Episcopal head warns bishops withdrawing from US Church
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, has urged a conservative bishop not to lead congregations out of the denomination.
by Lillian Kwon, Christian Today US Correspondent
Posted: Friday, November 2, 2007, 9:30 (GMT)
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, has urged a conservative bishop not to lead congregations out of the denomination.
In a recent letter, the Episcopal leader warned Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan that if his course to withdraw the entire diocese from The Episcopal Church does not change, disciplinary action may be taken.
"I call upon you to recede from this direction and to lead your diocese on a new course that recognizss the interdependent and hierarchical relationship between the national Church and its dioceses and parishes," wrote the Episcopal head.
The Diocese of Pittsburgh voted last year to withdraw from the national church and seek alternative oversight, rejecting the authority of Jefferts Schori. Two years before she became The Episcopal Church’s first female head, Jefferts Schori had voted to confirm openly gay bishop V. Gene Robinson, whose consecration caused uproar in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church leader also supports ordaining openly gay bishops and allowing blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.
Duncan believes The Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of Anglicanism, has departed from traditional Anglicanism and from scriptural teaching and has little hope the church will get back in line with the wider Anglican family.
The Pittsburgh bishop heads the Anglican Communion Network – a conservative Anglican group – and is currently fortifying partnerships with other orthodox and breakaway Anglicans to form an ecclesiastical structure in North America separate from The Episcopal Church. The new structure would allow those discontent in the American church to stay faithful to the wider communion and to orthodox Christianity.
In her letter, Jefferts Schori said if Duncan's course out of the national church does not change, "I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church ... and whether you have committed canonical offences that warrant disciplinary action."
The Episcopal head made the letter public both as a warning but also as a way of "reaching out" to those bishops contemplating realignments for their dioceses, according to the Rev. Dr. Charles Robertson, Canon to the Presiding Bishop.
Parishes within the Diocese of Central Florida have entered a process of conversation on whether to cut ties with The Episcopal Church as well as negotiation.
"This is a very painful time for many of us," said Central Florida Bishop John W. Howe.
This weekend, the Diocese of Pittsburgh opens its annual convention wheere they are expected to decide on their future in The Episcopal Church.
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Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 19:21 (GMT)
It would appear to me that those of the conservative view are being quite childish. Thay are saying if you don't play my way I am going to take my toys and go somewhere else. This is very typical of concervative people. You must think as they do or you are wrong.
I can't believe that the church doesn't have much more important things to work on than if a person is gay or not. God made all people and we are ALL His children. There is not a person on this earth that has the right to decide who is acceptable in God's sight except God himself. We have homeless people, starving people, children and adults with no health insurance and what may I ask is the Episcopal Church doing about these things.
Our Priests have more money in there pension fund than they can possibly use or know what to do with. Why are they not letting go of some of that to help others in need. It was written in the scriptures that the Son of Man came to serve, not to be served and I feel that if our clergy were busy serving as Jesus served the world wqould be a much better place.
We need to ALL work together in Christ's name and stop the bickering over something that is so trivial. Please Bishops get your hearts and minds on what so ever things are holy and love your fellow christians, work together and stop tearing us apart!!!!!
Dr. Robert Hallenbeck, Johnstown, NY USA
Added: Monday, November 5, 2007, 0:22 (GMT)
It appears to me that Schori won't submit to the authority of the greater Anglican Church and sound Scriptural doctrine or come back under that authority...and yet she expects those who do believe in the sanctity of the Scripture and want to adhere to it, to themselves submit to her authority. I would suggest that according to the Scriptural requirements of dealing with sin in the church be implemented immediately. Schori and the apostate Episcopal churches of America have been warned of their sin privately, they've been warned publicly, now they need to be expelled from the Anglican Communion and a new leadership needs to be established. The precedent must be set or the Anglican Church will lose any of what little credibility is left. The greatest area of concern for the Anglican Church worldwide at this point is whether they have a leadership with enough Biblical backbone to take the step.
Mandy, Brisbane Australia
Added: Friday, November 2, 2007, 16:40 (GMT)
The so-called "teachings" of Katharine Schori and the direction in which she wishes the Anglican Church to move leave Bishop Duncan with no choice but to seek to take his Diocese out of the American Episcopal Church. Katharine Schori is fast becomming a focus for systemic disunity among US Episcopalians.May God have mercy on her.
Anthony Walker, Durham, England
Added: Friday, November 2, 2007, 14:50 (GMT)
The letter from the leader of the Episcopal Church in America sounds like: I am in charge, follow me - ignore the scripture and do what I say.
A true leader of the church should be able to say as the apostle Paul said "Imitate me as I imitate Christ". Those committing sexual sin are to be dismissed from the fellowship if they refuse to repent and amend their ways.
Peter Waring, Rushden, England
Added: Friday, November 2, 2007, 12:26 (GMT)
the church of canada should be ejected from the christian community and should not be allowed to patisepate in any christian gadering, for commiting such an abominable act they should be penalized
SOLOMON, onitsha/nigeria
