A Word To The Seven Bishops...

...who recently called upon the Archbishop of Canterbury, namely Mark Lawrence of South Carolina, Gary Lillibridge of West Texas, Edward Little of Northern Indiana, Bill Love of Albany, Michael Smith of North Dakota, James Stanton of Dallas, and Bruce MacPherson of Western Louisiana.

From the rite for the ordination of a bishop in the Episcopal Church:

The Examination

All now sit, except the bishop-elect, who stands facing the bishops. The Presiding Bishop addresses the bishop-elect

My brother, the people have chosen you and have affirmed their trust in you by acclaiming your election. A bishop in God’s holy Church is called to be one with the apostles in proclaiming Christ’s resurrection and interpreting the Gospel, and to testify to Christ’s sovereignty as Lord of lords and King of kings.

You are called to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church; to celebrate and to provide for the administration of the sacraments of the New Covenant; to ordain priests and deacons and to join in ordaining bishops; and to be in all things a faithful pastor and wholesome example for the entire flock of Christ.

With your fellow bishops you will share in the leadership of the Church throughout the world. Your heritage is the faith of patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and those of every generation who have looked to God in hope. Your joy will be to follow him who came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Are you persuaded that God has called you to the office of bishop?


Answer

I am so persuaded.

(Book of Common Prayer, p. 517)

Amongst those seven bishops was Bishop Mark Lawrence of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina who recently addressed the clergy of his diocese.

We face a multitude of false teachings, which like an intrusive vine, is threatening The Episcopal Church as we have inherited and received it from our ancestors. I have called this the false Gospel of Indiscriminate Inclusivity because I see a common pattern in how the core doctrines of our faith are being systematically deconstructed. I must by necessity be brief and cannot give any of these concerns the attention they deserve.
....

• Scriptural Authority. This is such a comprehensive dimension of our present crisis in the church that one hardly knows where to begin. But one can hardly do better than St. Ambrose’s statement that “the whole of Holy Scripture be a feast for the soul.” How seldom one hears upon us who are bishops in Tec such glowing statements about the Bible. In my experience all too many of our bishops and priests seem to mine the scriptures for minerals to use in vain idolatries.
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The Standing Committee and bishop will be proposing a resolution to come before the special convention that this diocese begin withdrawing from all bodies of governance of TEC that have assented to actions contrary to Holy Scripture; the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ as this church has received them; the resolutions of Lambeth which have expressed the mind of the Communion; the Book of Common Prayer (p.422-423) and the Constitution & Canons of TEC (Canon 18:1.2.b) until such bodies show a willingness to repent of such actions. Let no one think this is a denial of the vows a priest or bishop makes to participate in the councils of governance. This is not a flight into isolation; nor is it an abandonment of duty, but the protest of conscience. It is recognition that the actions of GC’09 were in such blatant disregard and violation of Holy Scripture, the bonds of affection, and our own Constitution & Canons that one is led by reasoned conviction to undertake an intrepid resistance to the tyranny of the majority over judicious authority; therein erring both in Faith and Order. (My emphasis)

Meanwhile in the Diocese of Albany, according to the Times Union:

A grass-roots Episcopal group wants to question Bishop William Love on whether he intends to lead the Albany diocese out of the Episcopal Church.

Albany Via Media, a group of moderate to liberal Episcopalians, is lining up parishioners to attend Love's seven meetings around the diocese in September and October.

"We are trying to have members asking the question at every meeting,'' said Clair Touby of Saranac Lake, president of Albany Via Media.
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Dennis Wisnom of Schenectady, an Albany Via Media board member, said Love would talk at the meetings about the opening of the clergy and the development of blessing for same sex unions. The Albany Episcopal Diocese's rules do not allow same sex marriages or blessings of same sex unions.

Wisnom said Albany Via Media doesn't want the diocese to leave the Episcopal Church as four other dioceses around the country have done.
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Love and spokesman for the Albany Episcopal Diocese could not be reached for comment about the meeting with the archbishop or those scheduled in the diocese.
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Bishop Mark Lawrence of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina was among the bishops with Love who attended the meeting in London. Lawrence is scheduled to appear at a Sept. 21-23 clergy retreat for the Albany Episcopal Diocese.

What's going on? To paraphrase Fox News, "I report, you decide."

And down in the Diocese of Louisiana, we are preparing for the election of a bishop. My prayer is that we elect a bishop who is loyal to the Episcopal Church. Although Bishop Charles Jenkins had differences with the leadership of TEC, he had his feet firmly planted in the Episcopal Church. I hope to be able to say the same of our next bishop.

H/T to Andrew Gerns at The Lead and to MadPriest at Of Course, I Could Be Wrong for the link to the Times Union.