Free Republic

Gov. Rick Perry today released the following statement regarding sanctuary city legislation: "As the special session appears to be winding down, I am disappointed the Legislature did not address sanctuary cities. Working with legislative leaders last weekend, we worked to include sanctuary city legislation in Senate Bill 1. Unfortunately, SB1 Conference Committee [Republican] Chairman Robert Duncan ultimately refused to allow language related to the ban of sanctuary cities into the final version of Senate Bill 1. Because of this action, the special session will not provide our peace officers with the discretion they need to adequately keep Texans safe from...

The worldwide Anglican Church suffered a dramatic new split last night when a leading conservative archbishop approved plans to adopt breakaway American dioceses, the Daily Telegraph has learned. Archbishop Gregory Venables is to allow conservative dioceses that are defecting from the pro-gay American branch of Anglicanism to affiliate with his South American province thousands of miles away. The unprecedented realignment will rock the 70 million-strong worldwide Church and escalate the bitter civil war over gay clergy that is tearing it apart. It will also dismay the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who is struggling to avert a formal schism....

BISHOP’S ADDRESS 142nd Annual Convention Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh “He who has called you is faithful, and He will do it.” [I Thess.5.24] Bishop Colin Bazley of Chile and Mother Catherine Grace of All Saints [Catonsville] each sent me a note at the time of my election as bishop, nearly twelve years ago now. One knew me not at all, and the other knew me quite well. Both sent me the same Scripture verse: “He who has called you is faithful, and He will do it.” I have relied on that verse over and over again in my leadership as...

The head of the Episcopal Church has warned Pittsburgh Bishop Robert W. Duncan Jr. that he will face civil suits and possible expulsion as bishop if a proposed resolution enabling the diocese to leave the denomination passes during today's diocesan convention. A diocesan spokesman said the letter from Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, sent by fax to the Pittsburgh Diocese office late Wednesday, was "intended, honestly, to intimidate the convention." The 142nd annual convention is being held today and tomorrow in Johnstown. The presiding bishop's letter said she was aware of Bishop Duncan's "statements and actions in recent months" that demonstrated...

* Note Kevin Kallsen should be broadcasting this very shortly * link: http://www.anglicantv.org/blog/index.cfm/2007/9/25/Common-Cause-PIttsburgh-Tuesday-Stream [hat tip to Stand Firm] A total of 51 bishops and bishops-elect representing tens-of-thousands of Anglicans in North America are meeting together Sept. 25-28 in Pittsburgh , PA. The meeting of the first-ever Common Cause Council of Bishops brings together bishops and observers from the American Anglican Council, the Anglican Coalition in Canada, the Anglican Communion Network, Anglican Network in Canada, the Anglican Province of America, Anglican Essentials Canada, the Anglican Mission in the Americas, the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, Forward in Faith North America...

Diocesan Convention Nov. 2-3 will set the future course of the diocese. Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh's Standing Committee, Board of Trustees and Diocesan Council discussed the future path of the diocese at Antiochian Village May 20-21. Speaking at the beginning of the retreat, Bishop Robert Duncan told diocesan leaders that "we're here together...to discuss our way forward in light of our failure to obtain Alternative Primatial Oversight." Diocesan organizational consultant Cynthia Waisner helped the leadership identify a number of different choices in the light of the rejection of the 2006 appeals and, more recently, the House of...

Invitations to the primates’ meeting next month in Tanzania, in the form of a draft agenda, propose setting aside Wednesday, Feb. 14 in order to hear from others, including two bishops of The Episcopal Church. The invitations were emailed by a member of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams’ staff within the past few days. Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan has accepted an invitation which was made to him earlier this week, according to a source who wished to remain anonymous. The identity of the second bishop of The Episcopal Church could not be confirmed at the time of publication.

Robert M. (Mike) Duncan was confirmed as General Counsel of the Republican National Committee in July 2002 and January 2005. He previously was elected Treasurer of the RNC in January 2001. Duncan, in his fourth term as National Committeeman from Kentucky, has served the party at every level from precinct captain, county chairman, state chairman, and national officer. He has been a delegate to the 1972, 1976, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Republican National Conventions and is one of the few persons ever to serve on the four standing convention committees. Duncan was elected chairman of the Convention Credentials Committee...

In a step toward creating a church within the Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Pittsburgh decided yesterday to seek formation of a boundary-less, theologically conservative province, and it appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury for immediate alternative oversight and pastoral care. Yesterday's resolution does not change the diocese's standing within the Episcopal Church. Nor is it likely to have immediate impact on the diocese's 20,000 members. It does signal, however, that biblically conservative Episcopalians are replacing talk of dissatisfaction with the national church with concrete efforts to create a separate place for themselves within the wider Anglican Communion. Pittsburgh Bishop...

Perry talks up conservatism in campaign kickoff BY JOHN REYNOLDS AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Gov. Rick Perry kicked off his re-election campaign in the Hub City on Tuesday morning, saying he's the only conservative in the race for governor. "My friends, there will be only one conservative on the ballot this November," he told an enthusiastic crowd of about 100 on the Texas Tech campus. "The promise I have kept, and that I renew to you today is this - I will not only campaign as a conservative, I will continue to govern as a conservative," he said. Perry is seeking a second...

Leading the way Sen. Duncan tops list of influential people in city BY DOUG HENSLEY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL One thing is clear when it comes to identifying influential people in Lubbock: A majority view state Sen. Robert Duncan as a person who is effective at getting things done, regardless of the size and scope of the task. "Bob has delivered," said Texas Tech Chancellor David Smith. "Not only does he have the personality to do what he does in state and local forums, he has led by example and delivered. "He has a great understanding of human anatomy. We have two ears...

What Would Intervention Look Like? - Address by Bishop Duncan Presentation delivered by the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, the Bishop of Pittsburgh, for the AAC's Plano (Dallas)Conference: "A Place to Stand: Declaring, Preparing" 8th October, A.D.2003 One of my great learnings in recent months is that courage breeds courage. And they said to him, "Prophesy, Bishop of Pittsburgh, prophesy!"  INTERVENTION THUS FAR In November 1999 four ECUSA bishops met with eight global south primates to deliver a message.  The threefold message had been developed at an American Anglican Council board meeting earlier that same year:  (1) the Episcopal Church in...

Delegates from the 11-county Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saturday overwhelmingly approved a series of resolutions drafted in response to the national church's decisions approving a gay reverend as a bishop and allowing blessing services for same-sex unions. Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan summoned leaders from the 77 parishes in the diocese to a special convention to consider six measures that could lay the groundwork for the 2.3-million member Episcopal Church USA to split along conservative and liberal lines. The Pittsburgh diocese has 20,000 members. Duncan called the decisions made in August at the Episcopal Church USA's general convention "unity-breaking acts"...

Map gets third thumbs up House passes plan weakening area representation Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House voted to accept a Republican-drawn congressional redistricting map Tuesday that weakens West Texas farm representation in Congress. For the third time this summer, the House approved the map sponsored by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, that would likely give Texas Republicans an edge over Democrats in Congress. The vote was 77-60 with four present but not voting. Delwin Jones and Carl Isett, both Lubbock Republicans, voted against the plan. The map also gives House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, a congressional district separate...