wfn.org | [ENS] Joy, hope and excitement surround formal reorganization of Diocese of Quincy

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

>Episcopal News Service
>April 4, 2009

Joy, hope and excitement surround formal reorganization of Diocese of  Quincy

Presiding Bishop warmly welcomed to April 4 synod

>By Joe Bjordal

[Episcopal News Service] Deputies to a special synod meeting of the
Episcopal Diocese of Quincy acted with dispatch on Saturday, April 4
as they quickly and unanimously elected new leadership, approved a
diocesan budget and elected a provisional bishop. The actions were
necessary after a majority of deputies at the 2008 annual synod voted
to leave the Episcopal Church and realign with the Anglican Province
of the Southern Cone.

Deputies elected the Right Rev. John Clark Buchanan, retired bishop of
the Diocese of West Missouri, as provisional bishop of the Diocese of
Quincy. Buchanan most recently served as interim bishop in the Diocese
of Southern Virginia.

In his opening remarks to the synod, Buchanan told the deputies and
guests that he now "lays claim to your heritage and to all who belong
to the Diocese of Quincy."

"Let the word go out," he said, "that all are welcome and all are
invited to be a part of us."

Buchanan plans to spend about ten days per month in the Diocese of  Quincy.

The deputies also voted to undo actions of two previous synod meetings
that changed the constitution and canons of the Diocese of Quincy with
the aim of disassociating it from the Episcopal Church.

Four congregations of which a majority of members have recently voted
to remain in the Episcopal Church--St. John's Church, Kewanee; St.
Paul's Cathedral, Peoria; St. James' Church, Lewiston; and St. James'
Church, Griggsville--were represented, along with several other
congregations where similar votes are pending and also those in which
a majority of members have chosen to realign to the Southern Cone.

>Warm welcome signals a new day

Deputies and guests--nearly 300 in all--gave Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts Schori a rousing greeting on her first visit to
Peoria and the Diocese of Quincy. In stark contrast to the previous
synod meeting, at which she was vilified as the chief architect of
what former leaders claimed was the Episcopal Church's departure from
traditional Christian beliefs, Jefferts Schori recieved a warm and
jubilant welcome.

The Presiding Bishop reminded deputies that "dioceses cannot leave the
Episcopal Church; only people can leave." She said the Diocese of
Quincy has always existed as part of the Episcopal Church and
continues to do so today.

In a diocese that has previously never ordained women or welcomed
women in leadership roles, the visit by Jefferts Schori, the first
female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, was seen as
significant and representative of new attitudes in the reorganized
diocese.

Cindy Ford, a member of Christ Church, Limestone, said the presiding
bishop's visit signaled a new day for the Diocese of Quincy.

"This is the first time a woman has been allowed to lead morning
prayer here, as far as I know," said Ford. "It was never allowed in
this diocese under the previous leadership. So it was amazing to see
something of a miracle happening today."

Ford also said the synod meeting provided an occasion for her to hear
something else she said she has not heard in the diocese in recent
years:  "intellectual theological conversation."

She was referring to a question-and-answer session during which
Jefferts Schori fielded a number of queries about matters of
faith--both her own and that of the Episcopal Church--including her
views on human sexuality and whether Jesus is the only means to
salvation.

In response to a question, Jefferts Schori said that to insist Jesus
is the only way to God is to "limit God." She said that God is
certainly at work in the lives of people in Jewish and Muslim
communities.

"God is, at the very least, a mystery," Jefferts Schori said. "God's
intention is for a restored relationship with all humanity. My job is
to proclaim the good news of Jesus, but I cannot deny God is not at
work in other ways."

Ford said she found the Presiding Bishop's comments to be a "breath of
fresh air."

"We have been cut off from the world," she said, referring to the
previous leadership of the diocese, which sought to keep its members
away from contact with varying viewpoints in the Episcopal Church that
it did not consider "orthodox."

The Rev. Canon John Blossom agrees. He said that after being a priest
in the Diocese of Quincy for 38 years and recently discovering "the
breadth and resources of the Episcopal Church," he feels cheated.

Blossom, priest of Bread of Life Anglican Fellowship in Peoria, an
emerging "storefront" church, served as part of the steering committee
that prepared for the April 4 synod. He traveled with a group of
committee members to New York in February to meet with the Presiding
Bishop and other senior Episcopal Church officials. Blossom said that
his views about the Episcopal Church and the Presiding Bishop have
changed.

"This is a new day in the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Quincy,"
said Blossom. "It's now time start loving each other instead of
judging each other. It's time to start renewing our mission and
ministry and be about loving, learning and accepting."

Erich Yetter, a member of Christ Church, Limestone, and artistic
director of the Peoria Ballet, also said it was a "new day." He said
he was delighted that the Diocese of Quincy was now reorganized and
can move forward. He also said the Presiding Bishop, by her words and
presence, helped calm a lot of fears.

"I think there has been a lot of fear here-fear of the unknown. When
you are in a situation where you don't know how to move forward, you
need some light at the end of the tunnel. That's what she provided.
She told us we were not alone, that others have gone through this and
we will, too."

"This is a great day for these people," said the Rev. Canon Rick
Cluett, a special representative of the Presiding Bishop to
reorganizing dioceses. "They have worked so hard, suffered so long and
finally are coming to the realization that they are free to be the
Episcopal Church in this place and free to be part of the larger
church."

Also on hand at the synod was Bishop Jeffrey Lee of the neighboring
Diocese of Chicago, who said he was there to show support, assure the
people of Quincy of the prayers of the people of Chicago and offer
"any assistance possible." Lee said the day was "very significant as
the Diocese of Quincy moves forward in mission and ministry."

Jefferts Schori departed the synod meeting for Moline, Illinois, where
she was scheduled to preside and celebrate at the Palm Sunday service
at All Saints Church, a new congregation formed by parishioners ousted
from breakaway congregations in Rock Island and Moline.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_106683_ENG_HTM.htm

>______________________

Episcopal News Service will provide coverage of the Presiding Bishop's
Palm Sunday visit to Christ Church, Moline and additional information
from the synod on Monday, April 6.

-- Joe Bjordal is Episcopal Life Media correspondent in the dioceses
of Provinces V and VI. He is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.