| Friday, July 20, 2007
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much."
James 5:16 KJV
- A message from The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson
- This is a critical time - A Statement from the
Global South Steering Committee
- Four Retired Bishops Call for Financial
Transparency on Litigation
- Diocese Acknowledges Breakaway Rector
A message from The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson
President and CEO, American
Anglican Council
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
Let me begin my commentary with a word about The Episcopal
Church's (TEC) massive litigation directed toward orthodox congregations,
clergy and lay leaders around the country. It takes a lot of money for the
type of litigation blitzkrieg that we are seeing in the United States, and
the question is, "Where is the Episcopal Church leadership getting the money
to attack the faithful Anglicans?" Remarks attributed to TEC's chancellor
from several sources and on several occasions seem to indicate that money
from the national church's pension fund might be used. If the attributed
remarks are true, why would they go after the pension fund? The attributed
remarks were that TEC "had" eight billion dollars to fund the litigation. We
only know of one source in The Episcopal Church which has eight billion
dollars and in fact that is exactly how much is in the Church Pension Fund.
We don't know if that is the intended funding source and we certainly hope
no one is planning such a thing, but that is where the money is. Since a
previous treasurer of the Episcopal Church played fast and loose with
official trust funds of the church and went to jail for it, we know that
investigations and audits of the trust funds have occurred in the not too
distant past. Although we doubt that there would be eight billion dollars
even in the aggregate of the trust funds, those funds are worth watching for
any future untoward activity by anyone. Last week four retired Episcopal
bishops, in an open letter included in this update, called on the Episcopal
Church to be open and transparent in disclosing where the funding for all
this litigation is coming from. I am certain that this story will develop
further because the litigation assault shows no sign of slowing down.
Now on an
extremely important subject, as the Weekly Update goes to distribution major
news is breaking from the Global South. After their meeting this past week,
the Global South Steering Committee has publicly issued a statement on
Friday, July 20 that will have major reverberations around the world. The
document, entitled "This is a critical time - A Statement from the Global
South Steering Committee," deals with a number of issues paragraph by
paragraph.
Points
raised are their commitment to the underlying principles and recommendations
of the Windsor Report and Dar es Salaam Communiqué and their hopefulness
that an Anglican Covenant will help in unity. They also express their
distress at the actions of the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops and the
Executive Council, and at the intransigence of TEC that divides the church
and communion.
The
statement also notes the continued and intensified civil litigation on the
part of The Episcopal Church against congregations and individuals and that
this directly defies the Dar es Salaam Communiqué. Then in a stunning
statement in paragraph six, they note "Because of the categorical rejection
of the unanimously agreed Pastoral Scheme (our emphasis
added)...we have no choice but to provide additional episcopal oversight
from the concerned Provinces." This is a clear statement that the measured
steps of the Primates, having been rebuffed by the Episcopal Church at every
point, are leading to further and more advanced remedies including more
bishops who will be resident in the USA.
The
statement continues, "We recognize that this is a temporary measure and look
forward to the time when it is either no longer necessary
or they are all part of a new ecclesiastical structure in the USA
(our emphasis added)." This is the clear warning to both Presiding Bishop
Schori and Archbishop Williams, but will either have the wisdom to know what
to do?
In paragraph
seven the statement asserts that the decision made by Dr. Williams and the
head of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) to meet with the Episcopal
House of Bishops at their September gathering undermines the integrity of
the Dar es Salaam Communiqué. Because of the crisis and perhaps because it
seems unclear as to the purpose and motive of Dr. Williams' recent decisions
and announcements, the statement strongly urges the scheduling of a
Primates' Meeting "at the earliest possible moment" to determine the
adequacy of TEC's response.
In
paragraphs nine and ten, they deal with the issue of the proposed
Lambeth Conference itself, and I would wish for you to note my emphasis of
their word 'proposed' because it again prefaces the discussion with the
reality that unless the CAPA document "The Road to Lambeth" is adhered to,
and Dr. Williams' recent announcements about who will and won't come to
Lambeth are changed, they can't participate. They note, "The polarization
surrounding the Lambeth meeting has been exacerbated because we are also
unable to take part in an event from which a number of our own bishops have
been arbitrarily excluded while those whose actions have precipitated our
current crisis are included." The Steering Committee mentions that they
have received requests from around the Communion for a gathering of leaders
of the Anglican Global South, and that they therefore expect to call a
Fourth Global South Encounter. This Steering Committee Statement is the best
news and the clearest word we have received in a very long while and I wish
for all of you to be encouraged greatly by it.
Blessings and Peace in Christ’s Name,
The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson
This is a critical time - A Statement from the
Global South Steering Committee
Source:
Global South Steering Committee
Date: July 16-18, 2007
1. We are grateful for the prayers and witness of the
millions of Anglicans around the world who live out their Christian faith in
complex and sometimes hostile situations. Their lives and witness offer hope
to a world that is in desperate need and we have been greatly encouraged by
their testimony. Their commitment to the ‘faith once and for all delivered
to the saints’ deepens our determination to stay true to the biblical
revelation and our historic tradition.
2. We reaffirm our dedication to the vision of the church
that has a passion to reach all those who have not yet come to a saving
knowledge of Christ and one that is truly good news for the poor and freedom
for those who are oppressed. We are saddened that the actions of a small
part of our Communion family have caused such division, confusion and pain
and we are grieved that our witness to the oneness of Christ and his Church
has been sorely compromised.
3. We in the Global South remain committed to the
underlying principles and recommendations of the Windsor Report and the
various Communiqués that we have issued, especially the statement that was
produced during the most recent Primates’ meeting in Dar es Salaam. It was
the result of enormous effort and heart-felt prayer and we remain convinced
that it offers the best way forward for our beloved Communion. In
particular, we are hopeful that the development and endorsement of an
Anglican Covenant will help us move past this debilitating season into a new
focus of growth and missionary zeal.
4. We were distressed by the initial response of the House
of Bishops of The Episcopal Church USA issued on March 20th, 2007,
reaffirmed by the Executive Council on June 14th, 2007, in which they
rejected the underlying principles and requests of the Dar es Salaam
Communiqué. We urge them, once again, to reconsider their position because
it is their rejection of the clear teaching of the Church and their
continuing intransigence that have divided the Church and has brought our
beloved Communion to the breaking point. Without heartfelt repentance and
genuine change there can be no restoration of the communion that we all
earnestly desire and which is our Lord’s clear intent.
5. We have also been pained to hear of the continuing and
growing resort to civil litigation by The Episcopal Church against
congregations and individuals which wish to remain Anglican but are unable
to do so within TEC. This is in defiance of the urgent plea agreed to by all
of the Primates in the Dar es Salaam Communiqué. This approach to use power
and coercion to resolve our current dispute is both enormously costly and
doomed to failure and again, we urge the immediate suspension of all such
activities and a return to biblical practices of prayer, reconciliation and
mediation.
6. Because of the categorical rejection of the unanimously
agreed Pastoral Scheme and the urgent needs of the growing number of
congregations now linked to various Provinces in the Global South, we have
had no choice but to provide additional episcopal oversight from the
concerned Provinces. We believe that failure to do so would have resulted in
many individuals and congregations lost to the Anglican Communion. The
rejection of the proposed Pastoral Scheme has also had a profound impact on
those dioceses that had requested alternative primatial oversight. We are
aware that they are exploring various ways in which they can maintain their
Anglican identity apart from The Episcopal Church. We are encouraged by this
and also that they are working together within the Common Cause Partnership
to avoid unnecessary fragmentation. We recognize that this is a temporary
measure and look forward to the time when it is either no longer necessary
or they are all part of a new ecclesiastical structure in the USA.
7. We are aware of the anticipated visit by the Joint
Standing Committee of the Primates and the ACC to the September meeting of
the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church USA. Sadly we are convinced
that this decision, made jointly by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the
Chair of the ACC, undermines the integrity of the Dar es Salaam Communiqué.
We believe that the Primates Meeting, which initiated the request to the TEC
House of Bishops, must make any determination as to the adequacy of their
response. We strongly urge the scheduling of a Primates’ Meeting for this
purpose at the earliest possible moment.
8. We have also noted the decisions of the General Synod
of the Anglican Church of Canada and are dismayed by their unilateral
declaration that ‘same-sex blessing is not core doctrine’. While we were
grateful for the temporary restraint shown in not proceeding with any
further authorization, we have observed that a number of the bishops are
continuing to defy the recommendations of the Windsor process. We are
exploring the possibility of additional pastoral provisions for those who
want to remain faithful to Communion teaching and have been affected by the
continuing actions of their own bishops.
9. We are concerned for the future of our Communion as a
truly global fellowship and our witness before the world as a respected
ecclesial family within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. In
regards to the proposed Lambeth Conference in 2008, we are concerned that
the publicly stated expectations for participation have changed its
character and function. It is now difficult to see it either as an
instrument of unity or communion. At a time when the world needs a vision of
reconciliation and unity, our failure to restore the ‘torn fabric’ of our
Communion threatens to show the world a contrary example.
10. We remain committed to the convictions expressed in
the CAPA report “The Road to Lambeth” and urge immediate reconsideration of
the current Lambeth plans. It is impossible for us to see how, without
discipline in the Communion and without the reconciliation that we urge, we
can participate in the proposed conference; to be present but unable to
participate in sacramental fellowship would all the more painfully
demonstrate our brokenness. The polarization surrounding the Lambeth meeting
has been exacerbated because we are also unable to take part in an event
from which a number of our own bishops have been arbitrarily excluded while
those whose actions have precipitated our current crisis are included.
11. We have received requests from around the Communion to
call a gathering of Anglican Communion leaders. We expect to call a Fourth
Global South Encounter to bring together faithful Anglican leaders across
the Communion to renew our focus on the apostolic faith and our common
mission.
12. This is a critical time for the Anglican Communion and
one that will shape our future for many years to come. We are praying for
all those in leadership that the decisions made and the actions taken will
bring glory to God and encouragement to all God’s people. We are hopeful for
the future because our confidence is not in ourselves but in Jesus the
Christ who gave his life that we might have life. (see John 10:10)
Four Retired Bishops Call for Financial
Transparency on Litigation
Source:
The Living Church
Date: July 16, 2007
Four retired bishops called on Executive Council to state
how much The Episcopal Church has spent in recent years on litigation and to
make public where the money is coming from in order to conduct litigation.
“The Episcopal Church is already involved in expensive
lawsuits in Los Angeles, Virginia, Florida, San Diego, New York and
elsewhere. Now the Executive Council is threatening even more legal action
against four dioceses who affirm their membership in the One Holy, Catholic
and Apostolic Church,” the bishops wrote in an open letter dated July 14.
“We would like to know where the money is coming from to conduct this
litigation, especially in view of the fact that the program budget is being
reduced because insufficient funds are being received from dioceses.”
The letter was signed by the Rt. Rev. C.F. Allison,
retired Bishop of South Carolina; the Rt. Rev. Maurice Benitez, retired
Bishop of Texas; the Rt. Rev. Alex D. Dickson, retired Bishop of West
Tennessee and the Rt. Rev. William C. Wantland, retired Bishop of Eau
Claire.
The bishops concluded by noting that “an open and
transparent disclosure is crucially important to avoid speculation, rumors
and consequent distrust of The Episcopal Church.”
A presentation on the budget at the March Executive
Council meeting noted that the cost of legal assistance to dioceses and
disciplinary activities in 2006 had exceeded the amount budgeted by roughly
$900,000.
A summary of revised legal expenses for 2007 amounted to
$1.2 million in three categories: Title IV investigation, trial and legal
costs amounting to $300,000; legal assistance to dioceses in the amount of
$500,000; and corporate legal expenses equal to $362,611.
Executive Council also appropriated $100,000 in 2006
toward the House of Bishops Ad Hoc Task Force on Property Disputes. The task
force also received $25,000 from the Church Pension Fund. The task force had
not spent any of the funds as of November 2006, when the existence of the
task force funds was made public.
Diocese Acknowledges Breakaway Rector
Source:
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Date: July 17, 2007
Contact: Maria Plati, Communications Director
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of
Massachusetts, today announced that a priest of the diocese, the Rev.
William Murdoch, who has served as the rector of All Saints’ Episcopal
Church in West Newbury, Mass.,since 1993, is leaving the Episcopal Church to
serve as bishop suffragan of All Saints Cathedral, Diocese of Nairobi, in
the Anglican Province of Kenya. Murdoch was elected as such on June 29 and
is to be consecrated on Aug. 30 in Nairobi.Murdoch has served since 2004 as
New England dean of a network of congregations in disagreement with the
U.S.-based Episcopal Church, some seeking Anglican affiliations outside of
it. Murdoch will conduct his last worship service at All Saints’ Episcopal
Church in West Newbury on Aug. 19. He and All Saints’ vestry members have
been in consultation over a period of months with Bishop Shaw and the
diocese’s bishops suffragan, the Rt. Rev. Bud Cederholm and the Rt. Rev.
Gayle E. Harris, resulting in a cordial agreement under which the
congregation, should it decide to leave the Episcopal Church, will vacate
the Episcopal church property at 895 Main Street and its administration will
be assumed by the diocese
“My continuing heartfelt prayers are with Bill, his wife,
Sally, and their entire family, as well as with the members of All Saints’
who feel God calling them to this path in their faith journey,” Bishop Shaw
said. He noted that the discussions between the bishops and potentially
departing All Saints’ leadership have been characterized by an extraordinary
spirit of cooperation through which all have been well served. “This process
of discernment has been marked by mutual respect for one another as brothers
and sisters in Christ and for the different theological views that have
brought us to this pass, and it is in that same spirit that we now make our
way forward,” Bishop Shaw said.
No decision has been made about the status of the West
Newbury Episcopal church. Diocesan representatives will meet with
Episcopalians from the area in early September to discuss the continuing
Episcopal Church presence the Merrimack Valley, which is also home to
Episcopal parishes in Amesbury, Andover, helmsford, Groveland, Haverhill,
Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Newburyport, North Andover, North Billerica and
Westford. |
