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Bishop Schofield Formally Resigns from HOB

Source:  The Living Church

Date:  March 6, 2008
 
Bishop John-David Schofield of San Joaquin formally resigned from the House of Bishops in a letter sent to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on March 1.
 
Bishop Schofield said it was the only way for the diocese to preserve biblical truth and the historic Anglican faith and order.
 
"It is important to note that this is separation and not schism," he said "Separation, by definition, is the biblical answer to unrepentant and public false teaching and immorality."
 
The vote by clergy and lay delegates to the annual convention to amend the diocese's constitution and canons last December meant that Bishop Schofield had left The Episcopal Church. After the vote, Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables informed Bishop Schofield that he had been welcomed as a member of the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone. Bishop Schofield said he remains Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, and The Episcopal Church "has no jurisdiction or authority" to change that status.
 
"This leaves only my status as a member of the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church to be determined," he said. "Rather than force the House of Bishops to a vote, I herewith tender my resignation as a member of the House of Bishops effective midnight EST, March 7, 2008."
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Joint Standing Committee discusses Lambeth Conference, Windsor Process

Source:  Episcopal News Service

Date:  March 5, 2008

The Lambeth Conference and issues relating to the Windsor Process were the primary concerns addressed at the February 29-March 4 meeting of the Primates/Anglican Consultative Council Joint Standing Committee which was held in private at the London-based Anglican Communion Office.

While much of the conversation focused on process and the respective roles of the Joint Standing Committee, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who was elected to the Primates Standing Committee in February 2007, said it had been "enlightening, not only to get to know people and to build some relationships, but to hear more about the different contexts in which people function and the ongoing frustration with how much time we spend talking about conflict rather than mission."

The committee registered its appreciation for the work of the Lambeth Conference Design Group, but noted that particular details of the meeting are still being worked out and that fundraising is a continuing need for the once-a-decade gathering of the Anglican Communion's bishops. More than 800 bishops have been invited to attend the July 16-August 3 conference in Canterbury. A separate conference for the bishops' spouses will run concurrently.

The committee acknowledged that five primates have said their bishops will not be attending the Lambeth Conference, "but recognized that some bishops from those provinces are expected to attend," Jefferts Schori said. "The hope is that more will certainly decide to attend."

The bishops are invited to Lambeth on an individual basis and not on behalf of or through their primates, Sue Parks, Lambeth Conference manager, told ENS...

Read the rest of the article by clicking here.
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Fort Worth: Diocese Releases Guidelines for Amendment

Source:  Diocese of Fort Worth

Date:  March 3, 2008

Below are the Guidelines called for in the amendment to Canon 32, which was approved by our Diocesan Convention in November 2007. The amendment took effect 30 days after ratification by Convention.

The Guidelines set out a procedure to be followed if a parish wishes to initiate a separation from the diocese. They were prepared after consideration was given to specific concerns raised at deanery convocations and at the Convention. As much as possible, these concerns have been taken into consideration as the Guidelines were drafted.

The leadership of this diocese has watched with sadness as issues and attitudes have caused deepening differences at all levels in the Anglican Communion. Adding to this rupture of the bonds of affection are the growing numbers of lawsuits being filed by those who once were unified in faithful witness and ministry. "Disagreement and division may be inevitable," commented Dean Ryan Reed, President of the Standing Committee, "but Christian charity must not be sacrificed in the process." The purpose of the Canon and the Guidelines is to provide for a charitable parting, if parting is necessary...

To read the rest of the guidelines click here.
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Presiding Bishop Visits South Carolina

Source:  Episcopal News Service

Date:  March 3, 2008

The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina welcomed Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori during her short visit in February through open forums, open houses, and open hearts.

The Presiding Bishop had not been invited to the January consecration of diocesan Bishop Mark Lawrence, and the February 24-25 visit was an opportunity for Jefferts Schori and the people of the diocese to explore their common areas as well as their points of disagreement.

Through a series of public events and private gatherings, the Presiding Bishop was able to meet and speak with diocesan officials, clergy and lay people, deans, elected Standing Committee and Council members.

Accompanied by her husband, Dr. Richard Schori, and the Rev. Canon Dr. Charles Robertson, canon to the Presiding Bishop, Jefferts Schori expressed enthusiasm about the visit. "It's wonderful to meet and talk to people face-to-face," Jefferts Schori said about her visit. "That's how we learn to know each other and learn about each other."

...The private conversation for active clergy at St. Andrew's, called Charity and Clarity, drew nearly 100 active priests and deacons from all areas of the diocese. After a presentation by Lawrence and an invitation to conversation from the Presiding Bishop, Jefferts Schori and the clergy engaged in an open, honest and frank discussion, ranging from biblical interpretation and church politics to congregational growth.

"You've come to one of the few dioceses in the Episcopal Church which is growing," Lawrence said. "In fact, it's one of the few dioceses of the Episcopal Church which is growing faster than the demographic growth in the area."

Noting that "not all are of the same theological stripe," Lawrence stated the clergy share an "unwavering commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ."

Lawrence asked for an "earnest and focused conversation about the things that are so troubling to us."

In the ensuing two-hour discussion, the Presiding Bishop was asked about numbers, about apostolic succession, and about the needs and wants of the Diocese of South Carolina. A dominant concern voiced was that their more conservative views are not heard or represented by the national church leadership.

The Presiding Bishop addressed each comment that was presented. She expressed her appreciation for the conversation and her hope that the conversation won't end when she leaves the diocese. "The gift of this community is our ability to have real conversation and dialogue with each other," she said. "We have need of all parts of the body..."

Read the rest of the article by clicking here.

South Carolina Bishop Responds
 

The Bishop of South Carolina, The Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence, posted this response to the above Episcopal News Service article on his diocesan website.

I have read the recent article from the ENS regarding the Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori's visit to the Diocese of South Carolina. It was a gracious and accurate description of much of our time together. Indeed, there was a warm hospitality which we were most intentional in cultivating through our prayers and our hearts. What the article failed to convey, however, is the depth of the theological chasm that lies between many of us in South Carolina (and others within the church for that matter) and the trajectory of so much of the leadership of The Episcopal Church. To explore these cavernous depths is indeed the great work that lies before anyone in leadership today. Along with showing hospitality and witnessing to God's work among us, the earnest exploring of this chasm was and remains one of our chief objectives.

--The Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence

To listen to audio recordings of the Presiding Bishop's conversation with Bishop Lawrence and other clergy in the Diocese of South Carolina click here.  

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Anglican Communion Network Announces Conference

Join the ACN's Southeastern Convocation for its upcoming conference "Common Cause: Working Together in Mission and Ministry" April 17-19 at Holy Cross Anglican Church in Loganville, GA ($90). Bishop Robert Duncan, ACN and Common Cause Moderator, will begin the conference Thursday evening by sharing the broad vision of the Common Cause Partnership followed by Jenny Noyes, ACN Director of Evangelism, sharing testimonies of grass roots cooperation among the Common Cause Anglicans.

On Friday morning, Bishops Alex Dickson, David Anderson, and John Rodgers will join other Common Cause leaders in a panel discussion on the work that God is doing in raising up Common Cause "clusters" (churches that can effectively partner together at local levels) throughout the country. The workshops and networking time will help equip you with ministry tools to play your part in rebuilding His Kingdom through vibrant Anglican churches.

The Rev. Tom Herrick, Executive Director of the Titus Institute, will present a pre-conference training day on church planting ($85) on Thursday from 8:30 to 4:30. Go to www.regonline.com/seccommoncause for conference details and to register. Discounts available for groups of three or more for the pre-conference and for students/seminarians for both conferences.

The Rev. Jim McCaslin, Dean of the Southeastern Convocation, invites you to join him at this conference for 'the calling of God to us seems clear: Rebuild my Church from the bottom up working together in mission and ministry because the Cause that I am giving you in Common is taking the saving Good News of Jesus to a lost and hurting world.'

Yours in Jesus,