Christianity Today carries an interview by Timothy C. Morgan with the former Bishop of Pittsburgh, Robert Duncan.
It is titled The Comeback Bishop.
Some extracts:
Do you have any second thoughts about creation of this new province for conservative Anglicans?
No second thoughts about it. I would have hoped that the Anglican Communion might simply recognize us as the legitimate bearers of the Anglican franchise here. But that’s not likely to happen in the short run. The significance of the Episcopal Church deposing me is much greater than what most people would assume in this battle for a province. For the worldwide Anglican Communion to see me deposed has been absolutely sobering, and even moderates are shocked and stunned by it…
Some conservatives continue to support an Anglican Covenant and the Windsor continuation process as vehicles for reform. Do you hold out much hope for these initiatives?
The covenant is a good concept. Sadly, the form, in which it comes forward, has no great strength to it. A better form of covenant would have been the Thirty-Nine Articles or The Book of Common Prayer. Those have been the things that actually functioned as the covenant for three centuries and more. So the covenant is a useful idea. But as it’s being developed it’s not [useful]. About the Windsor continuation group, the glacial timetable on which it’s working is like every other proposal that’s come from the Anglican Communion office, from the Archbishop of Canterbury. They have been too little and far too slow…
Are you confident that there will be a new province for the North American Anglicans a year from now? And are you the most likely person to be the primate of that province?
The simple answers are yes and yes. I do believe that the Common Cause partners will put everything in place that we need to put in place by Christmas. The time has come. In terms of my leadership I think I understand, and those who put me in this place understand, that in this particular moment my task, my call has been to bring the partners to a place, to the creation of a province and to the beginning of its life, and then I’ll be happy to give it over as soon as it’s clear that I’m not called to do it anymore. We will operate in a way in which the primate of the province is a diocesan bishop, will serve for a term, and may be reelected for a term. Then another will take up that primacy…
“A better form of covenant would have been the Thirty-Nine Articles or The Book of Common Prayer. “
And who among Duncan’s opponents in this conflict objects to the BCP? And since when has any bishop in TEC been required to subscribe to the 39 Articles, especially since–in the American form–they are merely an historical document (as the BCP says they are).
A biblical pure Province with men who are virtual Romanists on one side and others who are fundamentalist evangelicals…a Biblical province which accepts divorce and re-marriage
( even amongst its leaders and bishops) willy nilly and allows for the ordination of women priests, even though many within it believe this is unbiblical..and what unites them a disdain for sodomy..they may as well join with the Mormons and the Seventh Day Adventists..Now that is Biblical purity…I think not
What an ego! I bet the Bishop also fancies himself Archbishop of Canterbury one day as well. Good luck, Bob.
Pure hubris.
39 Articles, eh? How about number 23?
“The time has come.” … and gone ;=)
And doesn’t the talk of “franchise” strike you as a little bit odd?
Q: Do you have any second thoughts about creation of this new province for conservative Anglicans? A: “No second thoughts about it. I would have hoped that the Anglican Communion might simply recognize us as the legitimate bearers of the Anglican franchise here. But that’s not likely to happen in the short run” – former bishop Duncan You betcha, Bob! How could such a travesty occur? Especially when you expect the Anglican Communion to assent to the proposals of the group of schismatics which presently include other separate bodies of dissidents who have declared their separation from TEC – the… Read more »
“No second thoughts about it. I would have hoped that the Anglican Communion might simply recognize us as the legitimate bearers of the Anglican franchise here. But that’s not likely to happen in the short run.” It ain’t likely in the long run, either, Bob. “The significance of the Episcopal Church deposing me is much greater than what most people would assume in this battle for a province.” Because you are such a Very Important Person®, eh ? “For the worldwide Anglican Communion to see me deposed has been absolutely sobering, and even moderates are shocked and stunned by it…”… Read more »
I think Article XXXVII, with its clear demand for a national church and no meddling from outside bishops is also a sharp upper cut to notions of fidelity to the Articles of Religion — tho of course Duncan thinks he is the True National Church and all the rest has gone to Sheol in a bushel.
I also find it highly entertaining how these people cling to the Articles, when they clearly haven’t even *read* them.
I would *love* to hear the Anglo-Catholic “orthodox” in particular explain that one. Or explain what happened to the other three ecumenical councils, and why homosexuality is more important than orthodox Christology.
“I would *love* to hear the Anglo-Catholic “orthodox” in particular explain that one. Or explain what happened to the other three ecumenical councils, and why homosexuality is more important than orthodox Christology.” I doubt you’ll get an answer, Walsingham. I’ve been pointing out the latter points for a while. Evangelicals in particular seem not to get it at all. And the Articles? Well, some want to convince themselves they are some basic doctrinal statement, some covenant or other, and conveniently forget the fact that they have never applied outside of Britain, that they have never been fully accepted even within… Read more »
What makes me sick is that the Episcopal Church will still have to pay out a pension to this man…and the legal cases will probablly go on for years.
Why don’t TEC sue Southern Cone, Nigeria ,Rwanda and Uganda?
Pensions are for services rendered — Bishop Seabury collected his pension from HM Govt. for his time as a chaplain to a Tory regt in the Revolution.