I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
John 12:46
History and Information
Remain Episcopal: Living Into Our Baptismal Covenant
Leaders of 11 Defecting Churches Gather In F.C. for CANA Installation Ceremony ... By contrast, across the street on Sunday morning, the service of those calling themselves “the continuing congregation” of the Falls Church Episcopal, namely those members who did not chose to defect, almost doubled in size from the previous week. - 2/9/07
read more Diocese of Pittsburgh “Revised Appeal” Reveals Coup Plans Against Episcopal Church - 2/1/07
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as profiled on in USA Today - 2/4/07
read more here...
San Joaquin convention seeks to sever diocese from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop, deputies' president respond to 'extracanonical' actions - 12/04/06
San Joaquin bishop sent letter from Presiding Bishop - 11/20/06
Bishop Schofield Responds to Presiding Bishop Schori’s Letter of November 20th - 11/29/06
Grace Under Pressure When Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori broke a 500-year gender barrier, many applauded. Those who didn’t represent her biggest challenge. 1/07
read more here...
PITTSBURGH: Bishop Duncan reveals appeal for oversight to Global South Primates - 2/2/07
read more here...
Report of the Covenant Design Group - 2/19/07
read more here...
Primates Meeting Communique - 2/19/07
read more here..
A sermon by the Anglican Archbishop of Mexico - said "As an Anglican committed to promote inclusiveness and diversity in our Church, I rejoice, celebrate and support the ministry of Inclusive Church. May the Anglican Communion continue to be a house of prayer for all people, where everyone is welcome, valued and respected" - 2/26/07
read more here..
OPINION: Some thoughts on the future of the Episcopal Church - Nick Knisely - Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Phoenix - "any response by the Episcopal Church to the Communique will be judged to be wanting by the voices on the right-end of the spectrum and any perceived acceptance of an honest response of the part of TEC by the other Provinces of the Communion would be used as justification to begin the realignment...We can see the stark truth now of the old african proverb - when elephants fight, it is the grass that is trampled." 3/12/07
read more here..
OPINION: Face to Faith - The Rev Dr Giles Fraser is the vicar of Putney, UK - "this manufactured crisis is a golden opportunity to create new rules to oust the progressive voice from the church.." 2/17/07
(Canadian) Archbishop Hutchison ‘discouraged’ by primates’ communiqué - The communiqué demonstrated “a great struggle to try and preserve some kind of unity within the Anglican family, but the question is, at what price?” 2/23/07
A statement from the Diocese of Utah: "We encourage our Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, to foster the formation of networks with Primates who are supportive of the actions and directions of The Episcopal Church. Their collective voice will assist the Communion in understanding that the issues we have spoken of in this paper have support in other provinces and are not solely expressed by many in The Episcopal Church." - 3/13/07
ENS:30 Bishops around the Episcopal Church continue to talk with their dioceses about the communiqué issued February 19th from the Primates' Meeting near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. - 2/27/07
ENS: Archbishop of Canterbury announces he will meet with Episcopal Church - Dr. Rowan Williams intends to meet with the House of Bishops at their fall gathering in New Orleans September 20-25, 2007. - 4/16/07
read more here...
ENS: TEC Executive Council committee offers draft covenant study guide - The guide includes information on how congregations and individuals can submit responses by June 4, to be used in the creation of a report by the Executive Council at its October meeting in Detroit, Michigan. - 4/16/07
read more here...
OPINION: An Uneasy Fit - Covenants and Anglicans have never gone together - Frederick Quinn, priest, retired senior Foreign Service Officer and constitutional adviser to several Eastern European governments and in embassies in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, states "...the Tanzanian covenant of February 19, 2007, is a fatally flawed document, long, dull and tediously obvious, except for its invidious final provisions, which change the character of the historic Anglican deliberative process and turn the Primates into a judicial body." - 4/10/07
read more here...
Anglican Journal: Can primates enforce edict? by Marites N. Sison - Can the primates' meeting, which was created in 1978 to provide leaders of Anglican provinces with an opportunity for "leisurely thought, prayer and deep consultation" enforce penalties and offer recommendations to individual and independent provinces that sound more like edicts? - 4/1/07
read more here...
Two Bishops give their detailed news-filled reports on the House of Bishops meeting: - 3/27&28/07
Bsp James Kelsey (Diocese of Northern Michigan) read more here...
Living Church: Bishop Bruno to Canterbury: 'Stop Being Chamberlain' - The Bishop of Los Angeles is dedicated to remaining a full member of the Anglican Communion, but he also says he would like to see the Archbishop of Canterbury take a firmer stand toward those he believes are trying to destroy TEC. "It's time for [Archbishop Rowan Williams] to stop being Chamberlain and start acting like Churchill," the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno told his diocese. - 3/26/07
Bishop Chane writes to the Diocese of Washington - "These resolutions make clear that in spite of our differences on human sexuality and other issues, a solid majority of the House viewed the recommendations contained in the Primates’ communiqué from Tanzania as offensive to our Church and disrespectful of the way that we discern and respond to God’s will." - 3/21/07
AP:Rachel Zoll - Episcopal bishops reject ultimatum from Anglican leaders - "The bishops also said they would not agree to an Anglican plan for leaders outside the U.S. denomination to oversee the small number of conservative American dioceses that disagree...'We cannot accept what would be injurious to the church and could well lead to its permanent division,' the bishops said in a resolution from a private meeting in Texas. " - 3/21/07
The Living Church:Bishops Reject Primates' Ultimatum - “We believe that there is an urgent need for us to meet face to face with the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the primates’ standing committee, and we hereby request and urge that such a meeting be negotiated by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury at the earliest possible opportunity,” they said. “We invite the Archbishop and members of the primates’ standing committee to join us at our expense for three days of prayer and conversation regarding these important matters.” - 3/20/2007
ENS:The House of Bishops issues three 'Mind of the House' resolutions. - 3/20/07
ENS: Presiding Bishop's homily at House of Bishops' closing Eucharist - "We've looked beyond ourselves to the Anglican Communion, and internally toward our varied members. We are trying to see with others' perspectives, and sometimes it can be both painful and annoying. We don't see as clearly or easily when we gaze on unfamiliar depths, when we are invited to hold together both Radner and Grieb, both unchanging truth and continuing revelation." - 3/21/07
ENS: A Message to God's People...from the Bishops of the Episcopal Church - "Nonetheless, we pledge to continue working to find a way of meeting the pastoral concerns raised by the Primates that are compatible with our own Church's polity and canons." - 3/21/07
Living Church: Magisterial Model Would Weaken Communion, Says Former ACC Head - "Autonomy could become the next victim of the controversy that now engulfs the Anglican Communion over human sexuality, says a former secretary general of the Anglican Consultative Council. "Many in the Anglican Communion are trying to impose a Roman form of governance," says the Rev. Canon John Peterson " - 3/26/07
Bishop Pierre Whalon of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe states "This [event] showed two things about the new Presiding Bishop. First, contrary to some reports, her Christology is orthodox...The other aspect of this incident is that +Katharine Jefferts Schori cares about people who do not agree with her." - 3/25/07
Fresno Bee: Valley Episcopalians forge ahead with church split plan - A second vote, at the 2007 convention in October, is needed to finalize the split...Thursday, local Episcopal leaders said the House of Bishops' stand affirms the diocesan decision to split. "Nothing has changed from the direction we announced in December," [Chancellor Van] McCalister said." - 3/23/07
Dec 7th-8th, 2007 - Convention Information:
Text of Constitutional Changes for Diocesan Convention here
Text of Amendments to Canons for Diocesan Convention here
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori sends letter to San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield - Dec 3, 2007 -
"While you may believe that the Diocese of San Joaquin can be welcomed into another Province of the Anglican Communion, I believe you will find that few parts of the Communion will recognize such a proposal. Such an action is without precedent, violates long-standing principles of catholic Christianity, and can only harm those faithful Episcopalians who only seek to follow Christ."
read the ENS article and text of the letter here...
Bishop Schofield's Pastoral Letter - Nov 18th here
"Should the second reading of the Constitutional changes receive the necessary two thirds...the Diocese is free to accept the invitiation of the Province of the Southern Cone."
RE Press Release: San Joaquin Diocese Will Continue With or Without Bishop Schofield - "If Bishop Schofield and the majority of the delegates do vote in December to leave, the Episcopal Church will still be alive and well in San Joaquin, although somewhat smaller. The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin existed long before Bishop Schofield was elected and will continue to exist after he leaves. While he is a bishop, he is not the church, he is not the diocese, nor, by leaving, can he define whether or not the Episcopal Church will continue in this diocese." 11/08/07 read more here...
Rt. Rev. Sergio Carranza, (former Bishop of the Diocese of Mexico) - "Our domestic conspirators and their financial sponsors keep telling everybody that Latin America is part of the conservative faction, and therefore part of the complot, but that is a misrepresentation, because the only renegade province in Latin America is the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone, which is the least numerous, the least Anglican and the least Latin American. The Anglican/Episcopal Church of Brazil, the Anglican Church of the Central Region of America, and the Anglican Church of Mexico, are loyal members of the Anglican Communion and find themselves in good terms with ECUSA and the Canadian Church, respecting their polity and autonomy. . . It is very sad indeed to see how our beloved Anglican Communion is being rent asunder by an unholy combination of gross ambition, bad hermeneutics, poor ecclesiology, conservative money and plain homophobia." from The Insurrection of the Chieftains, The Angelus, October 2005
Pittsburgh: Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh comment on Executive Council resolution - "the resolution reminds all of us in Pittsburgh that once a diocese has been recognized by General Convention, there is no unilateral diocesan right of withdrawal from the church.” - 6/18/07
read more here...
ENS: Executive Council resolution on constitutions generates mixed reactions by Mary Frances Schjonberg - "For us in the Diocese of San Joaquin, where the proposed disaffiliation amendment has already passed its first vote, the statement by our Executive Council brings great relief," Remain Episcopal said. - 6/19/07
read more here...
Pittsburgh: Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh comment on Executive Council resolution - "the resolution reminds all of us in Pittsburgh that once a diocese has been recognized by General Convention, there is no unilateral diocesan right of withdrawal from the church.” - 6/18/07
read more here...
ENS: Executive Council puts disaffected dioceses on notice about constitutional changes by Mary Frances Schjonberg - Episcopal Church dioceses that change their constitutions in an attempt to bypass the Church's Constitution and Canons were warned by the Executive Council June 14 that their actions are "null and void." ... Resolution NAC023 names the dioceses of Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, San Joaquin and Quincy. - 6/14/07
read more here...
VIDEO: President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson speaks about her experiences of pastoral visits to various parishes and dioceses throughout the Episcopal Church - including San Joaquin.
watch it here.. (click link & select story entitled "House of Deputies
president Bonnie Anderson")
SERMON: That’s How the Light Gets In by The Right Rev.Leopold Frade, Bishop of Southeast Florida - “Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.”..."We must fix the crack in our roof, but let’s be careful to leave those other necessary cracks alone, so that through them light may get in and shine to banish the darkness of our world." - 6/3/07
read more here...
ENS: Disaffected, breakaway bishops plan September meeting by Mary Frances Schjonberg - "Bishops of seven self-identified Anglican organizations have been invited by Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan to attend a meeting September 25-28, in part to "initiate discussion of the creation of an 'Anglican Union'" such as the one envisioned by the Primates of the Global South when they called for a new "ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA." - 6/1/07
read more here...
ENS: An exciting time to be an Episcopalian, Presiding Bishop tells lay group by Neva Rae Fox- "What has not gotten media attention are the faithful witness and mission work that is going on all over this church. When your neighbors and friends ask you -- O isn't it awful in the Episcopal Church -- I want you to tell them about something wonderful that's going on in the Episcopal Church because there is a great deal of it.". - 5/15/07
read more here..
The Fresno Bee and Los Angeles Times - Dec. 22nd - carried a display advertisement detailing the "historic, continuing mission" of the Episcopal Church in the state's six dioceses - "The Diocese of San Joaquin - Episcopal Church continues in Central California amid a current change in diocesan leadership. Assisting in this transition are members of Remain Episcopal and Holy Family Parish in Fresno."
see the ad here...
Continuing Episcopalians making plans to reconstitute Diocese of San Joaquin - Parishes can choose their future, canon to the ordinary says - [ENS] by Mary Frances Schjonberg - Dec 11, 2007 Local leaders, along with those from the wider church, are already making plans for the continuation of the Diocese of San Joaquin following a vote to disassociate from the Episcopal Church...The Rev. Robert Moore will meet with the group as well. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori appointed Moore "to provide an ongoing pastoral presence to the continuing Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Joaquin,"
read the article here...
ABC did not endorse actions of Southern Cone - The Epsicopal Cafe - Dec 10, 2007 "Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has not in any way endorsed the actions of the Primate of the Southern Cone, Bishop Gregory Venables, in his welcoming of dioceses, such as San Joaquin in the Episcopal Church, to become part of his province in South America," a spokesman for the Anglican Communion said. (Via email from The Rev. Canon Dr. James M. Rosenthal, Anglican Communion Office, Director of Communications.)
read the article here...
San Joaquin votes to leave Episcopal Church, realign with Southern Cone - Some delegates vow to 'Remain Episcopal'; Presiding Bishop comments on action - [ENS] by Pat McCaughan - Dec 08, 2007 "The Episcopal Church receives with sadness the news that some members of this church have made a decision to leave this church," said Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. "We deeply regret their unwillingness or inability to live within the historical Anglican understanding of comprehensiveness. We wish them to know of our prayers for them and their journey. The Episcopal Church will continue in the Diocese of San Joaquin, albeit with new leadership."
Nancy Key and...Remain Episcopal..."We are prepared to work with the Episcopal Church to reconstitute our diocese," she said. "I feel this is what we are called to do. I am so convinced of this."
read the ENS article here...
Presiding Bishop Eyes New Leadership for Diocese of San Joaquin - The Living Church - Dec 08, 2007 "One of the two diocesan chancellors responded that since the convention no longer recognized the authority of The Episcopal Church, Bishop Schofield could only be inhibited by the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone. Toward the conclusion of convention, Bishop Schofield announced that certificates from the Southern Cone were available for clergy to display in their offices."
read the article here...
Letters of Support to the
San Joaquin Episcopal faithful
pour in from around the World:
Messages of Christian Love & Support
Other messages:
Bonnie Anderson, President,
The Episcopal Church House of Deputies here...
The Rt. Revd. Marc Andrus,
Bishop of the Diocese of California here...
The Revd. Canon Francisco de Assis da Silva, Provincial Secretary, Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil here...
The Rt. Revd. Stacy Sauls, Bishop of the Diocese of Lexington - Chair of the House of Bishops Task Force on Property Disputes here...
