Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori continued preparations for a vote to depose Bishop Robert Duncan at a special House of Bishops’ meeting before the Lambeth Conference this July. E-mail messages were sent April 8 to all members of the House of Bishops entitled to vote.
A disciplinary “Review Committee” of bishops found sufficient evidence to conclude that Bishop Duncan had abandoned communion , a charge he has formally denied. Bishop Duncan has never been inhibited, a canonical objection raised by John Lewis, a lawyer retained by Bishop Duncan.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, David Booth Beers, chancellor to the Presiding Bishop, recently sent an e-mail to about two dozen Pittsburgh Episcopalians explaining that Bishop Jefferts Schori was not “seeking approval to proceed; rather, she seeks the mind of the House as to when to proceed” with a vote to remove Bishop Duncan. Shortly after the March 12 conclusion of the House of Bishops’ spring retreat, Bishop Jefferts Schori called a Sept. 17-19 meeting in Salt Lake City.
Bishop Jefferts Schori also inhibited pending trial the Rt. Rev. Edward H. MacBurney, retired Bishop of Quincy, on April 2. Bishop MacBurney, 80, has been charged with performing confirmations last June at an Anglican parish within the geographic territory of the Diocese of San Diego that had previously affiliated with the Province of the Southern Cone.
The timing of the disciplinary notice deeply saddened the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy, who said he had pleaded with Bishop Jefferts Schori to delay the action for a short while out of pastoral consideration for the MacBurney family. Bishop MacBurney’s son, Page, has been in hospice care and died April 4.
“I am beside myself with grief over this unnecessary action taken against my predecessor especially at a time when he is mourning the death of his son this past Friday,” Bishop Ackerman said in a statement on the Forward in Faith website. Bishop Ackerman serves as the organization’s president.
“In the midst of this difficult time for Bishop MacBurney and his family, I am really much more concerned about the implications of St. Matthew 18:15-17 as it relates to how reconciliation is pursued than I am with Title IV, Canon 1, Section 6 as it relates to disciplining my dear brother,” Bishop Ackerman wrote.
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5 Comments
Can anyone explain what compassion is to the leaders of the so called TEC faith!
I notice they are compassionate to anyone who sins and has sex outside of marriage but to no one else...
My heart goes out to Bishop MacBurney and his family for the loss of his son.
KJS's actions are the worst example of what Religion has to offer. Jesus hated Religion....it's wrong (unbiblical) to use 'religion' in this manner. No where in the bible does it say...you can only 'confirm' people in a certain geographical area. The whole notion of geographical ownership is ridiculous. Jesus said, Go out and make disciples of men...in his obedience to Jesus, Bishop MacBurney did just that. Praise God.
I recently (4/05) heard KJS speake in La Jolla, CA at Good Samaritan Epsicopal Church....I was struck how worldly the whole event was...resounding applause for the speaker, no prayer introduction, no praise music, she spent 30 min. giving us detailed description of her climb up the ladder to Bishop...she used no bible scripture at all, and barely (1x)mentioned Jesus' name in passing. During the second half she artfully dodged sincere questions from the audience & managed to bash Catholics and elevate Islam in the same breath. She said..."Seeing Jesus as the only way to redemption puts God in a small box."....In closing she was presented with Baseball t-shirts as her parting gift... Please, (everyone), send that poor woman a bible!
Am I the only one out here who sees 815's actions re: recalcitrant bishops as old style Soviet purges? It seems to me that her reaction to dissent in the ranks is to purge the dissenters and full speed ahead despite the consequences from the rest of the Anglican Communion.
I've said it before, and it certainly is being proven true in recent month: Almost any trouble in the Church is bound to come from one of two sources -- the monasteries or bishops, almost never from humble parish priests.Why? Parish priests are too busy tending to their flocks and doing the Lord's work to have time to engage in "big picture" battles, whereas monks and bishops have more time to engage in such reflection.
I fear for TEC that it will adopt the stance of its Roman parent in refusing to say the "o word" (oops). When I was in Cincinnati in graduate school (The Athenaeum of Ohio -- an RC seminary), I would frequently tell my professors that Rome simply went begging for a good Reformation for centuries, and it finally got one. I suspect that the current crisis in TEC will prove to be its Reformation because of the exodus of congregations and entire dioceses. The only question, of course, is whether TEC will hear the message and engage in genuine metanoia. From where I sit, I have grave doubts. What I am seeing is an arrogance of power and a conscious decision to have one's own way despite the consequences, an admirable trait provided God is in fact on your side. The problem, of course, is that this side of Eternity, it's well nigh impossible to know for a fact that God is on your side. At the very best, one can say with Martin Luther "Here I stand; I can do no other."
I am in total agreement with Mark Slaw. Until today I have been a 6TH generation Episcopalian, until today. I am now a member of St. Timothy Anglican Church, Tomball Texas. Fathers Gerber & Heenan were deposed by Bishop Don Wimberly. "Bishop" KJS will be proud of Bishop Don for getting rid of these two "rebel rousers" They would only preach the gospel of Our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, just the way it has been done for over 2 thousand years. These men have boldly stood their ground and with heads held high they left TEC. They are Bible based and will not change!!! ... The Church of the Good Shepherd with Father Gerber leadinghas come to grow from Maybe 100 people on sundays (1996) to right at 400 each sunday this past year.My guess is that about 80% or more will follow him to rebuild a solid, Bible based church. I predict that Good Shepherd will become a mission in a short period of time and then sold. Way to go KJS!!! May GOD have mercy on your soul....Onward Christian Soldiers!!!!!
(Post edited by The Living Church staff)
AMEN BROTHER JIM, I agree with your assessment and hope that the same thing doesn't happen all over the country. I pray that our savior will lead TEC out of this dark time, but sometimes I just wish the house of bishops would depose KJS!! God help us all?