wfn.org | Breakaway Episcopalians to ordain four new bishops

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Note #6723 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

21-June-2001
01209

Breakaway Episcopalians to ordain four new bishops

by Kevin Eckstrom
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON - A breakaway group of Episcopalians plans to ordain four new
bishops to help lead the 37 parishes that have left the Episcopal Church
because of its positions on sexuality and biblical authority.

	The conservative Anglican Mission in America plans to consecrate the four
bishops June 24 in Denver. The four new bishops will join Bishops John
Rodgers and Charles Murphy, who were ordained in Singapore in January 2000.

	Rodgers' and Murphy's ordinations are not recognized by either the leader
of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, or the
leader of the U.S. church, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold.

	Carey has written to the two bishops who will preside at the consecration -
Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and Datuk Ping Chung Yong of Malaysia - to say he
has not changed his mind.

	"Let me make no bones about it," Carey wrote. "I regard last year's
consecrations in Singapore as, at best, highly irregular, and, at worst,
simply schismatic. ... The steps you are now proposing to take compounds the
problem created then."

	With the weight of his office behind him, Carey told the two bishops: "It
is not right to trespass upon the ministry Our Lord, the Chief Shepherd, has
committed to others."

	Churches that have left to join the Anglican Mission are upset because the
denomination allows - at least unofficially - the blessing of same-sex
unions and the ordination of gays and lesbians. They say the church has
downplayed the role of Scripture in church authority.

	One of the new bishops, the Rev. Alexander "Sandy" Greene of Denver, said
he is leaving the denomination because it has moved away from "its baseline"
of tradition and doctrine. Greene, pastor of Christ Episcopal Church for the
past 10 years, left with about 100 parishioners.

	Greene is the seventh Colorado pastor to leave the diocese for the Anglican
Mission in America.

	Colorado Bishop Jerry Winterrowd said Greene's decision is "regrettable"
and "not appropriate, because the diocese hasn't departed from tradition."

	Like Rodgers and Murphy, the new bishops will be consecrated under the
auspices of the foreign bishops, Kolini and Datuk Yong. In a written
statement, Rodgers said church history has come full circle.

	"In a bold reversal of the missionary actions of the last 500 years,"
Rodgers said, "the churches in Africa and Asia are undertaking a labor of
love and courage - consecrating bishops to American soil to answer the
church's deep hunger for unity in faith."

	The other three new bishops will be the Rev. Thaddeus R. Barnum of Pawley's
Island, S.C.; the Rev. Thomas W. Johnston of Little Rock, Ark.; and the Rev.
Douglas B. Weiss of San Jose, Calif. Each will have oversight of their
respective geographic regions, although the regions have not been
specifically mapped.

	The four bishops were nominated for the posts and ultimately hand-picked by
the two overseas primates. Rodgers, who is retiring, told Religion News
Service he will stay involved but will not have direct oversight of any
churches. He said Murphy will function as "coordinator" but does not have
the responsibilities or authority of a presiding bishop.

(Robert Nowell in London and Virginia Culver in Denver contributed to this
report.)

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