'CHURCH OF ENGLAND REPORTS ON ACNA'

From Thinking Anglicans:

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

18. We would, therefore, encourage an open-ended engagement with ACNA on the part of the Church of England and the Communion, while recognising that the outcome is unlikely to be clear for some time yet, especially given the strong feelings on all sides of the debate in North America.

19. The Church of England remains fully committed to the Anglican Communion and to being in communion both with the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church (TEC). In addition, the Synod motion has given Church of England affirmation to the desire of ACNA to remain in some sense within the Anglican famil

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

There you have it. Nothing to see here. Move along.

BROTHERS CALL A BROTHER TO A MEETING

From Episcopal News Service:

The bishops of the Episcopal Church’s Province IV have asked their colleague, Diocese of South Carolina Bishop Mark Lawrence, to meet with them “to have a clarifying conversation” about his decision to issue property deeds to each diocesan congregation.

Diocese of East Carolina Bishop Clifton Daniels, provincial vice president, requested the meeting with Lawrence. He said in a letter to him that that bishops had “determined that it is our duty as bishops of this province to address these concerns in direct communication with you, as Jesus exhorts his followers in Matthew’s Gospel (18:15-20), and in accord with our ordination vows regarding the unity and governance of the church.”

He noted that “we have had no direct communication from you regarding these reported actions.”

Collegiality! It seems only right.

Daniels said that Lawrence’s fellow bishops discussed his action “with some concern” at the Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 meeting of the provincial House of Bishops. He told Lawrence that the other bishops want to know under what canonical authority he proceeded, whether he involved the diocesan Standing Committee, and whether the members of the Standing Committee were in accord with his action. Daniels also asked who signed the quitclaim deeds.

Daniels asked Lawrence to provide a sample copy of a deed and the letter of explanation that accompanied it.

The provincial bishops “respectfully request,” Daniels wrote, that Lawrence meet with several of them in Charleston, the seat of the South Carolina diocese, “or elsewhere if you desire.”

Bp. Lawrence said that the day after he issued the quitclaims to the parish properties was the first time that he felt like the bishop of the diocese, which seems rather strange to me. You'd think it would happen at his consecration. What has Mark Lawrence been all this time if not bishop of the diocese? Is issuing quitclaims to parish property now part of the process of becoming a bishop in the Episcopal Church?

If you don't like the rules, then make them up as you go along.

Matthew 18:15-20

‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

H/T to Jim Naughton at The Lead.

LEGAL VICTORY FOR THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN GEORGIA

From Jim Naughton at The Lead:

In a 5-1 decision, the Georgia Supreme Court this morning decided that Christ Episcopal Church in Savannah belonged to to the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Georgia, not a breakaway faction aligned with the Anglican Church of Uganda.

An excerpt from the clearly written opinion that even I, with my poorly attuned brain to matters legal, understand without strain:

(“[T]he Dennis Canon adopted in 1979 merely codified in explicit terms a trust relationship that has been implicit in the relationship between local parishes and dioceses since the founding of [Episcopal Church] in 1789.”); Episcopal Church Cases, 198 P3d 66, 81-81 (Cal. 2009) (“Moreover, [the Dennis Canon] is consistent with earlier enacted canons that, although not using the word ‘trust,’ impose substantial limitations on the local parish’s use of church property and give the higher church authorities substantial authority over that property.”).

The Episcopal Church is not a congregational church. Anyone is free to leave but not with the property. Are you watching Bp. Mark Lawrence of the Diocese of South Carolina? Are you, as a bishop of the Episcopal Church, permitted to give away what is not yours? Of course, certain folks in the diocese may believe theirs is a special case. We shall see.

PRESIDING BISHOP KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI ISSUES STATEMENT ON BEDE PARRY

From the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs:

November 16, 2011
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued the following statement concerning Bede Parry.

________________________________________

Bede James Parry was serving as organist and music director at All Saints Church, Las Vegas, when I became aware of him. His arrival preceded my own in the Diocese of Nevada.

He approached me to inquire about being received as a priest, having served as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church. At the time, he told me of being dismissed from the monastery in 1987 for a sexual encounter with an older teenager, and indicated that it was a single incident of very poor judgment. The incident was reported to civil authorities, who did not charge him. He told of being sent to a facility in New Mexico, serving as a priest thereafter both in New Mexico and in Nevada, and recently (2002) being asked to formalize his separation from the monastery.

In consultation with other diocesan leadership and the chancellor, we explored the possibilities and liabilities of receiving him. I wrote to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas and the Diocese of Santa Fe, receiving brief responses from each bishop, who indicated no problematic behavior. I wrote to Conception Abbey, from whom I received only an acknowledgement that he had served there, been sent for treatment to a facility in New Mexico, and had been dismissed for this incident of misconduct. Neither then nor later did I receive a copy of any report of a psychological examination in connection with his service in the Roman Catholic Church. His departure from the Roman Catholic priesthood had to do with his desire to take up secular employment.

Parry was required to fulfill all the expectations of the canons regarding reception of a priest from another communion in historic succession. He did undergo a psychological exam in the Diocese of Nevada, was forthcoming about the incident he had reported to me, and did not receive a negative evaluation. His background check showed no more than what he had already told us. He was forthcoming about the previous incident in his interviews with the Commission on Ministry and with the Standing Committee.

I made the decision to receive him, believing that he demonstrated repentance and amendment of life and that his current state did not represent a bar to his reception. I was clear that his ministry would be limited to an assisting role, under the supervision of another priest, and like any other diocesan leader, he would not be permitted to work alone with children. Since that time, as far as I am aware, he has served faithfully and effectively as a minister of the gospel and priest of this Church.

The records of his reception are retained by the Diocese of Nevada, and further questions should be directed to Bishop Dan Edwards.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

Bishop Katharine's statement answers many questions, and I'm grateful for her words. I only wish her statement had been released earlier.

What's missing and what I'd like to have seen in the letter is an offer to make amends to anyone who has experienced abuse from Bede Parry or anyone serving in the Episcopal Church and an invitation to them to step forward with their stories, along with an assurance of confidentiality and compassionate treatment from the church. As I see it, Bishop Katharine missed an opportunity to reinforce the message that all accusations of abuse will be taken seriously by the Episcopal Church.

Was Bede Parry not permitted to work with children at all, or was he under only the ordinary constraints of any adult member of the church not to work alone with children?

Bishop Dan Edwards' letter states:

Nonetheless, the bishop added the restriction that he should not have contact with minors.

I believe in forgiveness and redemption, and Bede Parry should have been welcomed into the church, but I still wonder why he was admitted to the priesthood. I don't doubt Bishop Katharine's intentions to do a good thing, but the policy on abuse of minors should be 'one strike, and you're out', and Parry had his one strike.

H/T to Kurt Wiesner at The Lead.

THE BEDE PARRY STORY IS NOT DEAD

Jim Naughton at The Lead once again addresses the matter of Bede Parry being admitted to the priesthood by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori when she was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada.

A story has been making the rounds in the last few days that purports to demonstrate that Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori knew that the Bede Parry, a former Roman Catholic monk, had sexually abused minors and was likely to do so again when she received him as a priest into the Episcopal Church while she was serving as the Bishop of Nevada.

I'm sorry to have to address the matter again, but groups who are generally considered not to be especially friendly to the Episcopal Church are referencing the matter, not necessarily unfairly, with links to Patrick Marker's post at Conception Abbey Abuse. Thus, those of us who who care deeply about sexual abuse and the Episcopal Church must also pay attention.

Jim says further:

In Crisis Communications 101 (a course that exists entirely in my head) one is taught rules for governing the release of bad news: tell it yourself, tell it all, and tell it quickly. These rules apply with special force to organizations whose moral credibility is their stock in trade. I don’t know that the presiding bishop has bad news to deliver, but either way, she would be well advised to put the facts of the Parry case before us. (MY emphasis)

Jim is exactly right. The opportunity for the Presiding Bishop to tell the story quickly is past and gone, but the two remaining bits of advice still apply. The time is now. We need to hear from Bishop Katharine in her own words. What we do not need is more passing the buck for commentary to the present bishop of the Diocese of Nevada, Dan Edwards, who was not the bishop who admitted Bede Parry to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church.

Two of my earlier posts on the Bede Parry matter are here and here.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RESOLUTION - 'UNABLE TO ADOPT THE COVENANT'

From Episcopal News Service:

The Episcopal Church's Executive Council will submit a resolution to General Convention next year that would have it state that the church is "unable to adopt the Anglican Covenant in its present form."

The resolution also promises that the church will "recommit itself to dialogue with the several provinces when adopting innovations which may be seen as threatening the unity of the communion" and commits to "continued participation in the wider councils of the Anglican Communion" and dialogue "with our brothers and sisters in other provinces to deepen understanding and to insure the continued integrity of the Anglican Communion."

The 77th meeting of General Convention July 5-12, 2012 will decide whether to pass, amend and pass, or reject the resolution. Convention is "the only body that can act on behalf of the whole church in this matter," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said during a post-meeting press conference.

The unanimous decision to submit the resolution to convention came Oct. 24, on the last day of council's four-day meeting here.

A covenant task force, composed of six council members, based its recommendation to council in a report that is available in English here and Spanish here.

Excellent. There's more, much more at ENS, including a link to the text of the resolution.

The task force says:

The church's unity is "best expressed in our efforts to a church that fully welcomes those who have not always been welcomed," the report said.

"This understanding of who we are as a church does not allow the Executive Council to support any covenant that might jeopardize this vocation," the task force members said in the report.

"The covenant consistently ignores the importance of the role of the laity and their full expression of ministry in all spheres of the life of the church," the report said.

Amen! A church that extends full welcome to all, and an acknowledgement that the laity are not chopped liver.

SUMMARIES OF THE INVESTIGATION OF BISHOP MARK LAWRENCE OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

If you're interested in reasonable and non-hysterical summaries of the investigation of Bishop Mark Lawrence of the Diocese of South Carolina ('Episcopal' has been removed from the name of the diocese at the website) and the complaints (no charges!) against him by persons within the diocese, which the Disciplinary Board of the Episcopal Church is now investigating, as it must, check out the posts at The Lead here and here and the article at The Living Church.

In an update, The Living Church also notes that Josephine Hicks has recused herself as the attorney representing the Disciplinary Board in the investigation.

'EXCOMMUNICATION OF TRUTH'

Bishop James R. Mathes, of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, tells the true story at the Daily Episcopalian and corrects the muddled conglomeration of misinformation from the article at the Wall Street Journal titled "Twenty-first Century Excommunication” and the accompanying video. Shame on the WSJ for this grossly inaccurate report! Where in heaven's name did the reporter, Mollie Ziegler Hemingway, get her information? The spin in the story, and it's all spin and no true story, seems to come from the breakaways who believe they can leave the Episcopal Church and take the silver on their way out.

Bishop Mathes' response in its entirety is posted below:

In an online story published by The Wall Street Journal, titled “Twenty-first Century Excommunication,” and accompanied by a video interview of the reporter, Mollie Ziegler Hemingway, the recent property disputes of The Episcopal Church were grossly mischaracterized. I have served as the Episcopal bishop of San Diego for almost seven years, and in that capacity dealt with three congregations in which the ordained leaders and their followers attempted to leave the Episcopal Church with parish property. In these dealings, I was threatened with death and told I will go to hell by those who claim to love Jesus more than I do. Other colleagues have had similar experiences, from death threats to being spit at during church services. Ms. Hemingway would have you believe that the animus we have received is about scriptural interpretation, but make no mistake: this is about power.

To fully understand this situation, it is important to grasp the canonical (i.e. legal) structure of The Episcopal Church. Parishes are creations of the diocese in which they are situated, in some cases deriving their tax exempt status because they are an irrevocable part of the diocese. As a condition of ordination, clergy vow obedience to their bishop. Congregations begin as mission churches under the direct supervision and financial support of the bishop with property held by the diocese. When such a church becomes a parish, by vote of diocesan legislature, the congregation pledges to be subordinate to the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church as well as the constitution and canons of the diocese. After becoming a parish, they may incorporate under the religious incorporation statutes of the state in which the congregation is situated. The diocese will usually transfer title to real property to the parish at that time to be held in trust for The Episcopal Church.

When individuals purported to alienate property which had be given to The Episcopal Church, I was bound by my fiduciary role as a bishop to prevent that from happening. Because The Episcopal Church, like so many others, follows state laws of incorporation, I had no alternative but to file suit in civil court to remedy the matter. This is analogous to a landlord finally going to civil court to gain relief from a non-paying renter or an owner using legal means to deal with a squatter. Thus, those leaving The Episcopal Church were catalysts of these law suits by breaking their solemn vows and by attempting to seize property they had no right to possess.

What is particularly regrettable about Ms. Hemingway’s piece is confusion about the relationship between The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, which is easily remedied with a simple visit to the Anglican Communion’s official website. There you will find every diocese of The Episcopal Church in their cycle of prayer; you will not find The Anglican Church in North American on that list. This is not to say they do not need our prayers. It is simply an indicator of who is an Anglican and who has merely appropriated the label. You will not find Missouri Synod Lutherans there either. Thus, The Episcopal Church remains a constituent member of the Anglican Communion. Despite Ms. Hemingway’s interpretations, our leader (called a primate), the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, is a participant in the Meeting of Primates of the Anglican Communion; Robert Duncan, the leader of the breakaway Anglican Church in North America, is not. At our last House of Bishops meeting, a gathering of all bishops of The Episcopal Church, we were visited by the primates of Japan and Central Africa. Like an eclectic extended family, we have our differences, but we regularly gather together.

Ms. Hemingway suggests that The Episcopal Church is depriving these departing Episcopalians of a relationship to Anglican bishops and foreign dioceses. Oddly, these individuals claim to desire a relationship with a bishop of their own choosing. But bishops are those who by definition maintain order and oversight over the church. To put it in historical terms, this is rather like choosing to secede from the nation when the current leadership is not to your liking. Thus, when the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church urges her colleagues not to provide aid and comfort to those who would undermine our church, she has history on her side.

In the final analysis, no one has been excommunicated; rather some individuals have left our church. On their way out, they have tried to take what does not belong to them and, in an unimaginative attempt to cover their unseemly behavior, they have pointed the finger at their victim, The Episcopal Church. The Wall Street Journal and Ms. Hemingway have either been duped or shown a stunning lack of care in reporting. The only thing in this story that has been excommunicated is the truth. (My emphases throughout)

As Walter Cronkite said as he signed off his news show, "And that's the way it is."

UPDATE: From Cathy in the comments...

Posting these links here too (as well as on FB):

From the WSJ website: To send a letter to the editor for publication in the print journal: wsj.ltrs@wsj.com. To react to something you've read in the Online Journal or comment on our news coverage, email newseditors@wsj.com.

Honestly, do tell them. Most of the WSJ editorial staff are not going to be experts on the ins and outs of the Anglican church and they won't understand these issues, unless someone points out that a report is inaccurate.

Cathy is right. We should not leave it to Bishop Mathes and bloggers to counter the misinformation. Anyone can write to the WSJ. The more letters the editors receive, the more they will take note.

THE MISSION AND MINISTRY OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Mark Harris at Preludium says:

All of which is to say I think we bloggers in Episcopal / Anglican land need to do more videos, even rough and ready ones, with the goal to witness to who we are and what we are about as Episcopalians.

I agree. All too often, we hide our light under a bushel basket. The video below by TECtube (The Church Center Communications folk) is a fine example of what can be done.



Mark posted several other videos worth viewing, some of which are 'rough and ready'. Check them out.

HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM IRENE RELIEF

From Episcopal News Service come reports of damage in the Eastern United States from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene.

Katie Mears, Episcopal Relief & Development manager for its U.S. disaster program, said Aug. 29 that the amount of damage from Irene "seems to vary widely from place to place."

"Some people were able to stay in their homes and are now just waiting for the power to come back on; others were evacuated and are returning to try and salvage what they can from their flood-soaked homes and businesses," she said in a press release.

"We are still in the very early stages of assessment and planning in partnership with local dioceses," said Mears. "I have been in contact with a number of the diocesan disaster coordinators from impacted areas, and they will be working with diocesan leadership to see what needs to be done and how churches can help."

Here's the link to Episcopal Relief & Development, to donate to help with hurricane relief.

US Hurricane Relief

Gifts to this fund will enable Episcopal Relief & Development to support the hurricane response efforts of dioceses in the United States. In the wake of these events, we partner with local dioceses and churches to provide essential supplies such as food, water and medical care to those in need. Donations to the US Hurricane Relief Fund at this time will assist dioceses impacted by Hurricane Irene.

ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA - LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN THE ANGLICAN COVENANT

From Canon Alan Perry, a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada at his blog Insert Cathchy Blog Title Here:

The Governance Working Group of the Anglican Church of Canada has released its report on the legal and constitutional implications of the proposed Anglican Covenant, as requested by the General Synod. In addition to the report, there is also an executive summary.

Definitional Concerns lists no fewer than nine key terms in the proposed Covenant that are left undefined. This is a concern because, as the report states, “the Covenant is more than a statement of belief or intention; it is a legal document.” Exactly. And as a legal document it requires clarity of definition. For without clarity, the report says, it is “difficult to know the full nature and extent of the obligations which would be undertaken by adopting the Covenant.” That being the case, it is difficult to understand how any Synod can responsibly vote to adopt the Covenant.

Under the rubric of Procedural Concerns, the report discusses seven difficulties with the dispute-settling process in the proposed Covenant. For example, the report raises concerns about the vagueness of the process in section 4.2. (See my comments in this vein here.) It also notes that the process fails to guarantee the principles of Natural Justice. I have also analysed this issue in two parts here and here. Furthermore, there is no right or mechanism to appeal a decision of the Standing Committee.

Even if you don't read the entire report, do have a look at the executive summary. It's well worth taking the time, because, as I see it, the document has implications beyond the Anglican Church of Canada.

Lionel Deimel, of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the US, also comments on the Canadian church report.

Today, however, the Anglican Church of Canada released a document that, although it does not draw the obvious conclusion that the Covenant should be rejected because it is incompetently written, most definitely establishes that it is incompetently written. One cannot, in fact, read “Legal and Constitutional Issues Presented to the Canadian Church by the Proposed Anglican Covenant” without concluding that the text of the Covenant is a train wreck.

Lionel notes from a story in Episcopal News Service that the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church received a report from the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons, which will not be published until later because, as council member Rosalie Ballantine said, “We’re reluctant to have it out there” because some people may assume that decisions have already been made."

In the interest of transparency, I'd hope that the Executive Council will rethink withholding the report, unless there are very serious reasons for doing so. The decision in favor of secrecy following on the heels of the Anglican Church of Canada's quick release of their document invites unfavorable comparison.

As Jim Naughton says at The Lead, "Conversely, the Anglican Church of Canada, which apparently regards its members as adults, has released its report...along with an executive summary...."

Transparency is the best policy, except for the gravest of reasons, and what people may assume does have the ring of gravity sufficient for withholding release of the document until a later time.

SORRY, WE'RE NOT READY FOR A WOMAN

A good many folks in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, who see Christians arguing about women clergy and bishops and same-sexuality, bi-sexuality, trans-sexuality look at us in wonder, and not a few conclude, "I want no part of that." Women clergy, women in leadership in the church, same-, bi-, and trans-sexuality are simply not issues for them. Yet, those of us in the church continue to waste time and energy on these matters instead of being about the business of building the Kingdom of God. Is it any wonder that the generations vote with their feet and don't occupy the pews in the churches?

The Episcopal Church has progressed toward implementing just and equal policies for women in the church, but, at the grass roots level, those of us who are present know that in certain parishes and dioceses, all is not as rosy as it might appear in the press reports. The church has had women priests since 1977, 34 years, if you want to count from the date women were" regularly" ordained. It's way past time for those in parishes who say, "We're not ready for a woman priest," and those in dioceses who say, "We're not ready for a woman bishop," to put their (I call it what I believe it is.) misogyny behind them and begin to focus on calling or electing the most qualified of the candidates and the person who is the best fit for the parish or diocese where they will be serving, leaving aside entirely the gender of the candidate as a consideration.

Sadly, the present situation on the ground for LGTB clergy shows even less progress toward justice and equality than for women, but I'll leave that discussion for another post. In the meantime, let's not deceive ourselves into thinking that we don't pay a price for the inequality that remains.

ON CHECKING THE DRIFT IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

Lionel Deimel struck gold. At least, I think he has with the statement by Bishop John Akao, chair of the Church of Nigeria Theological Resource group, on the original intention of the Anglican Covenant in the Church Times. (Not yet online, but David Virtue posted the statement in its entirety.)

The idea of an Anglican Covenant was suggested by the Global South to check the drift of some members especially in TEC and Canada as well as some other parts of Europe like Germany and Britain in the wake of revisionist agenda manifested radically by the recognition of same -sex relationships by the Church, especially the consecration of two same-sex practitioners as bishops in The Episcopal Church of America.

Aside: Are "same-sex practitioners" members of a new medical specialty of which I've never heard?

The Global South's intention was to "check the drift" in certain churches in the Anglican Communion with the Anglican Covenant. How does one "check the drift" without consequences? Indaba is not what the Global South had in mind.

The bishop has no kind words for the Episcopal Church:

The offending TEC remained defiant and recalcitrant despite series of appeals and resolutions. This attitude of TEC to the entire Communion smacks of arrogance and colonial mentality against the African voice.

Read the quote from Bishop Akao's statement at Lionel's blog as to why the Anglican Covenant is no longer acceptable to the Global South, along with Lionel's commentary.

The original intention of the Anglican Covenant was to force the churches in the Communion into compliance with "the faith handed down", as certain member churches interpreted the faith. Let's not forget that the disciplinary consequences for non-compliance are still present in the final draft of the covenant, admittedly in a softened form, in the objectionable Section 4.

HOB MEETING - TWEET NO MORE!

A tweet from the meeting of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church now taking place in at the Kanuga Conference Center in North Carolina about a comment by the Rt Revd Paul Kim, Archbishop of Korea, who is a guest at the meeting.

The Covenant is "colonialist" document. It does not free the Asia church but keeps it controlled by English church.

From Ann Fontaine at The Lead.

The tweet was captured before tweeting at the meeting was stopped due to concerns about confidentiality.

ON PROPAGATING CHANGE

From Bishop Gregory Cameron's article in support of the adoption of the Anglican Covenant by the churches in the Anglican Communion in Search; a Church of Ireland Journal:

Whilst this report criticises those who have propagated change without sufficient regard to the common life of the Communion, it has to be recognised that debate on this issue cannot be closed whilst sincerely but radically different positions continue to be held across the Communion. (The Windsor Report, para. 146)

And who are "those who have propagated change"?

Paragraph 146 of the Windsor Report states:

One of the deepest realities that the Communion faces is continuing difference on the presenting issue of ministry by and to persons who openly engage in sexually active homosexual relationships.

Could the answer be the Episcopal Church?

I must take issue with the phrase "have propagated change". The Episcopal Church has instituted changes within our own church that certain other churches deem offensive and unacceptable, but we have not pushed changes on other churches in the communion.

prop·a·gate - To cause to extend to a broader area or larger number; spread.

In my dreams, as an experiment, I'd like to see the Episcopal Church step back from official participation in the affairs of the AC for a season and watch to see if those who have absented themselves from communion gatherings return to the fold and if perfect peace descends upon the Anglican Communion once our troublesome presence is gone.

I'm sick to death of being blamed for all the troubles in the Anglican Communion, as well as the suggestions that we must be disciplined for our wayward ways, or, as others phrase it, lets "spank the Yank".

I'll leave it to my betters to take up the rebuttal of Bp Cameron's push for the adoption of the Anglican Covenant it's entirety, but I could not resist saying my piece on the accusation of propagating changes.

LENTEN MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDING BISHOP

Are you traveling light on the earth?

By Katharine Jefferts Schori, March 08, 201

The Episcopal Church observes Lent in solidarity with Christians throughout the ages. Lent has anciently been understood as a time of solidarity with those who are to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. It's a time to focus on prayer and study and fasting, and in some traditions, almsgiving. Each of those, when done in solidarity with those preparing to be baptized, is an invitation for us to deepen our own Christian spiritual practice.

I would encourage you this year to expand the realm of that practice; to think about your solidarity with those who walk the way of Christ, with those who walk the way of Jesus, in particular concern for those beyond your local community.

We have a remarkable calling in this era to think about our relationships not only with other Christians, but with other human beings across this planet, and indeed with the rest of creation. Perhaps you might focus your Lenten discipline this year in attention to how you live on this earth.

Do you live like the Son of Man, who travels continuously with never a place to lay his head? Who doesn't carry two bags or an extra lunch or an extra pair of sandals? That is what he encouraged his disciples to do, to travel light.

Are you traveling light on this earth?

Consider as you live through each day, how you use water, how you use fuel, how you use electricity, and how you use the food that is a gift.

If each of us is able to thoughtfully enter into a more compassionate concern for the blessings of creation, it will change the way in which human beings as a species impact this earth.

I heard at the Primates Meeting recently, from the Primate of Polynesia, a very agonized conversation about the plight of his people on low-lying islands in the South Pacific, which are rapidly disappearing beneath the rising sea level. That rising sea level is the result of the way in which wealthier parts of this human population use energy.

We hear about the concerns of people in Africa who find corn too expensive to buy for food because we are using it here to produce ethanol so we can drive our cars.

The way in which we use our resources is a spiritual matter. The way in which we live on this earth is a matter of faithfulness. Can we act in solidarity with those who are preparing to enter this community and do so more thoughtfully and in a more compassionate way that considers all of God's creation?

I invite you to a blessed and holy Lent, to a Lent of prayer and study and compassion through almsgiving and fasting.

-- The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori is presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church.

From Episcopal News Service.

GOOD NEWS - THE MORAVIAN CHURCH AND THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN FULL COMMUNION

From Andrew Gerns at The Lead:

Last night the inaugural service celebrating full communion between the Episcopal Church and the Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church in North America was held at at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori joined the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Miller and the Rev. David Guthrie, the presidents of the two Moravian Provincial Elders' Conferences celebrated.

Good news, indeed, of God's people coming together.

The Reconciliation of Episcopal Ministries took place in this way: the Episcopal Bishops present faced the Unitas Fratum bishops. The Moravian bishops knelt and received laying on of hands and the "Right Hand of Fellowship" from the Episcopal Bishops. After that, the Episcopal Bishops knelt before their counterparts, and then received the laying on of hands and "Right Hand of Fellowship" from the Unitas Fratrum Bishops.

It's been a long, long time, but the reunion demonstrates that Christians should not give up hope of coming together even after a lengthy period of separation.

In an e-mail to the people of the Diocese of Bethlehem, Bishop Paul Marshall wrote:

In the 1780s, the Episcopal Church's leadership chose not to receive episcopal orders at the hands of Moravians, so our kneeling before each other tonight for the laying-on of hands and the right hand of fellowship was more than symbolic--it was a moment of healing. Ghosts can indeed become ancestors.

Thanks be to God.

UPDATE: The image on the left is the seal of the Moravian Church featuring the Agnus Dei, as pictured on stained glass window in the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, NC.

The image on the right is of the arms of the Episcopal Church which includes both the cross of St. George and a St. Andrew's cross.

GIVE UP ON THE CHURCH? - NOT YET

From Theo Hobson in the Guardian:

As regular readers will know, I’ve spent quite a lot of time on this site, and elsewhere, arguing for a rather extreme sort of liberal Christianity. I started off fulminating against the establishment of the Church of England, and went on to argue that all major forms of church were full of illiberal assumptions. Really liberal Christians must try to develop a new, anarchic, post-ecclesial Christian culture, I said.

I have changed my mind in an important respect. I now feel that organized religion might not be such a bad idea. Its various authoritarian forms might be avoidable. It might be redeemable.

Two things have led me to this re-think. First, I have admitted that, after a few years of looking, I have failed to find any significant manifestations of a new, post-institutional Christian culture. Second, I have encountered a form of church that does not offend me.
....

It was a catch-22. Organised religion was intolerably illiberal, but only organised religion seemed able to organise Christian ritual – without which Christianity is just a bunch of vague ideas. My desire was for ritual to be liberated from the institutions but, frankly, I didn't know how this could happen. After a few years staring at this question, I was no nearer to answering it.

Then last year, I moved to New York. I wanted to see if there was a stronger post-institutional Christian culture here, a more substantial ‘emerging church’ movement. There is, but I’m not sure what I make of it yet. I was also curious to see what I would make of the Episcopal Church, the American branch of Anglicanism. It is proudly disestablished, and has broken with the homophobic legalism of the rest of the Communion, so would I find it a model of liberalism, or still complicit in the various ills of organized religion? I was assuming the latter. But, to my surprise, a taste of Episcopalian worship got me asking: what’s not to like?

Looking back at the crisis in the Anglican Communion, I find that I am impressed by the boldness of the Americans. Instead of backing down over Gene Robinson’s consecration, they insisted that a basic Christian principle was at stake: the need to oppose moral legalism, and open the good news to everyone. This was Paul’s project – which is why it is so ironic that Paul also supplies the conservatives with their main ammunition. You could say that the crisis is an argument within the mind of Paul.
....

The air is fresher here. The American branch of Anglicanism has emerged over the last decade as the global pioneer of liberal Christianity. It has persuaded me not to give up on church just yet."

Hobson expresses similar frustrations to mine with the institutional church. But he comes to the same conclusions: there is, for the most part, no true Christian culture outside the institutional church; the only meaningful Christian rituals are those which exist within the institutional church.

And although the Episcopal Church is far from perfect, it warms my heart to read Hobson's words about fresh air, because I, too, believe that, in our imperfect way, the Episcopal Church is prophetic for our times. The wind of the Spirit blows where it wills, and the wind of the Spirit brings fresh air.

At times, I find myself longing for a more anarchic church, but, in my heart of hearts, I know that an anarchic church is not the answer. We have wide leeway in the Episcopal Church to experiment with different expressions of being church, different forms of worship, different ways of living out the Gospel. We're a small congregation amongst congregations, and we are even smaller in relation to the society at large here in the US, but that should not be our major concern. Our call is to be disciples of Jesus through our worship and our mission and thereby show Jesus to the world and see Jesus in every one of God's beloved creatures.

Hobson's words below resonate strongly:

The awkward fact, it seemed, was that only institutionally rooted Christians understood the primacy of ritual. Only they were committed to the ritual worship of a certain ancient Palestinian chap. And, away from such a commitment, there is surely no Christianity worth speaking of.

Indeed.

Please read Hobson's words in their entirety to get the full flavor of his message.

Thanks to Cathy for the link.

JUDGE GRANTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH'S MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENTS IN DIOCESE OF FORT WORTH

From Jim Naughton at The Lead:

On Friday, January 21, 2011, the Hon. John P. Chupp of the 141st District Court, Tarrant County, Texas, granted the Local Episcopal Parties’ and The Episcopal Church’s Motions for Summary Judgments. He denied the Southern Cone parties Motion for a Partial Summary Judgment The orders can be seen here.

The Court orders provide in part that the defendants, including Bishop Jack L. Iker, “surrender all Diocesan property, as well as control of the Diocesan Corporation, to the Diocesan plaintiffs and to provide an accounting of all Diocesan assets within 60 days of this order.” Additionally, “the Court hereby orders the Defendants not to hold themselves out as leaders of the Diocese.”

It's only right, and it's about time.

In November 2008, former Bishop Jack L. Iker and other diocesan leaders left The Episcopal Church and aligned themselves with another church, the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. Since then they have been using the name and seal of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and occupying Episcopal Church property.

For over two years, faithful Episcopalians in the diocese have not only been denied the use of their property, but they've had their name appropriated by those who left the Episcopal Church. Here's the website of the real Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

Check out the phony Diocese of Fort Worth. Confusing, right? The giveaway on the home page is the prominence of the link to Exodus International "a ministry of freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ".

It's been a long night, but a new day has dawned.

UPDATE: From the phony Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth comes the news that they will appeal the decision by Judge Chupp, which is not surprising. Will they ask for a stay on the order to vacate the property, and, if so, what are the chances that a stay will be granted? Thanks to Bex in the comments for the update.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EPISCOPAL CHURCH!

St. John's Episcopal Church

From Margaret at Leave It Lay Where Jesus Flang It:

The Episcopal Church was born today in 1785 --in Philadelphia... What a terrifying and exhilarating time those post-Revolutionary war years must have been --establishing and experimenting with new governmental forms --and in the church, we became autonomous from the Church of England. (Well --at least that's the myth...) And, some clergy concluded that their ordination vows required them to remain loyal to the crown and the bishops who ordained them, and they fled to places where the crown and their bishops still ruled.

And, of course, you should click on over to Margaret's blog and read the rest. She speaks her thoughts on matters of authoriteh and more.

I thank God for the Episcopal Church, warts and all, where I found a home after 60-plus years in another denomination. At the very first service I attended at St. John's Episcopal Church, after several months in the wilderness, I felt as though I had come home.