a truce, enabling The Episcopal Church to refocus our time, energy and resources on the difficult but necessary process of figuring out how Christians who passionately hold what appear to be irreconcilable differences in the understanding and interpretation of Holy Scripture and its authority on our lives as well as issues of human sexuality, can move forward in building up the Kingdom of God by sharing the love and Good News of Jesus Christ with all who will receive it. For far too long we have been consumed by politically-charged agendas to the detriment of the Church and the building up of the Kingdom of God. May God give us the grace, the wisdom, the compassion, the humility we need to discern His will, moving forward in His Name to His honor and glory and to the benefit of His Church and people.



Faithfully in Christ,







The Reverend Lorraine M. Lyons

President, Standing Committee of the Diocese of Albany







The Right Reverend William H. Love

Bishop, Diocese of Albany

Liberal dogmatism killing Church unity

LIBERALS are fond of brow-beating the Churches about sectarianism and disunity. These twin evils, they say with some justification, are harmful to society because they set one group against another and because sectarianism is, at the very least, uncivil.

It now transpires that all this liberal bleating about sectarianism and disunity was exactly that, bleating. But it was also hypocritical because when it suits their agenda liberals are very inclined to use sectarian language of their own and have no hesitation adding to the already deep divisions between the Churches......


Ecumenism, that is to say the drive for Christian unity, has long been a priority of theological liberals.

Conservative and orthodox Christians are used to being lectured about the need to put aside their opposing dogmas for the sake of unity. But as we're now discovering, liberals have dogmas of their own, or rather they have one super-dogma; equality.......


Having decided on these positions, liberals are then happy to employ the most sectarian language possible to describe those who stand in their way.

All opposition to theological liberalism is rooted, they insist, in ignorance and prejudice, and opponents are summarily dismissed, insulted and derided as 'bigots', 'sexists', 'fundamentalists' and 'homophobes'.

This quite clearly sums up the entire self-righteous attitude encountered in the pronouncements from KJS and other TEC bishops:

The fact is, liberals are willing to sacrifice anything and everything on their altar of equality, because they believe they are right and that they are the One True Church.

This article pretty much sums up the attitude of liberals. There is a huge dose of what Thomas Sowell called the "vision of the annointed" in the TEC reappraisers and their fellow travelers.

(H/T to TitusOneNine)

Bishop Miller of Down & Dromore defends orthodoxy

Bishop Harold Miller stands up to the nonsense spouted by Armagh:

The Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Right Reverend Harold Miller, rejected the Archbishop of Armagh's claim that if scientific advances prove people are born gay the Church may have to change its teaching about homosexuality.

And, warning that accepting homosexual relationships as normal would open the door to more divisive arguments about other sexual behaviour, Bishop Harold Miller said that the Church of Ireland could never bless gay couples.

Under the leadership of the last primate, Lord Robin Eames, senior churchmen rarely expressed disagreements with the Archbishop of Armagh and the Church largely maintained a single voice within the House of Bishops.

However, the accelerating crisis in the worldwide Anglican Church has exposed deep-seated disagreements about homosexuality and in an interview with the News Letter upon returning from the Lambeth Conference, Bishop Miller detailed his position on the issue.

"Do not act the ostrich" - J. I. Packer to Rowan Williams

From Anglican Mainstream:

Interviewer: The you were asked what you would say if you had 10 minutes with the ABC. What would you say in 2 minutes to us?

JP: Keep the faith, resist Liberalism, do not act the ostrich, hiding your head in the sand.

Interviewer: What would be your wisdom about carrying on the GAFCON process in England?

JP: At the heart of the Statement is the Jerusalem Declaration. I would like to see PCCs and, where possible, Diocesan Synod, or even central bodies, committing themselves to this as their own guiding star. I would like to see the Primates who were leaders at GAFCON meeting in a public way in January 2009, casting the Jerusalem Statement into the form of a covenantal commitment, publicly subscribing to it on the part of their provinces, and also seeing diocesans subscribe to it. I would like to see it presented to new bishops appointed in the Church of England to subscribe to it, and I would like to see it established as a basis for orthodoxy and missionary action.

The goal of the Covenant Process begun in the Windsor Report would thus be achieved in essence. Anglican provinces who didn’t come along with this would be in the outer circle of limited communion for not identifying with Anglican orthodoxy.

This would be a first step in getting Anglicanism back into proper shape.

Read the rest......

J. I. Packer calls on Rowan Willams to resign

Ruth Gledhill reports that J.I. Packer thinks the ABC should resign. She is a bit snotty about Packer:

My contention, voiced here at Gafcon, is that the views of a preacher unlikely to be recognised by Cantuar and who according to David Virtue does not deign to use mobile, computer or any of the new technologies actually do not matter very much. But Virtue in the press room here at Gafcon tells me he is still important.

Apparently, unless you use the newest technology you don't matter very much. A tad elitist? Perhaps this explains a lot of the drivel that passes for theology in TEC and the CofE. Those old fashioned printed pages in, what were they called, "books", you know that Bible thing, well that isn't the new technology. So let's just ignore it, it does matter very much.

Continuing Reconciliation

From the comments on TitusOneNine:

Don Armstrong wrote:

O’Neill of Colorado just sent a letter to an 89 year old priest with Parkinson’s disease telling him he was going to be defrocked for asking Archbishop Ping for help in 2001...Paula Nesbitt’s work on reconciliation at the HOB meeting must have been very moving...and how about those Windsor Bishops--our hope in ages past?

More about Bishop MacBurney

Bishop MacBurney was ordained a priest in 1952.

His son is in hospice, dying. This was apparently well known to the Presiding Bishop and the House of Bishops.

Can't you just feel the love?

The Reckoning contiunes......

From ENS
House of Bishops consents to deposition of John-David Schofield, William Cox

The House of Bishops voted March 12 to consent to the deposition from the ordained ministry of the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, and the Rt. Rev. William Jackson Cox, bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Maryland (resigned).

From the Tulsa World: Bishop William Cox: “I feel sorry that they felt they needed to do this. A more charitable thing to do would be to say, ‘We recognize that you are now a member of the church in Argentina and ask God’s blessing on your ministry.’ ”

Did I mention that Bishop Cox is 86 years old and was ordained a priest in 1958??? Thank you for 50 years of faithful service to this Church; now we are deposing you.



Bishop Schofield's response:

The question that begs to be answered by the House of Bishops,” said Bishop Schofield, “is, why bishops who continue to teach and publish books that deny the most basic Christian beliefs are not disciplined while those of us who uphold the Christian Faith are?” He added, "At least I am in good company. It is a privilege to know that I am standing along side of one of the outstanding theologians of our time, J. I. Packer, who is under similar discipline by the Canadian Church and who, also, has placed himself under the authority of the Southern Cone."



Interesting that when I checked Church Publishing's on-line clerical directory, I got "no results found" when looking for stats on Bishop Schofield. Hmmm.

Next we get this:

Former Quincy Bishop Charged

---

Bishop Edward MacBurney

Bishop Edward MacBurney, bishop retired of the Diocese of Quincy, has been formally charged with canonical violations by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. These charges stem from events occurring in June, 2007 when Bishop MacBurney was invited to make a pastoral visit to a non-Episcopal church in San Diego, California. MacBurney, 80 years old, retired from his position as a diocesan bishop in 1994, but as a bishop in good standing still actively ministers to churches throughout the country and also in other parts of the Anglican Communion..

The basis of the charges against MacBurney relate to the allegation that he did not receive permission to perform liturgical rites from the sitting Episcopal diocesan bishop in San Diego. Even though the church MacBurney visited had severed ties with the Episcopal Church in the United States and had re-affiliated with the Anglican Bishop of Argentina, a primate of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the charges allege that MacBurney impermissibly crossed Diocesan boundaries.