Friday, March 20, 2009

Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida opposes Presiding Bishop's attempts in U.S. courts to reduce dioceses to "subordinate units"

"We are deeply concerned that the Presiding Bishop is seeking to reinterpret the Constitution and Canons of this Church and overturn 220 years of settled church custom and law by appealing to an outside secular court."
-The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida

A unanimous joint-statement from the Standing Committee and nearly unanimous from the Executive Board of the Diocese of Central Florida, via e-mail:
Statement of Mutual Concern over Civil Courts
Redefining Ecclesiastical Polity

The Diocese of Central Florida is thankful to the Anglican Communion Institute, Inc. (ACI) for taking the initiative in making a statement (see below) about the nature of hierarchy and governance within the Episcopal Church. We fully support and are grateful for The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe, The Rt. Rev. Bruce MacPherson and the other signatories to the statement.

We fully share the concerns expressed in the statement regarding recent court filings and arguments made by the Presiding Bishop's chancellor to "turn The Episcopal Church’s governance on its head."

We oppose any attempt, in this civil litigation or in any other secular forum to turn Dioceses into "subordinate units" of the General Convention, the Executive Council or the office of the Presiding Bishop--something they never have been and must not become.

We are deeply concerned that the Presiding Bishop is seeking to reinterpret the Constitution and Canons of this Church and overturn 220 years of settled church custom and law by appealing to an outside secular court.

We welcome and encourage other dioceses within the Episcopal Church to stand with us in resisting this redefinition of our ecclesiastical polity through the use of the secular courts by the Presiding Bishop and her chancellor.

The Diocesan Board and Standing Committee (unanimous)
The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida
The original statement and article is here.

2 comments:

Creighton+ said...

Bishop Howe and Standing Committee,

Thank you for your faithful witness, but this is how the current Presiding Bishop sees dioceses. It is no surprise and she will continue to press this issue and use every means legal or otherwise to accomplish her goal.

Anonymous said...

Dear BB,
I posted this at MCJ - but hope you will not mind my posting it here also:

Prayers requested for the Anglican Church of North America Provincial Assembly in June - Go to Prayer for Common Cause:

http://prayer.united-anglicans.org/2009/03/special-prayer-request-provincial.html

This site, along with Lent & Beyond (on the MCJ blogroll) are places to go for inspiration, to fight the good fight in this Anglican upheaval.

I have also found these sites to be a good place to dump Anglican Angst (TM), Anglican Anxiety (TM)and Anglican Anger (TM) at the foot of the Cross and to re-fill with His Beauty and to re-tune my ears to His Voice…to re-true my heart to The Word.

These are great places for Lenten inspiration, full of the riches of appropriate Scriptures, prayers and wisdom from the ancient saints and the living saints as well.

Go there. Be blessed.