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repudiate actions of General Convention

10/3/2003  

Dioceses of Ft. Worth, Pittsburgh and South Carolina repudiate actions
of General Convention

by James Solheim 

[Episcopal News Service] In special conventions, the Dioceses of Ft.
Worth, Pittsburgh and South Carolina have repudiated the decisions of
the Minneapolis General Convention to confirm the election of Gene
Robinson as the church's first openly gay bishop and to recognize that
the blessing of same-gender relationships in some dioceses is "within
the bounds of our common life." 

The Ft. Worth meeting September 27 passed a resolution that said the
General Convention exceeded its authority and violated the church's
constitution in approving the election of Robinson. "We cannot remain
silent," said Bishop Jack Iker to a packed church in Arlington. "We must
speak up and we will be heard." 

Iker received a standing ovation after a sermon in which he said that
the diocese must deal with the decisions of General Convention that
"have precipitated a serious crisis in the Anglican Communion and have
created a pastoral emergency in the United States and abroad."

By the General Convention actions, "the Episcopal Church has separated
itself from the teachings of the Anglican Communion and the One, Holy,
Catholic and Apostolic Church, and these acts are held null and void,
and of no effect in the Diocese of Fort Worth."

Appeal to Anglican primates

Another resolution appealed for "intervention and recognition by
Anglican Communion Primates...as the legitimate expression of the
Episcopal Church in the USA, and with those other dioceses, bishops,
clergy and congregations who uphold and propagate the historic Faith and
Order..." Another resolution asked the primates to "address the matter
of episcopal oversight and care for clergy and congregations who are
committed to the historic Faith and Order of the Church in those
dioceses where the actions" of General Convention "may be approved or
implemented."

The diocese also said that it was committing itself to "funding and
supporting those missionary agencies, dioceses, and structures that
serve to uphold and propagate the historic Faith and Order, especially
in those missionary areas adversely affected by reduced national church
resources."

For several years congregations have been allowed to determine the
percentage of annual assessments that is sent on to support the budget
and programs of the national church. According to diocesan sources,
there are only 12 churches in the diocese that continue to specify
percentages to be passed on to General Convention, with amounts ranging
from 10 percent to the full 16.5 percent for 2000-2003. These churches
will now be asked to consider withdrawing any and all financial support
from General Convention, allowing the diocese to redirect this
money-estimated at $80,000-to other Anglican jurisdictions in need of
support.

The true church?

On the same day, the Diocese of Pittsburgh also passed by a margin of
239 to 69 votes a resolution that declared the actions of General
Convention "null and void". In six resolutions passed by an overwhelming
margin, the diocese asked the primates of the Anglican Communion to
recognize conservatives in the Episcopal Church who uphold traditional
values as the true Anglican church in the United States.

"We are trying to call the Episcopal Church back to its senses and
asking the worldwide Communion to help us," said Bishop Robert Duncan.
"The majority in this diocese will never accept what the General
Convention has done, nor will the whole Christian church throughout the
world," he said in his address to the special diocesan convention on
September 27.

"I'm not leaving. Nor are those who vote for these resolutions. Nor is
the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh," he said. "We are engaged in the
renewal and realignment of North American Anglicanism."

One resolution authorizes the diocese to divert its $120,000 annual
assessment for the work of the national church to other mission
projects, although Duncan said individual parishes could continue the
contribution and even receive oversight from a more liberal bishop.

On the issue of property, a resolution asserted that congregations own
their buildings and that neither the diocese nor the national church
could claim them if a parish decides to leave. Opponents argued that the
resolution contradicts both canon and civil law and could mire parishes
in lawsuits. Duncan said that the next two diocesan conventions would
seek to amend the diocesan canons on church property and said that the
diocese could prevent lawsuits through actions such as selling church
buildings to a congregation for a nominal amount of money.

Rationale for a split?

In criticizing the resolutions, the Rev. Harold Lewis said that the
resolutions create a "legal fiction" and are worded in such a way that
they create a rationale for a split from the Episcopal Church. Yet
supporters said that the resolutions offered liberal parishes in the
diocese a type of freedom and respect often denied conservative parishes
in liberal dioceses.

"This is only the first battle in the struggle to maintain the integrity
of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh," according to a statement by
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh. The statement said that the
resolutions "are fundamentally illegal... They are symbolic, intended to
bring pressure on the Anglican Primates and to encourage the schismatic
conservatives who dominate this diocese and who steadfastly support
Bishop Duncan." The battle will continue, according to the statement, at
the diocesan convention November 7.

The statement also predicted that, when the diocese attempts to
implement the resolutions, "PEP will be joined by the Episcopal Church
USA and local attorneys to protect church property."

In an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Duncan said, "Although we
have different opinions on human sexuality, we are absolutely united on
the fact that this issue should not divide the church. The issue of
whether to stay or leave has never come up. We will always be
Episcopalians."

New religion?

The Diocese of South Carolina, in its special convention October 2,
echoed the strong convictions of Ft. Worth and Pittsburgh in condemning
the confirmation of Robinson and seeking assistance from the Anglican
primates. 

"This is an extremely serious crisis and we've made it clear we
repudiate what happened in Minneapolis," said the Rev. Kendall Harmon,
canon theologian for the diocese. "But we also know we need emergency
intervention by the primates. It's up to them to decide what to do."

"This is not just another crisis around issues that time will cure,"
Bishop Edward Salmon told over 300 clergy and lay representatives to the
convention. "The General Convention has endorsed a new religion." He
said that the differences are so sharp and the impasse so deep that more
conversation is pointless and the church needs outside intervention.

One resolution asks the primates, when they meet in London October
15-16, to recognize those who opposed the actions of General Convention
as "the legitimate expression of the Anglican Communion and Faith in the
United States." And it asks the primates to intervene and provide
oversight for conservatives in dioceses that approved Robinson's
election.

Another resolutions expressed "profound disappointment" with what it
said was lobbying before General Convention by Presiding Bishop Frank T.
Griswold for approval of Robinson's election.

A third resolution promises to help church leaders in other parts of the
world who lose financial support for speaking against the approval of
Robinson. It deplores "increasing reports" of what it said is "financial
intimidation by leaders in the Episcopal Church toward Anglican leaders"
in the Southern hemisphere who have been critics of the theological
liberalism of the American church.

Church politics?

"I think people are very, very concerned," said Steve Kardon who was a
lay deputy at convention. "It's tearing every parish apart," he told the
Charleston Post and Courier before the meeting. "What worries me is
these resolutions give the green light for the diocese to pull away from
the Episcopal Church, if not sever ties completely. None of us wants to
leave the Episcopal Church," he said in announcing he was voting against
the resolutions.

Andy Brack, a lay deputy and member of the vestry at St. Stephen's,
said, "This is nonsense church politics and not a focus on what is
really biblical and religious. We are going to continue to be St.
Stephen's and loyal members of the Episcopal Church USA, I hope."

Attempts to head off an unnecessary confrontation were not successful
and all the resolutions passed easily. "The conversation needs to
continue," said the Rev. Richard Lindsey of All Saints in Hilton Head.
"The diocese is hurting. We need to come closer together even if we
don't want to, to share the love of Christ."

-- James Solheim is director of Episcopal News Service.