Posted on 04/15/2007 9:25:25 PM PDT by Huber
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ A national review committee of the Episcopal Church has dismissed all the religious charges brought against Connecticut Bishop Andrew Smith by leaders of six conservative parishes, the bishop said Friday.
The parishes had alleged, among other things, inappropriate application of church law in Smith's decision to support the Rev. V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the church's first openly gay bishop. Robinson's 2003 consecration divided the U.S. Episcopal Church and expanded the rift over gay issues among churches in the global Anglican Communion.
Dubbed the "Connecticut Six," the priests had asked to be supervised by a different bishop because they disagreed with Smith's support for Robinson.
The committee issued an 89-page decision that was mailed on April 11 to attorneys for the Diocese and for the churches. There is no provision for appeal. The committee, comprising five bishops, two priests, and two lay persons, is similar to a grand jury, which determines if there is enough evidence to continue to a church trial.
Smith said he was pleased with the committee's ruling.
"My desire has always been to bring reconciliation with the clergy and laity who sought to dissociate themselves from the oversight of their bishop and the mission and life of the Diocese of Connecticut," he said in a statement released Friday. "I will never abandon that desire and hope."
Messages were left seeking comment from the priests and their lawyer, Ralph Dupont.
The six parishes also had filed a federal lawsuit in 2005 seeking several million dollars in damages from Smith. They allege he violated their civil and property rights after they tried to break away from his authority because he supported the election of Robinson. A federal judge dismissed the case last year and the parishes are appealing.
In spring 2005, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Connecticut, an elected council of advice, determined that each of the six rectors had "abandoned the communion of the Church."
Smith eventually removed the Rev. Mark Hansen of St. John's in Bristol based in part on the Standing Committee recommendation.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. ...and the Episcopal implosion continues, unimpeded.
Most of the members of the Episcopal church here voted to leave TEC, but the bishop of Atlanta threatened them, so the remnant got to keep the pricey new buildings the congregation had funded. I drove by the place yesterday at the time for services. The parking lot was practically empty.
St Jude's Marietta? Although their buildings aren't new.
If the place is empty, the remnant is going to have an entertaining time trying to pay the mortgage and the light bill.
Unfortunately, most Episcopalians in Atlanta are of one mind with the bishop. I think folks outside the Perimeter may feel differently, but their numbers aren't all that great.
Their numbers sure aren’t great here in Peachtree City. I was talking about St. Andrews in the Pines. They’ve been advertising like mad in the local paper, and they’ve put up a sign boasting that they are affiliated with the Diocese of Atlanta, but evidently those tactics aren’t drawing folks in. A letter to the local paper last week flat-out accused the remaining remnant of lying about the facts of the break-up, and I think most of the locals realize that the letter-writer was on target.
Is the paper on line? I would love to see THAT exchange.
I of course left the church back in 2003, but I still watch with the can't-tear-your-eyes-away fascination of somebody witnessing a train wreck.
The rector of our former parish (the guy I thought was such a jerk) has run into serious trouble of his own and has been inhibited and deposed from his position. Money problems, from what I hear from friends still in the parish (and yes, I am trying to get them to flee from the wrath to come, but they were raised Baptist and they won't even come visit our Catholic parish.) I think it was in the Atlanta paper. (I am praying not to even think "serves you right, you nasty man" but it keeps popping into my head.)
Predictable as the dawn. TEC would never discipline a bishop, unless he was a traditionalist and retired. They are all under God’s judgement and will pay dearly for their grievous sins and abominations against His Kingdom.
The link in post #9 goes to the letter I mentioned.
Of course you mentioned St. Andrew's before, but I had forgotten. Thanks for filling me in.
There's going to be a lot of pain before all this shakes out. I am sorry for the folks who have lost family churches and graveyards due to the greed of the ECUSA bishops. What a shame.
Then send them to the PCA (Westminster in Atlanta, perhaps - see below) or the LCMS.
Here's a good way to hook them into Westminster:
"May 20, 2007: John Rutter's Requiem
Please join us on Sunday, May 20 at 7:00 pm as our Chancel Choir along with Chamber Orchestra players present John Rutter's Requiem. A reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow after the performance. Nursery will be provided. No admission charge or donation required. All are welcome!! Excerpts from notes about Rutter's Requiem:
- Completed in 1985, it does not adhere strictly to the conventional Catholic liturgy, but combines texts from the Requiem Mass and the Book of Common Prayer.
http://www.westminster-pca.org/
My mom was raised Presbyterian, my daughter's best friend is a Calvinist Presbyterian, and my daughter is attending a Presbyterian college (lots of Catholics there though.)
At this point, we should try to concentrate on getting Episcopals into the lifeboats, rather than being concerned about which side of the ship the boat is on.
As for colleges - if it isn’t Erskine or Covenant, it’s probably liberal Presbyterian - she should have saved her money and just gone to the University of Georgia - or commuted to the North Avenue Trade School, noted for its swimming pool.
My daughter reports that even her Anthro prof, though liberal, is fair and gives all sides a hearing. At her conference meeting, he said he thought she was an evangelical Protestant (he did field work amongst the Santeria crowd in Latin America, so his view of Catholicism is a little . . . skewed.)
Now the lady who runs the on-campus Catholic ministry is a liberal nut . . . but fortunately the kids have her number and mostly ignore her. Daughter has found a local very orthodox parish to attend.
I wouldn't recommend the Trade School to anybody these days. The administration has gone completely off the deep end with political correctness and persecution of conservatives. In comparison, Davidson is a beacon of tolerance and respect.
( . . . my grandfather was good friends with Fred Lanoue, most famous denizen of the famous Tech pool, and Fred taught my mother to swim . . . )
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