From here:JOHNSTOWN, Pa., Nov. 2 — By more than a two-to-one vote, members of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh voted Friday in favor of separating from the national church because of a theological rift that began with the consecration of an openly gay bishop in 2003.
The vote sets the stage for what could become a protracted legal battle between the diocese and the Episcopal Church U.S.A., which had warned Pittsburgh’s bishop not to go forward with the vote.
After passionate appeals from both sides of the debate, clergy members and lay people voted 227 to 82 to “realign” the conservative diocese.
If Friday’s vote is approved again in a year, the diocese will begin steps to remove itself from the American church and join with another province in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
After the vote, Bishop Robert W. Duncan of Pittsburgh, who is also moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, an alliance of conservative dioceses and parishes, defended the decision.
“What we’re trying to do is state clearly in the United States for the authority of Scripture,” Bishop Duncan said after the vote, taken during the diocese’s annual convention in this city about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh.
7 comments:
I am really surprised at the large number of negative votes - both sides would seem to have their politicking cut out for them over the next months since I assume a supermajority is required and the lay vote I am told was exactly 66.66666% --- What a number!!! Not that I am in to numerology or anything but I wonder what Dumbledore would have said about that percentage? Or Snape? Or???
2/3 of the Diocese of Pittsburgh vote to leave the Episcopal Church - that's pretty clear, don't you think?
bb
What is clear is that the 33.3333% better get real busy real fast to fill the gap when the 66.666% have left TEC - yes that is a big vacancy to fill but with God's help all thngs are possible.
2:1 is definitely clear, but it would be better if it were more like 3:1 or 4:1, which are typical numbers when a parish votes to leave. Not always, but typical. It would send a clearer message to the comprehensionally-challenged, such as ++KJS.
BB, I think this is sad. A paean to hubris, to an almost idolatrous reading of Holy Scripture, to gender and to power. In whatever order you care to read them.
padre wayne, I do agree that it is sad, though perhaps for different reasons. One of the painful things to hear from the Presiding Bishop is a sort of "here's your hat, what's your hurry" cavalier attitude about all the Episcopalians that have left (I sometimes wonder if it masks grief, that some progressives are actually sad that the evangelicals, traditionalists, orthodox or whatever one wants to call us are leaving). I know that I am sad - New Orleans was devastating as I've written about, the same cavalier attitude, the same "what schism?" dismissiveness that borders on arrogance.
The scriptures are the Word of God, Jesus is the Word made flesh, we worship Jesus and we meet Him through His Word, the scriptures. That's not idolatry, in fact, if you hear the Epistle for this weekend, you might drop your teeth. It's pretty darn harsh, talking about Jesus (yes, Jesus, not some sort of christ thingy, but Jesus Himself) coming back and doing some business. I thought I don't want anyone to perish, this is serious serious stuff. It breaks my heart.
There is no glee in what is happening. These votes are through tears, my friend.
I am glad padre wayne, that you post here. Very glad.
bb
Wow...
I'm in Australia for the next two weeks. Wonder if the reverb will be felt down under?
Pax,
Andy
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