Updated
An email was published yesterday which announces that Bishop Keith Ackerman of the Diocese of Quincy will retire, effective 1 November. That’s the day after tomorrow!
The text of the announcement can be found here, or here, or here.
The Diocesan Synod is scheduled for the following weekend, 7-8 November. The resolutions due to be considered can be found in this PDF file here.
A recent local newspaper report explains what is expected: Illinois Episcopalians face historic vote.
Update
There is now a Living Church report titled Bishop Ackerman to Resign Saturday.
ENS now has a comprehensive report at Quincy’s Bishop Ackerman announces retirement.
Forward in Faith announces that Bishop Keith Ackerman will remain as President of Forward in Faith North America.
The resolution to separate the diocese from TEC as drafted assumes the presence and assent of the diocesan bishop. Plainly there will be no diocesan in place to assent to this resolution and one imagines that it must therefore fall.
It is well known that bishop Ackerman absented himself the first time this matter was debated – he has gone a little further this time.
Bishop Ackerman is widely admired and has been in poor health – God bless him in his retirement.
Is this another case of: “Have mitre, will travel”? But not too far?
I think the commenters on The Lead have it right–Ackerman is quitting now so that there’s no question of deposition after Quincy votes to leave. I’m betting the “Anglican diocese of Quincy” elects him bishop almost immediately.
Aww, what a time to resign, oops I mean retire.
Cynical comments aside, lets pray for his health and his family.
I find it odd that +Ackerman is resigning one week before Quincy’s diocesan convention; and I can’t help but wonder if this was timed so that he didn’t have to face a possible deposition.
Did he retire in order to maintain his orders in TEC?
Did he retire so that, after Quincy votes to realign with the Southern Cone, +Venables could welcome him with open arms without being seen as welcoming yet another renegade bishop?
Forgive my cynicism, but all of the recent events has made it difficult for me to take anything at face value anymore.
Under TEC canons, a bishop has not really resigned/retired until the House of Bishops consents.
If Ackerman is trying to pull a fast one here to avoid deposition, it will not work.
I’m sorry he has health problems, especially as he is not that old. BUt the timing does look suspicious.
JPM you are right. If his intention is to miss all the fun of deposition and to represent a canonically “regular” mitre to Venebles and the DSC, this has been badly miscalculated.
IF he simply does not want to deal with it any more and is throwing in his mitre, good for him. And a blessed retirement and good health to him.
In either scenario, he is the diocesan until the HOB agrees to his resignation
“HofB, you can’t fire me—I QUIT!”
[Thanks to JPM, et al, in pointing out how this scam doesn’t fly. ;-/]
One must guess that Ackerman and the Quincy lot have prepared this strategic move long before hand, probably with assistance from some consultant from IRD or Pburg or another Common Partner??? But Ackerman cannot canonically be received into Southern Cone without HoB consents, de factor and de jure. And even less can A use that reception as a de facto or de jure basis for continuing the deceits and conceits of impending conservative secession in Quicy. I love you all so much I must say terrible things about you and take your lunch money, now? Even a big tent HoB… Read more »
ReverendRef: “Forgive my cynicism, but all of the recent events has made it difficult for me to take anything at face value anymore.”
Sometimes I think I’m in a “surreal Anglican” world and I don’t know what the heck to think; other times I get so friggin’ mad; *and* mostly I just laugh at all the self-important people on both sides of the continuing mess.
Bishop Ackerman is one of the most pastoral figures in TEC’s House of Bishops. One may agree with him or not, but a cynical reaction to his retirement does nothing to build up the Anglican Communion or the Episcopal Church. God bless you, Bishop Ackerman.
It’s odd that health reasons could be cited as the explanation if the bishop is leading Holy Land trips, traveling to Sweden, and playing baseball as his various webpages would seem to indicate:
http://keithackerman.com/
http://bishopkeithackerman.com/tours.html
http://www.dioceseofquincy.org/baseball.html
Odd.
DCA, he certainly does seem to be a very, very busy invalid.
Small correction to the first of the web-pages cited:
Saint Bridget of Sweden is not the Patron saint of Sweden (one of the EU’s perhaps); Saint Eric (King Eric IX, murdered in 1156) is. The good bishop must have been visiting Saint Bridget’s grave in Vadstena (a Royal Palace in the 13th century) but mixed up the facts.
This photo astonishes me:
It appears to be legitimate. I thought at first it might have been photoshopped, but this appears to be real.
GN, what with the huggy pose and the Ackerman’s ecstatic facial expression, it looks like a post-wedding photo at San Francisco City Hall.
“This photo astonishes me…”
Why? Bishop Ackerman obviously went to some sort of meeting at the White House (note the WH logo on the place cards) and the President and he posed for this souvenir photo. I believe that this is pretty common.