Updated again Sunday morning
The Southern Cone-affiliated Diocese of Pittsburgh held a convention today, and the former Bishop of Pittsburgh Robert Duncan was elected as its bishop.
See this press release, Diocese Re-Elects Bishop Robert Duncan.
See also this earlier item Bishop Robert Duncan’s Vision for the Diocese.
Addition More detail about this event can be found here. It includes this:
Given the asides that had been dropped throughout these presentations, Bishop Duncan at one point took the stand to address the question of a new province. It was “very near” he said, and recognition might come as early as December. Certainly, it is hoped that a draft constitution will be presented at the December meeting of the Common Cause Partnership.
Meanwhile, the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh which is part of The Episcopal Church in the USA has announced a Special Convention to occur on 13 December.
See several announcements, about the location, about the certification of deputies, and about nominations.
Saturday evening update
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a report by Ann Rodgers Duncan elected bishop of breakaway Episcopalians. In this article she refers to the breakaways as Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican).
Lionel Deimel has written further about various issues of terminology, at The Anglican Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Sunday morning update
Episcopal News Service has a report by Matthew Davies and Mary Frances Schjonberg headed Deposed Pittsburgh bishop elected to lead former Episcopalians, realigned diocese.
The Post-Gazette has a further story, Episcopal bishop Duncan stressing ministry.
The only thing I really care to know re the “Southern Cone-affiliated Diocese of Pittsburgh” is, when are they going to vacate the Episcopal Church property that they illegally occupy?
As one who would be perfectly happy to get shot of my building, I wonder what JCF would actually do with the structures if he took title. Is he planning to fill formerly reasserter churches with new converts? If so he’s bucking every demographic trend. There hasn’t been a non-Evangelical plant in Pittsburgh since the mid-1980s. Or does he mean that he wants the buildings in order to sell them off? If so, he apparently thinks it worthwhile to hamstring an existing Christian community and its service to a neighborhood, in order to maintain a brand name. Will he pledge… Read more »
Jeremy:
Are you so sure that EVERY member of every reasserter parish is leaving? It’s not possible that a substantial minority in each parish would prefer to remain Episcopalian? For that matter, what rules were followed in the parochial votes? Was it a majority of those voting? Or a majority of those entitled to vote? And what were the rules regarding entitlement to vote?
But, more importantly, under canon law, those assets do not belong to the parish…are you suggesting violating canon law?
Reasserters, reappraisers, it really is convenient to single out the “other” you can use both as a focus for your fear and anger and a touchstone by which to judge your own righteousness. I know this because I do exactly the same thing with Evangelicals. I have recently, however, begun dialogue with an Evangelical, who is making it harder for me to maintain the fiction of the monolithic Evangelical juggernaut running roughshod over the Gospel and everyone who does not follow their closed judgemental religion. I don’t know who to hate and fear now. Of course, Jeremy, both hate and… Read more »
Jeremy I would like to have my church of 38 years back. Yes, Trinity Washington! Your friend Millard systematically forced out loyal Episcopalians. This was a tactic used throughout this diocese. I can call on quite a few people from many parishes. Maybe you need to build your own churches with your own money.
“At least the former Diocese kept funding…”
Some mistake surely? I thought it was a fundamental principle of those who voted to affiliate with the Southern Cone that there was no break in identity with the previous TEC entity.
There weren’t any parish plants that were non evangelical in Pittsburgh because the evangelicals running Pittsburgh were to busy throwing out broad church folks and replacing them with mindless automatons. These people don’t want to ask what the parables could mean or how they might apply to a particular position, they want a definite answer. Why use parables if the answers are so clear. If you want to be told what to pray, pay and obey join the Roman Catholic Church. As for the property. Henry Scriven, (who lucky for the CofE is going to be helping out in Oxford… Read more »
Pat, No, of course they’re not, as witness those conservative parishes remaining in the non-Southern Cone diocese. But what would YOU do with a parish that’s 10 percent one way and 90 percent the other? Could the 10 percent keep the building open to serve the local community? I see nothing wrong with shared-space arrangements, where they can be arranged, perhaps with a property-management committee equally staffed from both sides. Ford, Good point and I don’t deny it. I have a dear friend at the Cathedral who is very critical of Bishop Duncan but who – I recently discovered to… Read more »
“Could the 10 percent keep the building open to serve the community?” If the 90 percent take it, we’ll never know, will we? And how do you “share space” if the two groups have wildly diverse worship styles? One group wants a central altar with candles and vestments; the other wants a central pulpit with the barest of decorations. One sees statues as objects of divine art; the other as “graven images”. Do we redecorate the church a couple of times a week? Further, and perhaps more importantly, doesn’t that simply confuse the community they are each trying to serve?… Read more »
“Is he planning to fill formerly reasserter churches with new converts? If so he’s bucking every demographic trend.”
You betcha! The Apostles didn’t take account of “every demographic trend”, and neither should TEC.
[You forget one other important point. I also expect to fill TEC churches w/ the “newly reconciled”: I hope and pray you’ll be one of them, Jeremy. Loving God, give ALL of us reconciling hearts like yours!]
Let’s see, who might be included properly among those to whom Duncan and Company will preach their special, unchanged and uncorrected, eternal conservative gospel? First, screen. Possible converts must pledge – anti-TEC, anti-Canada plus pro-Realignment stuff. Antigay stuff is said to be core creed, too. Two mommies or two daddies with children need not apply to Duncan’s new kingdom feast. Various sorts of educated intellectuals are also not all that welcome, just to the extent that any of those possible converts reads peer-reviewed science journals frequently enough to take them seriously as a pilgrim and believer. Such potential converts might… Read more »
“pro-life, which I would consider a first order issue” For you, but it really isn’t on the radar in this country. Not just in my parish, mind, but hardly anywhere. I suspect you think me, like your friend at the cathedral, to be a reappraiser, believing in nothing, considering the Bible nothing more than a collection of folk tales, at best, and seeking to destroy the Church, evil fag that I am. It might surprise you to learn that I am not in favour of SSBs, am an Anglocatholic who believes that the older the Tradition, the more reliable it… Read more »
Ford, I just believe I demonstrated the diversity of both sides in my previous post (and the fact that we all – myself included – make dangerous assumptions about the “other.”) I don’t see that we can do away entirely with categories. Doesn’t the very title of this blog imply that conservatives are “unthinking” Anglicans? To many people I know “life,” in its broadest sense, IS a first order issue, which is why, for example, I regard as deplorable efforts to bar pro-life gays and lesbians for particpating in the March for Life. I know nothing about you but what… Read more »
Jeremy:
Does your “pro-life” position include opposition to the death penalty? To torture?
I do apologize Jeremy if I seemed a little steamed. This isn’t an easy process and more than likely will have to go the courts. I did read some of your post on Bruce R’s page. I’ll sit down to read later. Father Leggett has known me since I was very very young. I saw him at convention and we caught up. We both know where we stand, he the evangelical and myself the progressive Anglo-Catholic. As for Calvary planting new churches, I would think that would be the diocese’s responsibility but even so, they have more churches in the… Read more »
Pat, I fear I’m taking us away from the topic of the post, but to answer your question yes (anti-death penalty) and yes (anti-torture). To argue otherwise seems to me to deny the possibility of redemption. Bob, No problem. I don’t really have any answers for you. I’ll be interested to see how you view my interpretation of the past, since you’ve lived through much of it. If the Cathedral project works it will have to be through divine intervention, but aren’t we told that all things are possible with God? Some of the details are in the resolution that’s… Read more »
“Doesn’t the very title of this blog imply that conservatives are “unthinking” Anglicans? “ Only if conservatives are prevented from posting here, which is certainly not the case. “Whence the hostility?” I apologize, I am guilty of making a pile of assumptions and going off half cocked. This stems from your use of the words “reasserter” and “reappraiser” and your obvious belief that schism is inevitable. Those two words are used by people who usually bring with them a series of assumptions, as is the idea that we have to split. Why? Why do we have to split? I mean,… Read more »