As Steve Levin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports today, the Diocese of Pittsburgh has launched a Web site to provide resources for parishes and individuals “in deciding how to go forward.”
Read the newspaper report here: Episcopal diocese launches Web site to chart options.
The new website is Parish Toolbox and here is the press release about it on the official diocesan website.
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Pittsburgh’s speech at the Anglican Communion Network annual council meeting in Ft Worth, Texas is reported by Doug LeBlanc writing in the Living Church this way:
“The American province is lost and something will have to replace it,” said Bishop Duncan, who has served as the Network’s elected moderator for three and a half years…
Bishop Duncan expressed his disappointment that the Archbishop of Canterbury has not supported Network members in ways that he and other Network leaders had hoped.
“Never, ever has he spoken publicly in defense of the orthodox in the United States,” Bishop Duncan said of the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, adding that “the cost is his office.
“To lose that historic office is a cost of such magnitude that God must be doing a new thing,” he said.
A reporter for The Living Church asked Bishop Duncan to expand on his remarks about the cost of the archbishop’s office. “I was actually expanding on a remark that the Archbishop of Sydney made during a breakfast I had with him two weeks ago,” Bishop Duncan said, explaining that both the See of Canterbury and the Lambeth Conference have been lost as instruments of communion.
“The fact is that the Archbishop of Canterbury has not led in a way that might have saved his office and might have saved Lambeth,” Bishop Duncan said.
He cited the willingness of presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt to go further than the law allowed during times of national crisis.
“In this crisis, we’ve had no leader to lead,” he said. Asked if he thought that being in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury was essential to being Anglican, Bishop Duncan said that being obedient to scripture is of greater importance than being recognized by Canterbury.
For the full text of what Bishop Duncan said, see here.
See also an earlier Living Church report by Steve Waring: Bishop Duncan: Fall HOB Meeting is Windsor Bishops’ ‘Last Stand’
And also, see an earlier report, with a lot more background information, by Fr Jake Pittsburgh Continues Plans to Split.
_[Bishop Duncan following conversation with the Archbishop of Sydney] explaining that both the See of Canterbury and the Lambeth Conference have been lost as instruments of communion._
Right – well that’s it then. Lost, gone, end of story. Archbishop Drexel Gomez, you are too late.
There is a video clip of Duncan’s talk on Stand Firm.
I am not sure who he thinks he is. So all-knowing and wise.
“The Lost”: includes TEC, the ABC, and Lambeth . . . judged Duncan Almighty.
“He cited the willingness of presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt to go further than the law allowed during times of national crisis.”
Duncan means Lincoln’s suspension of Habeas Corpus, and FDR’s interning of Japanese-Americans.
Is it any wonder I argue it’s an open question, whether or not this man is *possessed* by the Father of Lies?
Lord have mercy!
Nothing will please the Duncans, Ikers et al short of all gay clergy returning into the closet, the phasing out of women priests and bishops. and the abandonment of the 1979 BCP in favor of a version closer to 1662, including the 39 Articles of Religion as a standard of Anglican doctrinal orthodoxy and not as Historical Documents. Of course, TEC would have to depose Bishop V.G. Robinson for being openly gay–just to start the conversation with the Network bishops.
It seems to me that removing Lambeth and Canterbury as “instruments of unity” would be a decision for the Anglican Communion as a whole not just for ++Peter Jensen and +Duncan. Would be nice to just be able to pick and choose whatever we want to define ourselves. Talk about acting unilaterally without consultation of the other provinces. And actually, when you think about it, TEC (and to some extent the Anglican Church of Canada) is being accused of moving forward without consulting the other provinces, yet isn’t this also what is happening with the crossing of provincial and diocesan… Read more »
From the article: “A majority of the diocese’s 20,000 members disagree with actions the Episcopal Church has taken since 2003, including a failure to stop same-sex blessings and the election of an openly gay bishop.” How exactly do we know this? Did someone poll the entire population of the diocese? And how big a majority are we talking about? One more than half? two-thirds? Three-quarters? And is it a majority in every parish? Or just a majority of the parishes? What happens to parishes where this view is not the majority? What happens to those who are in the minority… Read more »
Like much else in Anglican realignment campaign text and subtext, these latest remarks from Duncan demonstrate that he thinks he is closer to God than just about anybody else could be, except for others who pledge closed-minded positions already inside his finalized con-evo circles. If I wanted that sort of way to follow Jesus of Nazareth, any number of other churches would do fairly well, up to and including becoming a Roman Catholic who takes monastic orders. Or maybe joining Opus Dei? This realignment is all about the end of Anglicanism as a generous, open-minded, inquiring, and above all, factually… Read more »
Nothing to get excited about here–the Network is just making its monthly announcement that it is going to go any second now.
I tell you the “cancerous growth” in The Anglican Communion that +Akinola madly raves about isn’t where he thinks it is growing.
ditto to what John Henry said — that about sums it up — if the CofE splits about 50-50 with some joining the “Global South” & the others everyone else, where will Cantuar end up?
“’In this crisis, we’ve had no leader to lead,’ he said. Asked if he thought that being in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury was essential to being Anglican, Bishop Duncan said that being obedient to scripture is of greater importance than being recognized by Canterbury.”
Hooker must be shaking his head in heaven. But I’m sure Messrs Calvin and Knox are overjoyed.
Well, the sadness of his thought process aside, it is certainly a relief to understand that Bishop Duncan now realizes that the Abuja/Network putsch is not working.
Perhaps Lambeth will be a more civil and renewing and uplifting experience, after all, for the vast majority of the Provinces who choose to remain in the Anglican Communion.
For Duncan and Iker and their minions, I hope that they will be both happy, and renewed, by their finally admitted full membership in the Abuja Communion.
The great See of Caterbury has been a beacon of the catholic religion for many centuries without the approval of Bishop Duncan, Akinola, Jensen or any of their co-conspirators. And it will continue to shine long after their rage and furry has been forgotten. Really, the arrogance of the Bishop of Pittsburgh is almost beyond comprehension! It is becoming quite evident who the true Anglicans are. The Network can start whatever religion they want, but they shouldn’t call themselves Anglicans. And they shouldn’t try to abscond with the property!
‘Ambridge’-American Bridge and Steel.
Too bad it seems to be fabricator of destroying bridges in this day and age.
It must be very exciting for the network folks right now. That level of righteousness involves lots of energy and endorphins. After the split life will not be as stimulating at all. Then comes the mundane work of sorting out who joined them, how to organize… and dealing with lawsuits, financial issues, etc. as well as in-fighting among all these very strong willed people. Further splits among them are inevitable. Once the exhiliration of the daily press releases and the provocative meetings and ultimatums goes away…. will it seem quite as fun? And those who remain within TEC, what will… Read more »
>>>Hooker must be shaking his head in heaven. But I’m sure Messrs Calvin and Knox are overjoyed. You raise an interesting point. The more I see of all this, the more convinced I am that what we are seeing now is the splitting apart of the Catholics and Calvinists who have been wedged uncomfortably into one church for these past four centuries. When I see David Anderson grimly declaring on CNN that he remains in the church because “I like a good fight,” and when I see an English bishop blaming flooding on gay men’s rectal demons, and when I… Read more »
I know it comes across as a soap opera, choirboyfromhell, but is it not more like one of those silent comedies? The schismatic driver of an old open charabang has come off the road at a bend and is merrily heading towards the cliff edge, and half his passengers are jumping off before it tips over. Meanwhile the sedate coach driver behind has turned the corner…
“God must be doing a new thing” says the man Robert Duncan. Oh! OK… right… so, does this mean that evo-cath-cons are going stop moaning about liberal supposed ‘innovations’? Where in the Bible – that the man Robert Duncan is supposedly so unswervingly obedient to (over and above all else, such as conscience, tradition, critical-rational thought, empirical evidence, common decency etc) – does it say that God will ‘do new things’ only if it fits in with an evo-cath-con world/faith view, but never EVER ‘do new things’ that might be consonant with an inclusive, progressive, liberal world/faith view? The man… Read more »
Anyone reading the comments above would be forgiven for thinking that +Duncan is massively out of step with most of the AC and the cause of much division……..he is a rare faithful Anglican in TEC but you do know that in most of the AC, he is no radical and not in a minority?? I think +Duncan is a bit hard on the spineless ABC….he has given us TWR and the Tanzania Communique so he is not letting a minority agenda dominate the AC……this is why I want all the GS to come to Lambet 08 and make sure (as… Read more »
the veritable power of the keys, matthew hunt !
matthewhunt – looks like you think you have made a strong point….
– just so you know, the difference is that +Duncan is basing his views and actions on the bible and Anglican tradition (other innovations are based on rejecting both the bible and tradition)
“Pot meet kettle.”
and sweet musicke
;=)
Pluralist-Not just an out of control stagecoach, more like spoiled brats who thought they were manipulating mommy, and after it became clear mommy showed more patience and understanding than they gambled on, their response is to condemn and discredit mommy.
One of those tiny circus cars than has an endless parade of clowns bailing out….
Duncan evidently “cited the willingness of presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt to go further than the law allowed during times of national crisis” in conversation with “a reporter for the ‘Living Church'”, not in a public address. Duncan’s connections to the wealthy Radical Right, in particular to Pittsburgh billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, who bankrolled the American Spectator’s anti-Clinton muckraking exercises in the 90’s, and to Howard F. Ahmanson Jr (see past postings on TA), are well documented. His evident approval of “further than the law allowed” – which is to say illegal – activities by Lincoln and Roosevelt, activities… Read more »
Incidentally, Ephraim “IRD” Radner has just spoken out against Duncan’s actions, in an article posted on (urk) Standfirm. He accuses Duncan of acting precipitously, and using exactly the same justification that the (ahem) rest of the heathen Episcopal Church is using to ordain (gasp!) practicing homosexuals. Radner said that Duncan could call his new church Anglican if he liked, but that Duncan was basically not doing things in a very Anglican fashion. I don’t particularly like Radner, but I’d love to hear Duncan’s response.
“the tail has not made a convincing theological case”
And, beloved-of-God NP, neither have you. 🙂
[Waits for NP to respond “I’m NOT making a case! I’m only preaching the 2000 year-old Bible, and ‘The Faith Once Delivered’!!!”]
Dear JCF, thanks for starting my reply ….I would add that I am making the case that the Anglican church is right in Lambeth 1.10 and it is crazy and wrong for some to expect vicars and bishops who reject it and teach others to do so to have full acceptance in the AC
“Lambeth 1.10”
For the last time NP, IT ISN’T LAMBETH 1.10!!!! Sorry to shout, but for God’s sake, will you acknowledge that there is more to that statement than this one particular verse (since you seem to treat it as Scripture), that all parties have disobeyed it, and that even +Akinola admits is isn’t binding.
It seems to me now that the broad Church and liberal weakness for putting up with much with which it does not agree is turning into its strength here. It should show willingness to engage (which it is anyway) all the way along, and be observant. The others are doing a fine job on their own of making a mess of things. Along this path two things can happen – one is that a group of schismatics do beak away, of Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganada, Sydney and Pittsburgh (without the keys), and elsewhere a Communion gets re-established that is based… Read more »
This is interesting, including its choice of “defeat” language. It is another Radner type position: An Open Letter to Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll Written by Rev. Dr. Philip Turner A move like this one reminds me of a constant theme in the history to date of Common Cause and some (not all) members of The Network. That is, a declaration of defeat is made at the outset of a struggle and then plans are laid for what to do in the face of the putative defeat already declared. Need I say that a strategy such as this carries all the… Read more »
The point Ford…is that I accept it all….and I do not accept clergy have integrity in just ignoring it (any of it!!)