http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=18571
WASHINGTON D.C., February 5 (CNA) - The first openly homosexual Episcopal bishop, V. Gene Robinson, has claimed that the Bible does not address the ethics of “monogamous, lifelong” homosexual relationships. He suggested that the people of St. Paul’s times did not realize that some people were “affectionally oriented” to their own sex.
On Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., CNSNews.com spoke to Bishop Robinson about St. Paul’s condemnation in the Book of Romans of “unnatural” relations and “indecent acts” between members of the same sex. CNSNews.com asked if St. Paul was right to say homosexual acts were against nature.
The bishop said Scripture needed to be understood “in its own context.”
“We have to understand that the notion of a homosexual sexual orientation is a notion that’s only about 125 years old,” he added.
“That is to say, St. Paul was talking about people that he understood to be heterosexual engaging in same-sex acts," said Bishop Robinson.
The concept “heterosexual” also only dates to the nineteenth century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
"It never occurred to anyone in ancient times that a certain minority of us would be born being affectionally oriented to people of the same sex,” the bishop told CNSNews.com “So it did seem like against their nature to be doing so.”
He also claimed that St. Paul was condemning the practice of his times, in which older men sexually used younger boys.
“So the real question when you look at Scripture is, ‘What did it mean to the person who wrote it?’” said Bishop Robinson. “‘What did it mean for the audience to whom it was written?’ And only then can we ask, ‘Is it eternally binding?’ And in this case, I would say, the things that St. Paul was against, I’m against, too.”
He said the question today should be the rightfulness of “faithful, monogamous, lifelong-intentioned relationships between people of the same sex.’”
According to the Episcopal bishop, the Bible “simply does not address that.”
Robinson, who was married and has two daughters, divorced his wife and is now involved in a homosexual relationship. His ordination heightened conflict between the Episcopal Church and the global Anglican Communion of which it is a part.
Bishop Robinson delivered the invocation at the presidential inaugural’s opening ceremonies at the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18, 2009.
The bishop’s interpretation of Scripture is shared by some homosexual activists but not adhered to by most Christians. Homosexual tendencies are described as “objectively disordered” by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, while homosexual acts are “contrary to the natural law” and can “under no circumstances” be approved.
Biblical scholar and Anglican Bishop of Durham N.T. Wright has also criticized some Episcopalians’ theology for treating chastity as “optional.”
“Jewish, Christian and Muslim teachers have always insisted that lifelong man-plus-woman marriage is the proper context for sexual intercourse,” he explained in the London Times.
“This is not (as is frequently suggested) an arbitrary rule, dualistic in overtone and killjoy in intention. It is a deep structural reflection of the belief in a creator God who has entered into covenant both with his creation and with his people.”
This understanding is “the uniform teaching of the whole Bible, of Jesus himself, and of the entire Christian tradition,” he wrote.
Showing posts with label TEc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TEc. Show all posts
Friday, February 05, 2010
Monday, December 07, 2009
A good example of why all Anglicans should swim the Tiber
I believe Rowan Williams may be a good man, but being a good bishop requires more. A backbone would be a start.
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Archbishop of Canterbury warns on election of U.S. lesbian bishop
New York (ENI). The election of an openly lesbian priest, who lives with her partner, as a bishop in the U.S. Episcopal (Anglican) Church is likely to cause further problems in the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has said. "The election of Mary Glasspool by the diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan [assistant] bishop-elect raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole," said Williams, the leader of the 77-million Anglican Communion, in a 6 December statement. [419 words, ENI-09-0956]
------------------
Archbishop of Canterbury warns on election of U.S. lesbian bishop
New York (ENI). The election of an openly lesbian priest, who lives with her partner, as a bishop in the U.S. Episcopal (Anglican) Church is likely to cause further problems in the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has said. "The election of Mary Glasspool by the diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan [assistant] bishop-elect raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole," said Williams, the leader of the 77-million Anglican Communion, in a 6 December statement. [419 words, ENI-09-0956]
Monday, August 31, 2009
10 Episcopal Nuns to Join Catholic Church
Affirm Appreciation of Orthodoxy, Unity
BALTIMORE, Maryland, AUG. 31, 2009 (Zenit.org).- On Thursday, a community of Episcopal nuns and their chaplain will be received into the Catholic Church by the archbishop of Baltimore.
Ten sisters from the Society of All Saints' Sisters of the Poor will be received into the Church by Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, along with Episcopal Father Warren Tange, the Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper reported last Thursday.
Having spent seven years in prayer and discernment, the sisters felt drawn to the Catholic faith due to its orthodoxy and unity.
The superior of the community in Catonsville, Mother Christina Christie, affirmed that after studying Catholic teaching for two years, the sisters are "very excited" for their upcoming reception.
In their convent chapel, the nuns will receive the sacrament of confirmation, and will renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Their chaplain will also enter the Church at that time, though he is still discerning the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest.
Mother Christina affirmed, "We felt God was leading us in this direction for a long time."
The communiqué noted that many of them were troubled by recent changes in the Episcopal church, including the approval of women's ordination, the ordination of a gay bishop and other "lax" stances on moral issues.
Another nun, Sister Mary Joan Walker, said, "We kept thinking we could help by being a witness for orthodoxy."
The superior explained, however, that the effort was "not as helpful as we had hoped it would be."
She continued: "People who did not know us looked at us as if we were in agreement with what had been going on [in the Episcopal church]; by staying put and not doing anything, we were sending a message which was not correct."
They acknowledged that some friends in the Episcopal church have been hurt by their decision to leave, accusing them of abandoning the fight to maintain orthodoxy.
"We're not," said Sister Emily Ann Lindsey. "We're doing it in another realm right now."
Papal leadership
In the uneasiness with certain issues in their church, the sisters spent time researching various Episcopal splinter groups, as well as other Christian denominations. Finally, they came to the realization that they were independently feeling drawn to the Catholic Church.
"This is very much the work of the Holy Spirit," Mother Christina said.
Now, two years after having begun the study of the Second Vatican Council and other Church teachings, they affirmed that there were hardly any theological obstacles to overcome.
The concept of papal infallibility was a difficulty at first for some, but now the sisters affirm that the Pope exercises an authority not found in the Episcopal church.
"The unity that Christ called for can be found in the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope," they said
"Unity is right in the midst of all this," said Sister Catherine Grace Bowen. "That is the main thrust."
Two nuns who decided not to become Catholic will nonetheless continue to live with the community and work together with their religious sisters.
The nuns dedicate themselves to prayer, giving retreats, visiting people in hospice care, and designing religious cards.
The community, which maintains a traditional full black habit with a white wimple, is a branch of the society founded in England. The American branch has been in Baltimore since 1872, working with the poor in the region as part of their charism of hospitality.
BALTIMORE, Maryland, AUG. 31, 2009 (Zenit.org).- On Thursday, a community of Episcopal nuns and their chaplain will be received into the Catholic Church by the archbishop of Baltimore.
Ten sisters from the Society of All Saints' Sisters of the Poor will be received into the Church by Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, along with Episcopal Father Warren Tange, the Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper reported last Thursday.
Having spent seven years in prayer and discernment, the sisters felt drawn to the Catholic faith due to its orthodoxy and unity.
The superior of the community in Catonsville, Mother Christina Christie, affirmed that after studying Catholic teaching for two years, the sisters are "very excited" for their upcoming reception.
In their convent chapel, the nuns will receive the sacrament of confirmation, and will renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Their chaplain will also enter the Church at that time, though he is still discerning the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest.
Mother Christina affirmed, "We felt God was leading us in this direction for a long time."
The communiqué noted that many of them were troubled by recent changes in the Episcopal church, including the approval of women's ordination, the ordination of a gay bishop and other "lax" stances on moral issues.
Another nun, Sister Mary Joan Walker, said, "We kept thinking we could help by being a witness for orthodoxy."
The superior explained, however, that the effort was "not as helpful as we had hoped it would be."
She continued: "People who did not know us looked at us as if we were in agreement with what had been going on [in the Episcopal church]; by staying put and not doing anything, we were sending a message which was not correct."
They acknowledged that some friends in the Episcopal church have been hurt by their decision to leave, accusing them of abandoning the fight to maintain orthodoxy.
"We're not," said Sister Emily Ann Lindsey. "We're doing it in another realm right now."
Papal leadership
In the uneasiness with certain issues in their church, the sisters spent time researching various Episcopal splinter groups, as well as other Christian denominations. Finally, they came to the realization that they were independently feeling drawn to the Catholic Church.
"This is very much the work of the Holy Spirit," Mother Christina said.
Now, two years after having begun the study of the Second Vatican Council and other Church teachings, they affirmed that there were hardly any theological obstacles to overcome.
The concept of papal infallibility was a difficulty at first for some, but now the sisters affirm that the Pope exercises an authority not found in the Episcopal church.
"The unity that Christ called for can be found in the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope," they said
"Unity is right in the midst of all this," said Sister Catherine Grace Bowen. "That is the main thrust."
Two nuns who decided not to become Catholic will nonetheless continue to live with the community and work together with their religious sisters.
The nuns dedicate themselves to prayer, giving retreats, visiting people in hospice care, and designing religious cards.
The community, which maintains a traditional full black habit with a white wimple, is a branch of the society founded in England. The American branch has been in Baltimore since 1872, working with the poor in the region as part of their charism of hospitality.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Virginia Anglican Churches Praise Fairfax Judge Ruling on Contracts Clause
FAIRFAX, Va. (August 19, 2008) – The 11 Virginia Anglican congregations sued by The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Diocese of Virginia responded to the Fairfax County Circuit Court ruling issued today concerning the Contracts Clause and the assertion by TEC and the Diocese that the 11 Anglican congregations waived their right to invoke the Virginia Division Statute.
Judge Randy Bellows ruled that TEC and the Diocese failed to timely assert their claim that the 11 Anglican congregations contracted around or waived their right to invoke the Division Statute. In addition, the judged ruled that the Division Statute does not violate the contracts clause provisions of the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions as applied to these properties. The rulings can be found at www.anglicandistrictofvirginia.org. Today’s rulings mean that there are only a small number of issues remaining to be decided at the October trial, and the 11 Anglican congregations are hopeful that they can be resolved quickly.
“We are pleased that Judge Bellows ruled in our favor on these questions. He ruled very clearly that our congregations are able to rely on the Virginia Division Statute in order to keep our church property. We have maintained all along that our churches’ own trustees hold title for the benefit of their congregations. TEC and the Diocese have never owned any of the properties and their names do not appear on deeds to the property. The Virginia Supreme Court has consistently stated that Virginia does not recognize denominational trusts of the sort asserted by TEC and the Diocese,” said Jim Oakes, vice-chairman of the Anglican District of Virginia. All 11 churches are members of ADV.
“Given today’s ruling, we hope and pray that TEC and the Diocese would put away this needless litigation. We have consistently remained open to exploring avenues for amicable discussions, and have been grieved that TEC has chosen to continue to pursue a path of confrontation rather than civil dialogue. This litigation has done nothing to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ,” Oakes continued.
To comply with the requirements of the Virginia Division Statute, Virginia Code § 57-9, which recognizes the right of a congregation to keep its property when a majority votes to separate from a divided denomination, the voting churches reported to their local circuit courts their votes to disaffiliate from The Episcopal Church and the Diocese and to affiliate with CANA through membership in ADV. In most of these churches, 90% or more of the members voted to leave the denomination due to the clear division within The Episcopal Church, which the Fairfax County Circuit Court confirmed.
The Episcopal Church and the Diocese abruptly broke off settlement negotiations in January 2007 and filed lawsuits against the Virginia churches, their ministers and their vestries. The decision of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese to redefine and reinterpret Scripture caused the 11 Anglican churches to sever their ties.
The Anglican District of Virginia is an association of Anglican congregations in Virginia. Its members are in full communion with constituent members of the Anglican Communion through its affiliation with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a missionary branch of the Church of Nigeria and other Anglican Archbishops. ADV members are a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a community of 77 million people. ADV is dedicated to fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples while actively serving in three main capacities: International Ministries, Evangelism, and Strengthening Families and Community. ADV is currently comprised of 21 member congregation.
http://www.anglicandistrictofvirginia.org/
Judge Randy Bellows ruled that TEC and the Diocese failed to timely assert their claim that the 11 Anglican congregations contracted around or waived their right to invoke the Division Statute. In addition, the judged ruled that the Division Statute does not violate the contracts clause provisions of the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions as applied to these properties. The rulings can be found at www.anglicandistrictofvirginia.org. Today’s rulings mean that there are only a small number of issues remaining to be decided at the October trial, and the 11 Anglican congregations are hopeful that they can be resolved quickly.
“We are pleased that Judge Bellows ruled in our favor on these questions. He ruled very clearly that our congregations are able to rely on the Virginia Division Statute in order to keep our church property. We have maintained all along that our churches’ own trustees hold title for the benefit of their congregations. TEC and the Diocese have never owned any of the properties and their names do not appear on deeds to the property. The Virginia Supreme Court has consistently stated that Virginia does not recognize denominational trusts of the sort asserted by TEC and the Diocese,” said Jim Oakes, vice-chairman of the Anglican District of Virginia. All 11 churches are members of ADV.
“Given today’s ruling, we hope and pray that TEC and the Diocese would put away this needless litigation. We have consistently remained open to exploring avenues for amicable discussions, and have been grieved that TEC has chosen to continue to pursue a path of confrontation rather than civil dialogue. This litigation has done nothing to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ,” Oakes continued.
To comply with the requirements of the Virginia Division Statute, Virginia Code § 57-9, which recognizes the right of a congregation to keep its property when a majority votes to separate from a divided denomination, the voting churches reported to their local circuit courts their votes to disaffiliate from The Episcopal Church and the Diocese and to affiliate with CANA through membership in ADV. In most of these churches, 90% or more of the members voted to leave the denomination due to the clear division within The Episcopal Church, which the Fairfax County Circuit Court confirmed.
The Episcopal Church and the Diocese abruptly broke off settlement negotiations in January 2007 and filed lawsuits against the Virginia churches, their ministers and their vestries. The decision of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese to redefine and reinterpret Scripture caused the 11 Anglican churches to sever their ties.
The Anglican District of Virginia is an association of Anglican congregations in Virginia. Its members are in full communion with constituent members of the Anglican Communion through its affiliation with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a missionary branch of the Church of Nigeria and other Anglican Archbishops. ADV members are a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a community of 77 million people. ADV is dedicated to fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples while actively serving in three main capacities: International Ministries, Evangelism, and Strengthening Families and Community. ADV is currently comprised of 21 member congregation.
http://www.anglicandistrictofvirginia.org/
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Conservatives to split -- but only from Episcopal Church
Sunday, 29th June 2008. 6:36am
By: George Conger.
Jerusalem: Conservatives will declare a split from the Episcopal Church but will stop short of schism with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“There will be permanent division, one way or the other,” Dr. Peter Jensen (pictured), the archbishop of Sydney told the media, as the decision by the Episcopal Church to consecrate a practicing homosexual as a bishop in 2003 was “an extraordinary strategic blunder” that had divided the church.
However, the Anglican Communion will continue, the Primate of the Southern Cone, Bishop Gregory Venables of Argentina said. “This is not a shutting of doors. We are not walking away,” he said, but were forming a movement that would reform and renew the Anglican Churches.
An “awful lot of people are waiting for a bit of light,” he said, and Gafcon will provide that light. The church was ripe for the message of Gafcon as “there is still an intact fellowship of believing Christians” who will be drawn to this confessing movement, Bishop Venables said.
In a statement to be released on June 29 at the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) in Jerusalem conservatives representing the majority of members of the Anglican Communion are expected to form a confessing movement, akin to a “church within a church” that breaks with the liberal bishops of the US and Canada who have authorized the blessing of same-sex unions and backed the consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire.
Final touches to the communiqué were being applied on June 28 by the drafting committee, chaired by the Archbishop of Kenya Benjamin Nzimbi, including a clarification of relations with the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The crisis could have been avoided, the Gafcon leaders argued, had the Episcopal Church not turned its back on “dialogue” with the rest of the Communion, and gone its own way. “If only they would have come and talked to us and listen to us,” this could have been avoided, Bishop Venables said.
He announced that he would attend next month’s Lambeth Conference as “I personally believe there is room to manoeuvre” and work through the crisis of doctrine and discipline that has divided the Anglican Communion. He would go to Lambeth to “listen, to share with others” and keep the dialogue alive.
Dr. Jensen noted that if the Episcopal Church “did not believe that there would be consequences” for consecrating a “gay” priest as Bishop of New Hampshire, “that was an arrogant thing,” as its “consequences have been unfolding over the last five years, now their church is divided.”
He added that “all around the world the sleeping giant that is evangelical Anglicanism and orthodox Anglicanism has been aroused” and will break with the liberal wings of the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada.
Dr. Jensen, one of the conference organizers, said that he expected there would be “long term consequences flowing from the conference” that will see “concrete results” that will change the Anglican Communion.
Past meetings of archbishops and bishops had proved fruitless in resolving the disputes, Bishop Venables said. “We got frustrated. We talked and talked, but where did we go?”
The Sydney archbishop, leader of the largest group of Anglicans in Australia, said that he had been unsure at the start of the conference whether it would succeed. Gafcon resembled a “ramshackle aeroplane, and I was never sure it was going to land.” However, it had turned out to be one of the most “extraordinary spiritual experiences I have ever had.”
The Gafcon meeting of over 1,200 Anglican bishops, clergy and lay leaders at the Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem from churches that make up the majority of the 80-million member Anglican will announce new structures for conservative churches in the US and Canada.
It will also put forward a declaration of common doctrinal principles and lay out plans for a new Book of Common Prayer and catechism based upon the historic Church of England 1662 prayer book, as well as pursue a common way of reading and interpreting the Bible, Nigerian Bishop John Akao said.
By: George Conger.
Jerusalem: Conservatives will declare a split from the Episcopal Church but will stop short of schism with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“There will be permanent division, one way or the other,” Dr. Peter Jensen (pictured), the archbishop of Sydney told the media, as the decision by the Episcopal Church to consecrate a practicing homosexual as a bishop in 2003 was “an extraordinary strategic blunder” that had divided the church.
However, the Anglican Communion will continue, the Primate of the Southern Cone, Bishop Gregory Venables of Argentina said. “This is not a shutting of doors. We are not walking away,” he said, but were forming a movement that would reform and renew the Anglican Churches.
An “awful lot of people are waiting for a bit of light,” he said, and Gafcon will provide that light. The church was ripe for the message of Gafcon as “there is still an intact fellowship of believing Christians” who will be drawn to this confessing movement, Bishop Venables said.
In a statement to be released on June 29 at the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) in Jerusalem conservatives representing the majority of members of the Anglican Communion are expected to form a confessing movement, akin to a “church within a church” that breaks with the liberal bishops of the US and Canada who have authorized the blessing of same-sex unions and backed the consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire.
Final touches to the communiqué were being applied on June 28 by the drafting committee, chaired by the Archbishop of Kenya Benjamin Nzimbi, including a clarification of relations with the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The crisis could have been avoided, the Gafcon leaders argued, had the Episcopal Church not turned its back on “dialogue” with the rest of the Communion, and gone its own way. “If only they would have come and talked to us and listen to us,” this could have been avoided, Bishop Venables said.
He announced that he would attend next month’s Lambeth Conference as “I personally believe there is room to manoeuvre” and work through the crisis of doctrine and discipline that has divided the Anglican Communion. He would go to Lambeth to “listen, to share with others” and keep the dialogue alive.
Dr. Jensen noted that if the Episcopal Church “did not believe that there would be consequences” for consecrating a “gay” priest as Bishop of New Hampshire, “that was an arrogant thing,” as its “consequences have been unfolding over the last five years, now their church is divided.”
He added that “all around the world the sleeping giant that is evangelical Anglicanism and orthodox Anglicanism has been aroused” and will break with the liberal wings of the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada.
Dr. Jensen, one of the conference organizers, said that he expected there would be “long term consequences flowing from the conference” that will see “concrete results” that will change the Anglican Communion.
Past meetings of archbishops and bishops had proved fruitless in resolving the disputes, Bishop Venables said. “We got frustrated. We talked and talked, but where did we go?”
The Sydney archbishop, leader of the largest group of Anglicans in Australia, said that he had been unsure at the start of the conference whether it would succeed. Gafcon resembled a “ramshackle aeroplane, and I was never sure it was going to land.” However, it had turned out to be one of the most “extraordinary spiritual experiences I have ever had.”
The Gafcon meeting of over 1,200 Anglican bishops, clergy and lay leaders at the Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem from churches that make up the majority of the 80-million member Anglican will announce new structures for conservative churches in the US and Canada.
It will also put forward a declaration of common doctrinal principles and lay out plans for a new Book of Common Prayer and catechism based upon the historic Church of England 1662 prayer book, as well as pursue a common way of reading and interpreting the Bible, Nigerian Bishop John Akao said.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Virginia judge affirms parish property rights
A Virginia circuit judge has handed a crucial victory to a group of 11 former Episcopal churches that left the Diocese of Virginia 18 months ago over issues of theology and the 2003 consecration of the denomination's first openly gay bishop.
In a 49-page ruling issued Friday morning, Judge Randy I. Bellows said a Civil War-era statute allowing the churches to split and keep their property is constitutional.
"Simply put, [the division statute] was constitutional in 1867 when it became the law of the commonwealth of Virginia and it remains constitutional in 2008," the judge wrote.
There is no violation of the U.S. Constitution either, he added, including the First Amendment guarantees against the establishment of religion and against prohibiting the free exercise of religion.
The statute is key to the case being made by the churches, which have said they are entitled to keep millions of dollars in land and assets because their denomination has undergone an irreparable "division."
The Episcopal Church and the diocese have sued, saying the statute does not apply in this case and that it is unconstitutional. The lawsuit, which is the largest church property case in the history of the Episcopal Church, is being closely watched across the country.
On April 3, Judge Bellows said the statute applied to the case - a ruling considered a victory for the conservatives.
During a May 28 hearing in Fairfax Circuit Court, the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia said the division statute is unconstitutional because it discriminates against hierarchical denominations by imposing democratic government on them - enabling a congregation to leave the church with its property upon a majority vote of that congregation.
The judge disagreed, saying the law doesn't single out the Episcopal Church or other churches with bishops such as Lutherans and Methodists.
Rather, he said, it was passed in light of splits within multiple denominations in the 19th century in the hopes of peacefully resolving property disputes. He added that it does not deal with the "thicket" of church doctrine.
"The Episcopal Church and the diocese's various arguments against the constitutionality of [the division statute] fail," Judge Bellows wrote. "Although the Episcopal Church and the diocese assert the court has entered into the forbidden religious thicket ... this court finds their arguments unpersuasive."
He also faulted the diocese for leaving itself vulnerable by having church property in the 90,000-member diocese held, not by the bishop, but by the members of the congregation as trustees. The denomination argued in court that re-titling some 195 congregations in the nation's largest Episcopal diocese constituted a "burden."
Several other hierarchical churches in Virginia keep their properties in their own name, the judge said, citing the Roman Catholic, Mormon, Greek Orthodox and Foursquare Gospel churches.
"The Episcopal Church and the diocese could have, at any time within the past 140 years since [the division statute] was originally passed, re-titled their properties in the name of a bishop or other ecclesiastical officer," he wrote. "If they had done so, they could have permanently avoided any potential application of [the division statute]."
The diocese issued a statement calling the ruling "regrettable" and potentially damaging to other hierarchical churches around the state.
"We continue to believe that this division statute is clearly at odds with and uniquely hostile to religious freedom, the First Amendment and prior U.S. and Virginia Supreme Court rulings," it said.
"The diocese remains steadfast in its commitment to current and future generations of loyal Episcopalians and will continue to pursue every legal option available to ensure that they will be able to worship in the churches their Episcopal ancestors built."
Jim Oakes, vice chairman for the Anglican District of Virginia, the corporation to which the 11 churches belong, pronounced itself "pleased" with the ruling.
"After meticulous examination, the judge ruled to uphold the constitutionality of the Virginia division statute against all of the Free Exercise, Establishment, Equal Protection, and Takings Clause challenges raised by the Episcopal Church (TEC) and Diocese of Virginia," he said.
The diocese, the Episcopal Church and the 11 churches now under the aegis of the Anglican District of Virginia, will next meet in Judge Bellows' court in October for the third phase of the lawsuit, which determines ownership of the property.
In a 49-page ruling issued Friday morning, Judge Randy I. Bellows said a Civil War-era statute allowing the churches to split and keep their property is constitutional.
"Simply put, [the division statute] was constitutional in 1867 when it became the law of the commonwealth of Virginia and it remains constitutional in 2008," the judge wrote.
There is no violation of the U.S. Constitution either, he added, including the First Amendment guarantees against the establishment of religion and against prohibiting the free exercise of religion.
The statute is key to the case being made by the churches, which have said they are entitled to keep millions of dollars in land and assets because their denomination has undergone an irreparable "division."
The Episcopal Church and the diocese have sued, saying the statute does not apply in this case and that it is unconstitutional. The lawsuit, which is the largest church property case in the history of the Episcopal Church, is being closely watched across the country.
On April 3, Judge Bellows said the statute applied to the case - a ruling considered a victory for the conservatives.
During a May 28 hearing in Fairfax Circuit Court, the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia said the division statute is unconstitutional because it discriminates against hierarchical denominations by imposing democratic government on them - enabling a congregation to leave the church with its property upon a majority vote of that congregation.
The judge disagreed, saying the law doesn't single out the Episcopal Church or other churches with bishops such as Lutherans and Methodists.
Rather, he said, it was passed in light of splits within multiple denominations in the 19th century in the hopes of peacefully resolving property disputes. He added that it does not deal with the "thicket" of church doctrine.
"The Episcopal Church and the diocese's various arguments against the constitutionality of [the division statute] fail," Judge Bellows wrote. "Although the Episcopal Church and the diocese assert the court has entered into the forbidden religious thicket ... this court finds their arguments unpersuasive."
He also faulted the diocese for leaving itself vulnerable by having church property in the 90,000-member diocese held, not by the bishop, but by the members of the congregation as trustees. The denomination argued in court that re-titling some 195 congregations in the nation's largest Episcopal diocese constituted a "burden."
Several other hierarchical churches in Virginia keep their properties in their own name, the judge said, citing the Roman Catholic, Mormon, Greek Orthodox and Foursquare Gospel churches.
"The Episcopal Church and the diocese could have, at any time within the past 140 years since [the division statute] was originally passed, re-titled their properties in the name of a bishop or other ecclesiastical officer," he wrote. "If they had done so, they could have permanently avoided any potential application of [the division statute]."
The diocese issued a statement calling the ruling "regrettable" and potentially damaging to other hierarchical churches around the state.
"We continue to believe that this division statute is clearly at odds with and uniquely hostile to religious freedom, the First Amendment and prior U.S. and Virginia Supreme Court rulings," it said.
"The diocese remains steadfast in its commitment to current and future generations of loyal Episcopalians and will continue to pursue every legal option available to ensure that they will be able to worship in the churches their Episcopal ancestors built."
Jim Oakes, vice chairman for the Anglican District of Virginia, the corporation to which the 11 churches belong, pronounced itself "pleased" with the ruling.
"After meticulous examination, the judge ruled to uphold the constitutionality of the Virginia division statute against all of the Free Exercise, Establishment, Equal Protection, and Takings Clause challenges raised by the Episcopal Church (TEC) and Diocese of Virginia," he said.
The diocese, the Episcopal Church and the 11 churches now under the aegis of the Anglican District of Virginia, will next meet in Judge Bellows' court in October for the third phase of the lawsuit, which determines ownership of the property.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Looks like all is well in (VERY LIBERAL) Upper South Carolina
AN OPEN LETTER TO PARISHIONERS OF TRINITY EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL
From Bam Gressette, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Vestry
The Finance Committee has undergone the most difficult budgeting process in which I have ever participated over 2 vestry terms and 6 years on the Finance Committee. After reviewing the pledge payments from 2007 and the 2008 annual pledges, the Finance Committee proposed and the vestry approved a significant across-the-board budget cut versus the initial 2008 spending plan.
The cuts are primarily the result of two factors:
1.) The total of 2007 pledges that have not been paid is more than $100,000. (Use actual)
2.) We have not received pledges for 2008 from over 100 pledging units that pledged last year.
Because we have received significantly less income than was pledged last year, and we have not received the usual number of pledges for 2008, the Finance Committee had no choice but to make some serious cuts in the budget. If you have an outstanding balance on your 2007 pledge, please make every effort to complete your pledge as soon as possible, preferably by May 30th. Statements reflecting 2007 balances were recently mailed to those with an outstanding balance. Even if you cannot fully complete the pledge immediately, please let us know if we can count on receiving the balance over the course of 2008.
Many of us find it uncomfortable to discuss money in a church setting, and ideally we should not have to. I generally feel this way. However, the reality is that if we want to have first class programs, worship, facilities, music, mission, clergy, etc., it takes money. Just like every family has to pay its bills, the church has to pay utilities, insurance, salaries, and so forth. To take our experience at Trinity to an even higher level (such as enhancing our outstanding and growing youth programs), it will take even more money. We need your pledge.
It also means paying what you pledge on a timely basis, and sending your pledge card in PROMPTLY so the Finance Committee knows the approximate amount of funds from which we can budget. We would love to be able to expand the programs and mission work, but to do that, we need prompt pledges and payments. Many parishioners wait until yearend to make the bulk of their pledge, which further strains the budget. However, if you are able to pay throughout the year, doing so would significantly help the Cathedral’s cash flow which could further enhance the overall programming for the church. We are grateful to those of you that pledge and pay promptly, and we are equally grateful that so many have already made pledges to the Restoration Project.
While this letter does not apply to most parishioners, I feel that it is necessary to let everyone know our current financial situation and the cumulative effect everyone’s pledge and the payment thereof has on our church. The Finance Committee thanks you for your support.
Respectfully Submitted,
L. M. Gressette III
Chairman, Finance Committee
From Bam Gressette, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Vestry
The Finance Committee has undergone the most difficult budgeting process in which I have ever participated over 2 vestry terms and 6 years on the Finance Committee. After reviewing the pledge payments from 2007 and the 2008 annual pledges, the Finance Committee proposed and the vestry approved a significant across-the-board budget cut versus the initial 2008 spending plan.
The cuts are primarily the result of two factors:
1.) The total of 2007 pledges that have not been paid is more than $100,000. (Use actual)
2.) We have not received pledges for 2008 from over 100 pledging units that pledged last year.
Because we have received significantly less income than was pledged last year, and we have not received the usual number of pledges for 2008, the Finance Committee had no choice but to make some serious cuts in the budget. If you have an outstanding balance on your 2007 pledge, please make every effort to complete your pledge as soon as possible, preferably by May 30th. Statements reflecting 2007 balances were recently mailed to those with an outstanding balance. Even if you cannot fully complete the pledge immediately, please let us know if we can count on receiving the balance over the course of 2008.
Many of us find it uncomfortable to discuss money in a church setting, and ideally we should not have to. I generally feel this way. However, the reality is that if we want to have first class programs, worship, facilities, music, mission, clergy, etc., it takes money. Just like every family has to pay its bills, the church has to pay utilities, insurance, salaries, and so forth. To take our experience at Trinity to an even higher level (such as enhancing our outstanding and growing youth programs), it will take even more money. We need your pledge.
It also means paying what you pledge on a timely basis, and sending your pledge card in PROMPTLY so the Finance Committee knows the approximate amount of funds from which we can budget. We would love to be able to expand the programs and mission work, but to do that, we need prompt pledges and payments. Many parishioners wait until yearend to make the bulk of their pledge, which further strains the budget. However, if you are able to pay throughout the year, doing so would significantly help the Cathedral’s cash flow which could further enhance the overall programming for the church. We are grateful to those of you that pledge and pay promptly, and we are equally grateful that so many have already made pledges to the Restoration Project.
While this letter does not apply to most parishioners, I feel that it is necessary to let everyone know our current financial situation and the cumulative effect everyone’s pledge and the payment thereof has on our church. The Finance Committee thanks you for your support.
Respectfully Submitted,
L. M. Gressette III
Chairman, Finance Committee
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Bishop MacBurney - FiF UK reacts
FiF UK • Apr 8, 2008
The purported inhibition of Bishop Edward MacBurney by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church is nothing less than contemptible, confirming our view that a ‘graceless and totalitarian’ mindset now holds sway in the upper echelons of TEC.
Edward MacBurney is a Bishop in the Church of God whom we are proud to salute. We assure him and his wife of our prayers and our heartfelt condolences in their great loss.
The purported inhibition of Bishop Edward MacBurney by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church is nothing less than contemptible, confirming our view that a ‘graceless and totalitarian’ mindset now holds sway in the upper echelons of TEC.
Edward MacBurney is a Bishop in the Church of God whom we are proud to salute. We assure him and his wife of our prayers and our heartfelt condolences in their great loss.
Bishop of Quincy reacts to MacBurney inhibition
FiF North America
Apr 8, 2008
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. I am particularly saddened that with the exception of the Bishop who initiated this action those involved in determining this course have never spoken with Bishop MacBurney directly.
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.
In the meantime we are ministering to the needs of the MacBurney family.
Keith L Ackerman, SSC
Bishop of Quincy
President, Forward in Faith North America
Apr 8, 2008
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. I am particularly saddened that with the exception of the Bishop who initiated this action those involved in determining this course have never spoken with Bishop MacBurney directly.
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.
In the meantime we are ministering to the needs of the MacBurney family.
Keith L Ackerman, SSC
Bishop of Quincy
President, Forward in Faith North America
Letter of Inhibition against The Right Revd Edward H MacBurney
FiF North America • Apr 8, 2008
The Chairman of Forward in Faith North America writes:
It is with deep regret that I must inform you of this action that has been taken against Bishop Edward MacBurney.
Bishop MacBurney's son, Page, died two days after this letter was signed.
We received the letter in the mail today, and I had to read it to Bishop MacBurney over the phone since he had not yet received it.
More to follow.
Bishop Keith L Ackerman SSC
Bishop of Quincy
The Chairman of Forward in Faith North America writes:
It is with deep regret that I must inform you of this action that has been taken against Bishop Edward MacBurney.
Bishop MacBurney's son, Page, died two days after this letter was signed.
We received the letter in the mail today, and I had to read it to Bishop MacBurney over the phone since he had not yet received it.
More to follow.
Bishop Keith L Ackerman SSC
Bishop of Quincy
Thursday, April 03, 2008
BREAKING: Virginia Judge Rules in Favor of Parishes
Stand Firm • 3 April 2008
"The Court agrees that it was major divisions such as those within the Methodist and Presbyterian churches that prompted the passage of 57-9. However, it blinks at reality to characterize the ongoing division within the Diocese, ECUSA, and the Anglican Communion as anything but a division of the first magnitude..."
"The Court agrees that it was major divisions such as those within the Methodist and Presbyterian churches that prompted the passage of 57-9. However, it blinks at reality to characterize the ongoing division within the Diocese, ECUSA, and the Anglican Communion as anything but a division of the first magnitude..."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Standing Committee of Northwest Texas Reports on Bishop Search Process
Perhaps Mrs Schori could roll this liberal diocese under a bishop that could bring them back into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church like...Fort Worth
----------
Not yet able to present three candidates to the diocese, and electing convention delayed until at least June.
From Stand Firm
Sarah Hey
[received via email]
March 18, 2008
TO: Members of the Diocese of Northwest Texas
FROM: The Rev. Clifton A. Mann, Standing Committee President
I am writing to you from the Standing Committee to bring you up to date on our progress with regard to electing a Bishop for the Diocese of Northwest Texas. The Nominating Committee, under the leadership of Cliff Craig, has been working since September, 2007 to prepare a list of Nominees to submit to the Diocese.
As provided in Canon 45(6), the Nominating Committee endeavored to prepare a list of 3 to 5 Nominees and submit that list to the Standing Committee no later than 60 days before the date of the electing convention, originally scheduled for May 3, 2008. Unfortunately, when the deadline arrived, there were only two Nominees who could be presented.
At the request of the Standing Committee, the Nominating Committee went back to ask certain nominees who had withdrawn their names if they would reconsider their earlier decision and reengage the discernment process. One of those Nominees did consent to once again commence dialogue with the committee. The Nominating Committee is now completing the parts of their process which were left undone at the time of the candidate’s withdrawal.
We on the Standing Committee expect, God willing, to receive the Nominating Committee’s report the Second week in April. If that comes to pass, an early election will be scheduled. If not, we will have to consider our alternatives. At any rate, it is clear that there will NOT be an electing Convention as previously hoped, on May 3, 2008.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted March 20, 2008 at 6:47 am
The URL for this article is http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/11016/
----------
Not yet able to present three candidates to the diocese, and electing convention delayed until at least June.
From Stand Firm
Sarah Hey
[received via email]
March 18, 2008
TO: Members of the Diocese of Northwest Texas
FROM: The Rev. Clifton A. Mann, Standing Committee President
I am writing to you from the Standing Committee to bring you up to date on our progress with regard to electing a Bishop for the Diocese of Northwest Texas. The Nominating Committee, under the leadership of Cliff Craig, has been working since September, 2007 to prepare a list of Nominees to submit to the Diocese.
As provided in Canon 45(6), the Nominating Committee endeavored to prepare a list of 3 to 5 Nominees and submit that list to the Standing Committee no later than 60 days before the date of the electing convention, originally scheduled for May 3, 2008. Unfortunately, when the deadline arrived, there were only two Nominees who could be presented.
At the request of the Standing Committee, the Nominating Committee went back to ask certain nominees who had withdrawn their names if they would reconsider their earlier decision and reengage the discernment process. One of those Nominees did consent to once again commence dialogue with the committee. The Nominating Committee is now completing the parts of their process which were left undone at the time of the candidate’s withdrawal.
We on the Standing Committee expect, God willing, to receive the Nominating Committee’s report the Second week in April. If that comes to pass, an early election will be scheduled. If not, we will have to consider our alternatives. At any rate, it is clear that there will NOT be an electing Convention as previously hoped, on May 3, 2008.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted March 20, 2008 at 6:47 am
The URL for this article is http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/11016/
Friday, March 14, 2008
Deposition Votes Failed to Achieve Canonically Required Majority
Source: The Living Church
March 14, 2008-- Slightly more than one-third of all bishops eligible voted to depose bishops John-David Schofield and William J. Cox during the House of Bishops' spring retreat, far fewer than the 51 percent required by the canons.
The exact number is impossible to know, because both resolutions were approved by voice vote. Only 131 bishops registered for the meeting March 7-12 at Camp Allen, and at least 15 of them left before the business session began on Wednesday. There were 294 members of the House of Bishops entitled to vote on March 12.
When questioned about canonical inconsistencies during a telephone press conference at the conclusion of the meeting, Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina said the bishops had relied on advice provided to them by canonical experts, and did not examine canonical procedure during plenary debate prior to the votes to depose bishops Schofield and Cox.
To read the complete article, click this link.
Get the Comprehensive, Timely Coverage You Need
Each weekly issue of The Living Church is packed with breaking news and complete coverage and commentary that will keep you informed with all the details about the Episcopal Church and worldwide Anglican Communion. Since 1878 this independent magazine has been the best source for timely news and viewpoints on the issues shaping the life of the Church. Plus, enjoy features and weekly scripture reflections that will strengthen your personal faith. Get it all delivered right to your mailbox for less than a dollar a week!
March 14, 2008-- Slightly more than one-third of all bishops eligible voted to depose bishops John-David Schofield and William J. Cox during the House of Bishops' spring retreat, far fewer than the 51 percent required by the canons.
The exact number is impossible to know, because both resolutions were approved by voice vote. Only 131 bishops registered for the meeting March 7-12 at Camp Allen, and at least 15 of them left before the business session began on Wednesday. There were 294 members of the House of Bishops entitled to vote on March 12.
When questioned about canonical inconsistencies during a telephone press conference at the conclusion of the meeting, Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina said the bishops had relied on advice provided to them by canonical experts, and did not examine canonical procedure during plenary debate prior to the votes to depose bishops Schofield and Cox.
To read the complete article, click this link.
Get the Comprehensive, Timely Coverage You Need
Each weekly issue of The Living Church is packed with breaking news and complete coverage and commentary that will keep you informed with all the details about the Episcopal Church and worldwide Anglican Communion. Since 1878 this independent magazine has been the best source for timely news and viewpoints on the issues shaping the life of the Church. Plus, enjoy features and weekly scripture reflections that will strengthen your personal faith. Get it all delivered right to your mailbox for less than a dollar a week!
Friday, February 22, 2008
They'll be educating fewer heretics
The Living Church
Seabury-Western Suspends Recruitment, Admissions
Posted on: February 21, 2008
The Very Rev. Gary R. Hall, dean and president of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, has announced that the school will “suspend recruitment and admissions to all degree and certificate programs” while it considers its future.
“We believe that the church does not need Seabury in its present form,” Dean Hall wrote. “There are a number of other schools who do what we have traditionally done as well as we do. But we also believe that the church very much needs a seminary animated by and organized around a new vision of theological educationone that is centered in a vision of baptism and its implications for the whole church, one that is flexible and adaptive and collaborative in nature.”
The decision to suspend recruitment and admissions was made following a meeting earlier this week of the board of trustees. The board approved a resolution calling on Dean Hall to develop “a detailed plan for the future operation of Seabury, including a financial plan that brings expenses in line with revenues” by its next meeting
The seminary has been running deficit budgets for the better part of 20 years, according to Elizabeth Butler, vice president for advancement and administration. Classes during the current term, which ends in May, will not be affected, but no classes have been scheduled for the term to begin in September. Layoffs of faculty and staff have not been ruled out as part of the reorganization, Ms. Butler said.
“The board has made a really courageous decision which recognizes that the church doesn’t need us as Seabury is currently configured,” she told The Living Church. “We are not clear what will be offered in the fall and since we aren’t clear, we have decided not to say anything.”
Seabury is interested in developing a partnership with either another academic institution or a church organization. Ms. Butler said it was unlikely that the trustees would decide to reopen the seminary as an independent, three-year residential educational institution after the reorganization. The trustees are scheduled to meet again in May, but Ms. Butler said a special meeting is likely to be held in April. The school hopes to unveil its reorganization plan after the regularly scheduled board meeting in May.
Seabury employs eight faculty members, although not all are considered full-time employees. There are 50 students currently enrolled in the seminary’s three-year residential program, Ms. Butler said. An additional 25 students are enrolled in the doctor of ministry program. Existing students in the doctoral program will be allowed to continue, but no new students will be accepted for that program.
Steve Waring
Seabury-Western Suspends Recruitment, Admissions
Posted on: February 21, 2008
The Very Rev. Gary R. Hall, dean and president of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, has announced that the school will “suspend recruitment and admissions to all degree and certificate programs” while it considers its future.
“We believe that the church does not need Seabury in its present form,” Dean Hall wrote. “There are a number of other schools who do what we have traditionally done as well as we do. But we also believe that the church very much needs a seminary animated by and organized around a new vision of theological educationone that is centered in a vision of baptism and its implications for the whole church, one that is flexible and adaptive and collaborative in nature.”
The decision to suspend recruitment and admissions was made following a meeting earlier this week of the board of trustees. The board approved a resolution calling on Dean Hall to develop “a detailed plan for the future operation of Seabury, including a financial plan that brings expenses in line with revenues” by its next meeting
The seminary has been running deficit budgets for the better part of 20 years, according to Elizabeth Butler, vice president for advancement and administration. Classes during the current term, which ends in May, will not be affected, but no classes have been scheduled for the term to begin in September. Layoffs of faculty and staff have not been ruled out as part of the reorganization, Ms. Butler said.
“The board has made a really courageous decision which recognizes that the church doesn’t need us as Seabury is currently configured,” she told The Living Church. “We are not clear what will be offered in the fall and since we aren’t clear, we have decided not to say anything.”
Seabury is interested in developing a partnership with either another academic institution or a church organization. Ms. Butler said it was unlikely that the trustees would decide to reopen the seminary as an independent, three-year residential educational institution after the reorganization. The trustees are scheduled to meet again in May, but Ms. Butler said a special meeting is likely to be held in April. The school hopes to unveil its reorganization plan after the regularly scheduled board meeting in May.
Seabury employs eight faculty members, although not all are considered full-time employees. There are 50 students currently enrolled in the seminary’s three-year residential program, Ms. Butler said. An additional 25 students are enrolled in the doctor of ministry program. Existing students in the doctoral program will be allowed to continue, but no new students will be accepted for that program.
Steve Waring
It's a mad, mad (church?)
To Whom it may concern:
Send lawyers, guns and money. All is well!
The super most more reverend than you are KJS
Send lawyers, guns and money. All is well!
The super most more reverend than you are KJS
All is well...on Nashotah!
Seabury-Western ceases residential MDiv program
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, one of 11 accredited seminaries in the Episcopal Church, has decided to stop offering a residential Masters of Divinity degree, and to enter a period of discernment about its future.
The letter sent by the Very Rev. Gary R. Hall, Ph. D, dean of Seabury-Western, follows.
February 20, 2008
To The Seabury Community
The Board of Trustees of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary spent two days at its regular February meeting in discussion of the immediate opportunities and challenges before the seminary. There are, first, enormously creative opportunities facing seminaries today. Many areas of the church are developing new ways both of doing and preparing for ministry. And multiple church groups continue to call for a new range of educational services from our institutions of theological education: continuing education for clergy, lay education, distance learning, and consulting services for congregations and dioceses.
At the same time, all the seminaries of the Episcopal Church face real economic and missional challenges. The stand-alone residential model developed in the nineteenth century is becoming unsustainable for most of our institutions. Bishops, congregations, and seminarians have fewer resources to allot to the education of seminarians. And the cost of theological education has
resulted in an unprecedented level of student debt.
Like many other Episcopal Church institutions, over the past two decades Seabury has both confronted and thought hard about how it can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the present moment. We have come to the realization that we cannot continue to operate as we have in the past and that there is both loss and good news in that. We believe that the church does not need Seabury in its present form; there are a number of other schools who do what we have traditionally done as well as we do. But we also believe that the church very much needs a seminary animated by and organized around a new vision of theological education-one that is centered in a vision of Baptism and its implications for the whole church, one which is flexible and adaptive and collaborative in nature. We are committed to Seabury's historic and ongoing ministry as a vital center of theological education, reflection, and congregational study. We are enthusiastic about the prospect of doing this in a new and, we hope, more economically feasible and pedagogically innovative way. At its heart, Seabury will always be a school in service of the mission of God as proclaimed and enacted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
At our regular February meeting, the Board adopted the following resolution:
The Board, having heard a report by the Dean as to the state of Seabury and the rapidly changing and expanding needs for theological education in the Episcopal Church, and being deeply mindful of its mission responsibilities for the operation of the seminary, and the uses of the seminary's resources, hereby resolves:
1. The Dean is directed to prepare and present to the Board, on or before the next scheduled meeting, a detailed plan for the future operation of Seabury, including a financial plan that brings expenses in line with revenues. The report will also include recommendations for the immediate future of current programs.
2. The Dean will be assisted in developing the plan by a Planning Committee to be made up of eight members, of whom six will be officers and/or trustees, who will be named by the Dean and Board Chair, and two will be faculty members named by the faculty. Should the faculty not choose its representatives on or before Monday, February 25, 2008, the Dean may make the appointments as he deems necessary.
3. In developing the plan, the Dean or his designees may explore potential partnerships with appropriate institutions.
4. The Dean and the Planning Committee may hire consultants they deem necessary to assist them in their deliberations.
After consultation with the faculty, students, and staff, the Planning Committee met on Tuesday, February 19, 2008. The Planning Committee asked the board's Executive Committee to clarify its understanding of the long-range educational mission of Seabury, and it proposed two resolutions which the Executive Committee passed in the following form on Wednesday, February 20, 2008:
The Executive Committee affirms that Seabury will no longer offer the M.Div. as a freestanding 3-year residential program. This does not preclude offering the M.Div. in other formats.
The Executive Committee accepts the 3 following recommendations of the Planning Committee:
1. That Seabury will immediately suspend recruitment and admissions to all degree and certificate programs in this time of discernment.
2. That Seabury will enable all current D.Min. students to complete their programs.
3. That Seabury will assist all current M.Div., MTS, MA, and certificate students to find alternative arrangements for the completion of their programs as may be required.
The Planning Committee will continue its schedule of weekly meetings so that it can produce a financial and programmatic plan in time for a special board meeting to be called in April. In the meantime, Seabury's administration is at work talking with potential partner institutions both to enable the school to move forward in the future and to enable all those affected by these decisions to make the transitions they may be required to make as plans emerge.
Our hearts and minds are filled with a multitude of emotions. At the center of our immediate concern is the well being of our students, faculty and staff. Accordingly, most of our energies are focused on the internal community at this time, however, we will be informing our alumni/ae, donors, and the wider church within the next several days. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we move into this new understanding of our mission.
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, one of 11 accredited seminaries in the Episcopal Church, has decided to stop offering a residential Masters of Divinity degree, and to enter a period of discernment about its future.
The letter sent by the Very Rev. Gary R. Hall, Ph. D, dean of Seabury-Western, follows.
February 20, 2008
To The Seabury Community
The Board of Trustees of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary spent two days at its regular February meeting in discussion of the immediate opportunities and challenges before the seminary. There are, first, enormously creative opportunities facing seminaries today. Many areas of the church are developing new ways both of doing and preparing for ministry. And multiple church groups continue to call for a new range of educational services from our institutions of theological education: continuing education for clergy, lay education, distance learning, and consulting services for congregations and dioceses.
At the same time, all the seminaries of the Episcopal Church face real economic and missional challenges. The stand-alone residential model developed in the nineteenth century is becoming unsustainable for most of our institutions. Bishops, congregations, and seminarians have fewer resources to allot to the education of seminarians. And the cost of theological education has
resulted in an unprecedented level of student debt.
Like many other Episcopal Church institutions, over the past two decades Seabury has both confronted and thought hard about how it can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the present moment. We have come to the realization that we cannot continue to operate as we have in the past and that there is both loss and good news in that. We believe that the church does not need Seabury in its present form; there are a number of other schools who do what we have traditionally done as well as we do. But we also believe that the church very much needs a seminary animated by and organized around a new vision of theological education-one that is centered in a vision of Baptism and its implications for the whole church, one which is flexible and adaptive and collaborative in nature. We are committed to Seabury's historic and ongoing ministry as a vital center of theological education, reflection, and congregational study. We are enthusiastic about the prospect of doing this in a new and, we hope, more economically feasible and pedagogically innovative way. At its heart, Seabury will always be a school in service of the mission of God as proclaimed and enacted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
At our regular February meeting, the Board adopted the following resolution:
The Board, having heard a report by the Dean as to the state of Seabury and the rapidly changing and expanding needs for theological education in the Episcopal Church, and being deeply mindful of its mission responsibilities for the operation of the seminary, and the uses of the seminary's resources, hereby resolves:
1. The Dean is directed to prepare and present to the Board, on or before the next scheduled meeting, a detailed plan for the future operation of Seabury, including a financial plan that brings expenses in line with revenues. The report will also include recommendations for the immediate future of current programs.
2. The Dean will be assisted in developing the plan by a Planning Committee to be made up of eight members, of whom six will be officers and/or trustees, who will be named by the Dean and Board Chair, and two will be faculty members named by the faculty. Should the faculty not choose its representatives on or before Monday, February 25, 2008, the Dean may make the appointments as he deems necessary.
3. In developing the plan, the Dean or his designees may explore potential partnerships with appropriate institutions.
4. The Dean and the Planning Committee may hire consultants they deem necessary to assist them in their deliberations.
After consultation with the faculty, students, and staff, the Planning Committee met on Tuesday, February 19, 2008. The Planning Committee asked the board's Executive Committee to clarify its understanding of the long-range educational mission of Seabury, and it proposed two resolutions which the Executive Committee passed in the following form on Wednesday, February 20, 2008:
The Executive Committee affirms that Seabury will no longer offer the M.Div. as a freestanding 3-year residential program. This does not preclude offering the M.Div. in other formats.
The Executive Committee accepts the 3 following recommendations of the Planning Committee:
1. That Seabury will immediately suspend recruitment and admissions to all degree and certificate programs in this time of discernment.
2. That Seabury will enable all current D.Min. students to complete their programs.
3. That Seabury will assist all current M.Div., MTS, MA, and certificate students to find alternative arrangements for the completion of their programs as may be required.
The Planning Committee will continue its schedule of weekly meetings so that it can produce a financial and programmatic plan in time for a special board meeting to be called in April. In the meantime, Seabury's administration is at work talking with potential partner institutions both to enable the school to move forward in the future and to enable all those affected by these decisions to make the transitions they may be required to make as plans emerge.
Our hearts and minds are filled with a multitude of emotions. At the center of our immediate concern is the well being of our students, faculty and staff. Accordingly, most of our energies are focused on the internal community at this time, however, we will be informing our alumni/ae, donors, and the wider church within the next several days. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we move into this new understanding of our mission.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
+Lee threatens Diocese of Virginia, if you don’t start giving Kate and I can’t keep suing
Article published Jan 26, 2008
www.washingtontimes.com
Bishop exhorts Episcopalians to fund diocese
January 26, 2008
By Julia Duin - Virginia Episcopal Bishop Peter J. Lee rebuked fellow Episcopalians yesterday for stinginess, saying the nation's largest Episcopal diocese is financially strapped because of the "continuing inability or unwillingness" of its churches to contribute.
Speaking at the annual diocesan council meeting at the Hyatt Regency Reston, he also revealed that the diocese has spent $2 million to date on a lawsuit involving 11 churches that left the diocese a year ago over differences in theology and the 2003 consecration of the openly homosexual New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson.
The diocese officially does not ordain homosexual clergy, although a resolution is on the table for today's meeting that would change that policy.
It also does not conduct "blessing" ceremonies for same-sex unions. However, a diocesan committee report, issued yesterday, said there was an "emerging consensus" among committee members to eventually allow such blessings.
"Scripture addresses lifelong committed relationships characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect and the holy love" among homosexuals, the report said. A new commission will "identify practical steps" on how the diocese can minister to homosexual couples, it said.
The Episcopal Church has had multiple splits over sexual and theological issues, all of which have drained numerous dioceses of funds. The Virginia diocese's budget is up by 4.5 percent this year, but that has come at the expense of maintaining a staff of only 24 full- and part-time workers.
It's the smallest staff of the nation's five largest dioceses, said Bishop Lee, adding that there will be "unwanted turnover" unless larger salary increases are forthcoming.
"That was a departure for him to be that forthright," said Steve van Voorhees, a council teller. "He's never put money in his pastoral address before." Diocesan treasurer Mike Kerr said some churches have curtailed their giving out of fear that the money may go toward the lawsuit and have asked whether they can restrict where their funds go.
Calling restricted giving "a slippery slope," Mr. Kerr said that the $70,000 needed to service the $2 million line of credit is coming out of an endowment fund, not out of the diocese's $4.7 million 2008 budget.
He added that the diocese is fighting to win back properties now used by conservatives who fled the denomination and reminded delegates that four out of the 11 churches have been reconstituted as new congregations.
"I hope you'd expect your diocese to stand up for you rather than run, cave in or simply not care," he said to applause.
The 86,000-member diocese is one of a few in the country that does not assess its parishes a set percentage but instead lets those parishes give what they wish. As of midday yesterday, 20 churches had not handed in their 2008 pledges.
Average giving in Virginia is 6 percent of parish income, the lowest in the denomination. Only 27 churches — 14 percent of the total — in the diocese give proportionately to their income, officials said.
To drive home the point that all must give, diocesan officials cited the top giving parishes by name and had their representatives come forward. The largest amount of money given last year was $205,000 by Christ Church in Alexandria, they said. The largest percentage of income donated was by St. John's Episcopal Church in McLean at 16.5 percent.
www.washingtontimes.com
Bishop exhorts Episcopalians to fund diocese
January 26, 2008
By Julia Duin - Virginia Episcopal Bishop Peter J. Lee rebuked fellow Episcopalians yesterday for stinginess, saying the nation's largest Episcopal diocese is financially strapped because of the "continuing inability or unwillingness" of its churches to contribute.
Speaking at the annual diocesan council meeting at the Hyatt Regency Reston, he also revealed that the diocese has spent $2 million to date on a lawsuit involving 11 churches that left the diocese a year ago over differences in theology and the 2003 consecration of the openly homosexual New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson.
The diocese officially does not ordain homosexual clergy, although a resolution is on the table for today's meeting that would change that policy.
It also does not conduct "blessing" ceremonies for same-sex unions. However, a diocesan committee report, issued yesterday, said there was an "emerging consensus" among committee members to eventually allow such blessings.
"Scripture addresses lifelong committed relationships characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect and the holy love" among homosexuals, the report said. A new commission will "identify practical steps" on how the diocese can minister to homosexual couples, it said.
The Episcopal Church has had multiple splits over sexual and theological issues, all of which have drained numerous dioceses of funds. The Virginia diocese's budget is up by 4.5 percent this year, but that has come at the expense of maintaining a staff of only 24 full- and part-time workers.
It's the smallest staff of the nation's five largest dioceses, said Bishop Lee, adding that there will be "unwanted turnover" unless larger salary increases are forthcoming.
"That was a departure for him to be that forthright," said Steve van Voorhees, a council teller. "He's never put money in his pastoral address before." Diocesan treasurer Mike Kerr said some churches have curtailed their giving out of fear that the money may go toward the lawsuit and have asked whether they can restrict where their funds go.
Calling restricted giving "a slippery slope," Mr. Kerr said that the $70,000 needed to service the $2 million line of credit is coming out of an endowment fund, not out of the diocese's $4.7 million 2008 budget.
He added that the diocese is fighting to win back properties now used by conservatives who fled the denomination and reminded delegates that four out of the 11 churches have been reconstituted as new congregations.
"I hope you'd expect your diocese to stand up for you rather than run, cave in or simply not care," he said to applause.
The 86,000-member diocese is one of a few in the country that does not assess its parishes a set percentage but instead lets those parishes give what they wish. As of midday yesterday, 20 churches had not handed in their 2008 pledges.
Average giving in Virginia is 6 percent of parish income, the lowest in the denomination. Only 27 churches — 14 percent of the total — in the diocese give proportionately to their income, officials said.
To drive home the point that all must give, diocesan officials cited the top giving parishes by name and had their representatives come forward. The largest amount of money given last year was $205,000 by Christ Church in Alexandria, they said. The largest percentage of income donated was by St. John's Episcopal Church in McLean at 16.5 percent.
Friday, January 25, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS: Orthodox Priest Fights Back With Lawsuits Against Diocese
Posted by David Virtue on 2008/1/24
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
1/23/2008
Members and clergy of Grace & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, an orthodox parish that fled the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Colorado, have filed lawsuits against Colorado Bishop Robert O'Neill and the diocese asking the courts to dismiss the diocese and bishop's filings against the Vestry of the parish. They lawsuit also includes a charge of extortion personally against O'Neill and the vestry.
In legal papers received by VirtueOnline, the parish alleges that the lay leadership of the church was merely doing its duty (ratified by over ninety-percent of the church) in supporting the Rev. Don Armstrong, and carrying out their fiduciary duties "in the best interest of the Church and its membership for the church to continue to own and utilize the Church's real and personal property."
O'Neill sent a letter threatening each of the individual defendants with a civil damage lawsuit unless they "gave up the occupation of the property."
In their counterclaim, the Vestry argues that the letter "is a blatant attempt by O'Neill, and through him the Diocese, to extort the individual defendants into violating their fiduciary and statutory duties to preserve the Church's property".
They say that bringing a third party complaint against individual defendants is an abuse of process under Colorado law by "asking the vestry to violate their duty to preserve the church's property for sue by its members."
The parish is now under the ecclesiastical authority of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), the U.S. branch of the Anglican Province of Nigeria and their bishop The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns. It has been the tactic of attorney's like David Booth Beers, the national chancellor, to sue vestries, made up of laity, in an effort to intimidate them in property disputes.
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
1/23/2008
Members and clergy of Grace & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, an orthodox parish that fled the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Colorado, have filed lawsuits against Colorado Bishop Robert O'Neill and the diocese asking the courts to dismiss the diocese and bishop's filings against the Vestry of the parish. They lawsuit also includes a charge of extortion personally against O'Neill and the vestry.
In legal papers received by VirtueOnline, the parish alleges that the lay leadership of the church was merely doing its duty (ratified by over ninety-percent of the church) in supporting the Rev. Don Armstrong, and carrying out their fiduciary duties "in the best interest of the Church and its membership for the church to continue to own and utilize the Church's real and personal property."
O'Neill sent a letter threatening each of the individual defendants with a civil damage lawsuit unless they "gave up the occupation of the property."
In their counterclaim, the Vestry argues that the letter "is a blatant attempt by O'Neill, and through him the Diocese, to extort the individual defendants into violating their fiduciary and statutory duties to preserve the Church's property".
They say that bringing a third party complaint against individual defendants is an abuse of process under Colorado law by "asking the vestry to violate their duty to preserve the church's property for sue by its members."
The parish is now under the ecclesiastical authority of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), the U.S. branch of the Anglican Province of Nigeria and their bishop The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns. It has been the tactic of attorney's like David Booth Beers, the national chancellor, to sue vestries, made up of laity, in an effort to intimidate them in property disputes.
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