Jefferts Schori Asks Orombi not to visit Georgia -- and Bishop Orambi's reply...

American Anglican Council ^ | 5/16/2008 | AAC

[AnalogReigns]

Source: Episcopal News Service May 12, 2008

The Most Revd Henry Luke Orombi Archbishop of Uganda and Bishop of Kampala PO Box 14123 Kampala UGANDA EAST AFRICA

My dear brother,

I understand from advertising here that you plan to visit a congregation in the Diocese of Georgia on 14 May of this year. The diocesan, Bishop Henry Louttit, has not given any invitation for you to do so, nor received any information from you about your planned visit. I must protest this unwarranted incursion into The Episcopal Church. I am concerned that you seem to feel it appropriate to visit, preach, and exercise episcopal ministry within the territory of this Church, and I wonder how you would receive similar behavior in Uganda. These actions violate the spirit and letter of the work of the Windsor Report, and only lead to heightened tensions. We are more than willing to receive you for conversation, dialogue, and reconciliation, yet you continue to act without speaking with us. I hope and pray that you might respond to our invitation and meet with representatives of this Church.

I remain

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

cc: Bishop Louttit Abp Rowan Williams

_________________________

Archbishop Orombi Replies

Source: StandFirm Blog May 14, 2008

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori The Episcopal Church USA 815 Second Avenue New York, NY

Dear Bishop Katharine,

I received word of your letter through a colleague who had seen it on the internet. Without the internet, I may never have known that you had written such a personal, yet sadly ironic, letter to me.

Unfortunately, you appear to have been misinformed about key matters, which I hope to clear up in this letter.

1. I am not visiting a church in the Diocese of Georgia. I am visiting a congregation that is part of the Church of Uganda. Were I to visit a congregation within TEC, I would certainly observe the courtesy of contacting the local bishop. Since, however, I am visiting a congregation that is part of the Church of Uganda, I feel very free to visit them and encourage them through the Word of God.

2. The reason this congregation separated from TEC and is now part of the Church of Uganda is that the actions of TEC's General Convention and statements of duly elected TEC leaders and representatives indicate that TEC has abandoned the historic Christian faith. Furthermore, as predicted by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in October 2003, TEC's actions have, in fact, torn the fabric of the Communion at its deepest level.

3. May I remind you that the initial reason the Lambeth Commission on Communion was appointed was because of unbiblical decisions taken by TEC in defiance of repeated warnings by all of the Anglican Instruments of Communion. The Windsor Report was produced and accepted in amended form by the Primates at our meeting in Dromantine, Northern Ireland, in February 2005. It is, therefore, quite ironic for you to be quoting the Windsor Report to me. Nowhere in the Windsor Report or in subsequent statements of the Instruments of Communion is there a moral equivalence between the unbiblical actions and decisions of TEC that have torn the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level and the pastoral response on our part to provide ecclesiastical oversight to American congregations who wish to continue to uphold the faith once delivered to the saints and remain a part of the Anglican Communion. Your selective quoting of the Windsor Report is stunning in its arrogance and condescension.

4. You and your House of Bishops rejected outright the Pastoral Scheme painstakingly devised in Dar es Salaam, and to which you agreed. You have, therefore, left us no choice but to continue to respond to the cries of God's faithful people in America for episcopal oversight that upholds and promotes historic, biblical Anglicanism.

5. An important element of the Dar es Salaam agreement was the plea by the Primates that "the representatives of The Episcopal Church and of those congregations in property disputes with it to suspend all actions in law arising in this situation." This was something to which you gave verbal assent and yet you have initiated more legal actions against congregations and clergy in your short tenure as Presiding Bishop than all of your predecessors combined. I urge you to rethink, suspend litigation and follow a more Christ-like approach to settling your differences.

Finally, I appeal to you to heed the advice of Gamaliel in Acts 5.38ff, "Leave these [churches] alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop [them]; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

Yours, in Christ,

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA.

[AnalogReigns]

ORAMBI FOR PRESIDENT!!! Well, he's not a natural born citizen, so, oh well...

[AnalogReigns]

For the Anglican ping list.

Read it all, past the Schori-sleaze and you’ll say Hooray for Orambi!

[x_plus_one]

within the territory of this Church

Sounds like a fatwa from Dar Al TEC.

[Tax-chick]

Is this for real? Why would Bishop Orombi not receive the letter from Bp. Schori, if it were mailed to him? Lousy mail service in Uganda? Or are the Primates communicating with one another third-hand through bloggers?

Would he really address a letter to “Dear Bishop Katharine”?

[Moose4]

There’s only two days’ difference in the dates of the letters, so if she actually sent it snail mail (or even air mail), there’s a pretty good chance it wouldn’t make it from here to Uganda by then. I guess this was posted on a TEC website as a press release.

In any case, if it’s true, it’s one heck of a smackdown by Bishop Orombi.

}:-)4

[Tax-chick]

Good point about the dates. I didn’t notice that. Under the circumstances, it seems that she intended him to receive the information through the Internet, and a paper mail communication could not really be expected to reach him. (Unless they have something like Anglican Diplomatic Pouch ...)

And yes, it’s a great statement from Bp. Orombi. It would have been funny if he’d addressed her as “Mrs. Jeffert-Schori” though :-).

[AnalogReigns]

The capitol cities of most African countries are pretty modern, and I bet FedEx makes deliveries to even Uganda every day or so. And yes, they do have email. Besides there are still telegrams.

No, this is purposeful grandstanding via the internet—repeatedly done by Schori et al. in the past to conservative African bishops. The amount of snide condescension and even racism by “enlightened” American revisionists towards the Africans simply cannot be overestimated.

[Moose4]

Well, yeah, it’s the old “open letter” trick. The difference being, Bishop Orombi didn’t lie back and take Schori’s arrogance, he rather forcefully reminded her why he even *has* a flock in the United States—because of her and her denomination’s repeated departure from Christian faith and traditional doctrine. She probably wasn’t expecting two to play at that game, much less for her to get “pwned” (as we gaming geeks say) like she did.

}:-)4

[Tax-chick]

Thanks for the additional information. It makes more sense with the context.

[Huber]

Thanks to AnalogReigns for the ping.

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[ Schori's letter and Orombi's powerful response were previously posted separately. Important to read if you missed them last time. --Huber]

[AndrewC]

You have, therefore, left us no choice but to continue to respond to the cries of God's faithful people in America for episcopal oversight that upholds and promotes historic, biblical Anglicanism.

Amen.

Jhn 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Jhn 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Jhn 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Jhn 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Jhn 17:20 ¶ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Jhn 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Jhn 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

[stan_sipple]

Bishop Orombi has no business coming to agitate the American TEC members. Our Episcopalians were happy until these foreign bishops started agitating for a literal interpretation of the Bible. Why he hasnt even heard of states’ rights! (sarc)

[AnalogReigns]

I believe, like royalty, bishops, being equals, address each other by their first name. Besides that, Orambi is an Archbishop, Schori is only a bishop with the function of “Presiding Bishop.”

[rabscuttle385]

Finally, I appeal to you to heed the advice of Gamaliel in Acts 5.38ff, "Leave these [churches] alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop [them]; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

Thank God for shepherds with actual cojones.

[rabscuttle385]

...much less for her to get “pwned” (as we gaming geeks say) like she did.

That was the first thought in my mind after reading Bishop Orombi's reply.

[gogeo]

stunning in its arrogance and condescension...

Sums her up well, I'd say.

[Zero Sum]

Would he really address a letter to “Dear Bishop Katharine”?

"Bishop Katharine" seems to be how she prefers to be addressed. A woman broke through the "stained-glass ceiling," dontcha know, and don't you forget it! In fact, the ecclesiastical circus that she runs is developing into quite the personality cult. This happened about a month and a half ago:

"I met Bishop Katharine, and I'm ready to change the world." This message was printed on miniature globes that children received from their rector as they huddled around Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on the final morning of her three-day visit to San Diego.

Far be it for Archbishop Orombi to deny her such a noble appellation. :)

[Tax-chick]

Oh, my goodness! What an absolute goofball! For nice Christian people from Africa, dealing with TEC must be like the Twilight Zone.