A group of TEC bishops, including Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has developed a proposal responding to “An Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury” addressing what other petitioning bishops and dioceses have termed “alternative primatial oversight” or “alternative primatial relationship.” Full texts of the group’s response and accompanying statement follow here
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ACN’s response (Bishop Duncan):
“However, at first glance what is proposed is neither primatial, nor oversight, nor is it an alternative to the spiritual authority of one who, by both teaching and action, has expressly rejected the Windsor Report and its recommendations. This is obviously not what was asked for.” Bishop Duncan also observed that what is proposed is in fact less than what was offered and rejected at the first meeting held in New York during September.
More here
Canon David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council:
“The proposal does not take into account the heart of the issue and problem which is that Katharine Jefferts Schori has adopted a form of faith, theology and Christology that is so seriously out of step with historic Anglicanism and Christianity that it calls into question her capacity to give appropriate leadership on this matter. It keeps all the power in her hands. The proposal is to be in consultation with not the consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thus she makes all the decisions. It is a non-starter.” More here
01 December 2006 at 2:05 pm
Once again we see a determined self-serving minority reject the will of the Episcopal Church.
The election of the new Presiding Bishop was a clear message to all persons that the majority of TEC wanted a leader that would “guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church”. It is a good thing to she this remarkable Bishop fearlessly fulfill her duties as Presiding Bishop.
Why are Duncan or Anderson surprised by the actions of the Presiding Bishop and her advisors? They are performing their duties under Canon Law and implementing the will of the General Convention, while Duncan and company waste the resources of The Church and unlawfully ignore the expressed will of the General Convention.
It was no accident that the vast majority of the House of Delegates could not be forced to reject its’ vision for the Episcopal Church in this darkened world. They clearly understood that elements of the Windsor Report and some Anglican Primates wanted to force us to act against our conscience. Our vision of The Church has been unfolding for decades (actually more then two centuries) with the total support of the majority of members of The Church. The real members that pay the bills - the laity.
It is now time to crush the head of the serpent and remove those in leadership offices that will not conform to the will of The Church as voted by the General Convention. It is exactly what would happen to any executive or employee that refused to obey the will of the Board of Directors and policies set by the Corporate Officers of any business. The laity lives in the real business world and clearly understand that the real golden rule of a business is ‘he who has the gold rules’. In this case, the membership that pays the bills has the gold and want The Church to solve this problem now. Thanks be to God that our leaders will perform that function and following the will of the General Convention! Let the serpents be eliminated.
03 December 2006 at 7:40 am
I won’t respond to the destructive, rabid, rhetoric of “mccabe” above but only point out that that writer has very little understanding about the actual situation in TEC. The “self-serving minority”, as he calls us, is a body that has sought to hold TEC accountable to nothing less than the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church. General Convention has, for some time, been in violation of its own rules and regulations and it has sought to change course in its teaching and actions which has put it out of fellowship with most Anglicans, and other Christians, worldwide. It has not formally changed the Constitution and Canons to reflect the new theology it has developed and, in so much as there was a fiduciary relationship between parishes and diocese, and diocese and a national church, that when the corpus of teaching and policy effectively changes - though not formally - it has been a clear breach of relationship and doctrinal norms that presuppose the authority of General Convention. This breach of authority and relationship is a problem that I hope and believe will be sorted out by Primates around the world as it has torn at the very body of Christ. I pray that all faithful leaders in the Anglican Communion will step forward to guard the Faith of the Church and discipline apostacy for the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the mission of His Church.
04 December 2006 at 6:53 am
David+,
“that writer has very little understanding about the actual situation in TEC.”.
I am all to aware of what is happening in TEC. Are you? You may not like it David +, however, the fact remains that we are governed by the General Convetion alone. There is no way around that fact.
You, and any other member of the Epsicopal Church, are free to leave it as indiviuals following their conscience if the Church moves in a direction not to your liking.
You are part of a active minority both disruptive and dishonest in your actions. Money and power is the clearly your goal. An honorable person would not want to rob the church as the said good bye. The majority has once again stood up and said we will follow the Holy Spirit as we understand Him. We will now take what ever action is required for us to implement our vision for the Episcopal Church. That will certainly include removing any leader that is a paid professional christian, under contract to the church by vows and written statements, that will not perform his/her duties. If you and others like you are not happy with that view then let the Lord be with you as you leave us. As long as you are paid by us, you will obey us. We employee you and we can mismiss you. The laity is suffering from you lack of personal honor. You want the pay check but, not the job.
Anglicans like Mormans or Baptist or Methodist may do as they please. Episcopalians will follow Christ where we know He wants us to go! We don’t need ‘Anglican’ approval to govern our church. We have our General Convetion to govern us and we pay our own way. Our paid professional christian staff will be brought into conformity and perform the job they are paid to do or be forced to leave.
05 December 2006 at 4:05 pm
Given Mccabe’s diatribe above, and failure to answer the charge about TEC being in violation of its Constitution and Canons, need I say more?
Mccabe, please don’t have a stroke when I tell you flatly that you are wrong on a number of accounts; especially your understanding of what it means to be in holy orders and under vows. Your characterization impunes the ministry and makes the Church a corporate idol. Rather, I would urge you to please repent.
I certainly hope that Anglican leaders who visit this site from around the world can see clearly what Biblical Christianity is up against in the setting of TEC today exampled in the comments above. We orthodox await your response.
06 December 2006 at 6:18 am
David,
Your vows are found in the Book of Common Prayer. They are very clearly and publically stated vows. Biblical is not the same as taking an oath. Like it or not we are a corporation. We like to pretend we are something more but, in the eyes of the law we are a non-profit corporation.
Is an ‘orthodox’ person not bound by vows? For example, are mariage vows as easy to set aside? Take this as an example. I wasn’t really commiting adultery with my sister-in-law; I was just being ‘orthodox’ and following the brother-in-law marriage law found in the Bible. Isn’t that exactly the type of reasoning you ask me to accept as valid?
From The Book of Common Prayer - 1979:
The Ordination of a Priest
“The Bishop says to the ordinand
Will you be loyal to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of Christ as this Church has received them? And will you, in accordance with the canons of this Church, obey your bishop and other ministers who may have authority over you and your work?
Answer
I am willing and ready to do so; and I solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church.
The Ordinand then signs the above Declaration in the sight of all present.”