Updated Wednesday evening
The Living Church has two recent reports about the forthcoming diocesan convention in San Joaquin in California:
Bishop Sees San Joaquin Vote as Referendum on Separation and San Joaquin Bylaw Changes Carry Risks, Opportunities.
The full text of the message from the diocesan bishop mentioned above has not yet appeared on the diocesan website, but can be found on the Daily Episcopalian blog here.
Here is one paragraph of it:
Is Our Place In The Anglican Communion Assured? Yes. First, we have a commitment from the Southern Cone (Archbishop Greg Venebles) that the bishops of his dioceses are open to our joining their Province. Second, the Global South, representing 80 percent of the Anglican Communion, issued a public statement known as “The Kigali Communique” in which it pledged to “take initial steps toward the formation of what will be recognized as a separate ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA.” Diocesan representatives have been invited to meet with Primates of the Global South November 15-17, 2006, to begin work on this plan. The Diocese could be the vanguard of a new 39th Anglican Province in North America. At present, there are seven or more dioceses lined up behind us waiting to follow our leadership example.
Further comment on this by Fr Jake in Bishop of San Joaquin Announces Plans to Leave TEC
Further comment also from Remain Episcopal, the organisation of those in San Joaquin who wish to continue in ECUSA. What are the Changes?
I read the reports from “The Living Church,” and took the time to watch the interview with Bishop Schofield on AnglicanTV. I read the letter to the clergy of San Joaquin. Clearly, Bishop Schofield is convicted of the rightness of his actions and the steps he is leading toward schism. With his considerations of clergy pensions and benefits, he seems to have researched many aspects of separating the diocese as institution from The Episcopal Church as institution. Again, I don’t know that there would be much point in addressing “abandonment of communion.” However, it seems clear that this would lead… Read more »
The Diocese of San Joaquin can be properly/lovingly ministered to by the authentic Episcopal Church visiting clergy from the Diocese of Los Angeles, the Diocese of Camino Real, the Diocese of California and the Diocese of Northern California on a “temporary” basis as +Schofield has clearly violated his “ordination vows.” The Diocese of San Joaquin can regroup/reshape in a timely and seamless way after the property settlements are finished. TEC ought not play “catch” with this promoter of extreme thinking, discrimination against fellow Christians nor further “debate” the obvious deceit and feardriven hate he regularly generates in the San Joaquin… Read more »
And again, I think of my faithful Fresno Episcopalian grandparents (of blessed memory). To see what the bishop/Standing Committee is doing to their beloved church, would make them weep… 🙁
[In light of what CA courts have been ruling re church property of late (God, grant your people justice!), I guess it’s for the best they were *not* buried within in-church columbariums!]
Ain’t we surprised ;=)
But why did it take so long?
“Remain Episcopal in the Diocese of San Joaquin”
…has very concerned things to say about Bishop Schofield and his “dangerous” behind-the-scene manipulations:
http://www.remainepiscopal.org/Changes.html
So if they want to leave so bad – then leave. God bless them, go in peace. But “go in peace” certainly does NOT include “go with the family silver stuffed inside your coat.”
And why does +Schofield feel it necessary to make such crass, insulting statements about the faith of the vast majority of Episcopalians on his way out ?
IMPORTANT update:
Please watch/listen to this revealing “Anglican TV” interview featuring +David Schofield:
http://www.anglicantv.org/blog/index.cfm/2006/11/11/Anglican-Report-Episode-Nine
“It’s shrinking daily.”
“The PB (FG)is the bluebird of happiness.”
Seeing , as well as hearing this man, I am concerned.