Executive Council observers report positive reception at Via Media gatheringThursday, June 17, 2004 {ENS} Executive Council observers report positive reception at Via Media gathering by Jan Nunley Two members of Executive Council, sent as observers to a meeting of Via Media leaders, reported back to the council's Burlington, Vermont meeting in June that they were warmly received and thanked profusely for their presence at the gathering. The Via Media meeting, composed of leaders from eleven dioceses, took place at All Saints Church in Atlanta, Georgia on March 25-27. At the culmination of the meeting, the leaders announced the formation of a national alliance called Via Media USA, representing laypeople and clergy with "diverse opinions about many issues facing the church" who nevertheless want to remain within the Episcopal Church. Council members Kim Byham of Newark and Sandra McPhee of Chicago were asked to attend the meeting at the February session of Executive Council. Executive Council had previously asked the Revs. Titus Presler and Brian Prior to observe and carry greetings from Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold to the Dallas meeting of the American Anglican Council (AAC) entitled "A Place to Stand" last October, along with Bishops Christopher Epting and Stacy Sauls, who were appointed by Griswold. But the deputation was not allowed to attend the meeting without signing a letter stating that they agreed with the AAC's positions. "There is actually no category for Episcopalians to attend as observers, all Episcopalians who attend, whether clergy or laity must register as participants, and be able in good faith and complete candor sign the A Place to Stand document," wrote the Rev. David Anderson, AAC's president. "...The presence of any bishop or deputy who voted for Gene Robinson, or voted for same sex blessings would cause further injury and hurt to those very persons we are attempting to minister to." Byham and McPhee said that, during the Via Media meeting, there was "absolutely no conversation" about General Convention's decisions to ratify the election of an openly gay priest as New Hampshire's bishop or to acknowledge the practice of same-sex blessings in various dioceses. "All present acknowledged that neither they nor the members of the several organizations they represented were of one mind on those issues," they said. "Rather they were focused on and absolutely committed to the unity of the Episcopal Church." However, they reported "definite concern" that national leadership in the Episcopal Church did not understand "the gravity of the threat that members of these groups were facing in their various dioceses." "Phrases such as 'dictatorship,' 'there is no ECUSA in our diocese,' and 'we feel abandoned by the national church' were used to describe the circumstances in various dioceses that have joined the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes," Byham and McPhee observed. "Your presence was a great reassurance that we are still connected to the Episcopal Church," read a note McPhee received following the visit. "The feeling of abandonment is a constant battle for the remnant of non-network people in a network diocese." The two reported that the Presiding Bishop's letter of greeting "seemed to go a long way toward reducing the sense that the faithful Episcopalians in these dioceses had been forgotten." An additional article--Two Via Medias, often confused, seek distinctions--can be found at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_41549_ENG_HTM.htm --The Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy director of Episcopal News Service.
`Via Media' groups appeal to the center by Deborah Zacher [Episcopal News Service] When representatives of 12 grassroots groups of Episcopalians gathered in Atlanta recently under the umbrella of Via Media USA, they were following a 400-year-old precedent in Anglican life. "The term `Via Media' comes from the 16th-century Anglican theologian Richard Hooker, whose work established Anglicanism as a `middle way' between continental Protestantism and Catholicism," said the Rev. Edward Copland of Southwest Florida Via Media Episcopalians, the newest Via Media group. "Via Media groups in the Episcopal Church provide a balance to the American Anglican Council and Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, whose Web sites and publications call for criticism of the Episcopal Church and its presiding bishop," Copland explained. Countering a rightward tilt The first of what became the Episcopal Via Media groups, known as The Gathering, started about ten years ago in the Diocese of Dallas. "We began as a support group for clergy and laity concerned about the leanings of diocesan leadership," said convener Dixie Hutchinson. "We were more or less successful through the years in electing some moderates to diocesan positions, but now find ourselves largely outnumbered." They plan to make an effort to field some moderate candidates for diocesan Executive Council, Standing Committee and General Convention deputies at their annual convention in October. Responding to an email request for comment on The Gathering, Bishop James Stanton of Dallas stated: "No one has contacted me. I have no knowledge of such a group. I have met with persons on the many sides of the issues facing our Church. I am wondering what 'middle way' this purported group has found between them?" Working out differences within the church "The E-Way Via Media organization (San Diego) grew out of a group that has met under various names, such as First Tuesday or Clergy 2000," said the Rev. Andrew Green. The current group has been meeting sporadically since 1999, when their goal was to send a unified deputation to General Convention in Denver. "The hope was to elect a deputation that could unequivocally support the ministry of women in all orders. We were successful," said Green. "Since GC 2003 we have felt the need to represent a position that is focused on working out our differences within the Episcopal Church. We believe that this represents a significant majority of our diocese. "As we move toward the election of the fourth Bishop of San Diego, we hope to offer candidates who can respond to the call of the whole diocese. We, like the bulk of our diocese, seek a bishop who will bring us together for Christ's mission. We do not minimize the pain that members of the diocese and the church at large are currently experiencing and we sincerely desire to walk through this together," said Green. A more permanent voice of opposition The Pittsburgh Via Media group has gone through several incarnations. "In August 2002, deputies to Pittsburgh's Diocesan Convention received notice of 'Resolution One', which would be voted on at the November 2002 convention," said Dr. Joan R. Gundersen, vice president of policy and planning for Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (PEP). "This measure called into question a number of changes in the church since 1975, and positioned the diocese as opposed to any acknowledgment of homosexual relations. A group organized to oppose this resolution. The group was named TORO (Those Opposed to Resolution One). "While unsuccessful in blocking it, the group was successful in raising interest in forming a more permanent voice for liberals and moderates in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Conversation resulted in the March 13, 2003 formation of a group, which with a slight change in name became Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (PEP). By May 2003, steps had been taken to draft a mission statement, and the group began plans to be present as an alternative voice from Pittsburgh at General Convention. PEP opened a Yahoo group (PEPChat) in July 2003. Following General Convention, membership grew rapidly as Bishop Duncan called a special convention to discuss six resolutions in opposition to the actions of General Convention and as he emerged as the leader of a schismatic movement," said Gundersen. Gundersen said she believes that Bishop Robert Duncan does not know quite how to respond to the opposition. "He has made no overt act to completely silence us or punish us," she said, though she feels he has exerted political pressure in diocesan meetings and has "circumvented search processes in liberal parishes." "Since the diocesan council, standing committee, and the trustees all have been sued in equity by an individual and Calvary Parish asking that the courts order diocesan leadership to follow the canons, any action that might be seen as directly separating himself from the ECUSA or alienating property now has legal ramifications," she said. Return to respectful dialogue "After General Convention 2003, Bishop Terence Kelshaw and others in the Diocese of the Rio Grande began inviting parishes to take the name 'Episcopal' off their signs and letterheads," asserted the Rev. Brian Taylor of Via Media Rio Grande. "They assured members of the diocese that no money would be going to ECUSA, and that if parishes wanted to leave ECUSA, the diocese would help them do so. The bishop and other diocesan leaders also were active participants in the American Anglican Council meetings. People of our diocese were very polarized over divisive issues, and there was talk about a possible split with ECUSA. In this atmosphere many of us came together who shared common goals. "We were committed to remaining under the canonical authority of and in communion with all in ECUSA, retaining diocesan and parish property, and respecting the different voices within our diocese. We had two large public meetings (over 340 attended) where, in addition to raising these concerns, many expressed relief that this was the first opportunity in many years to talk in a respectful dialogue." But the respect wasn't necessarily returned, said Taylor. "A February 6, 2004 letter from our Standing Committee mailed to all members of our diocese included a letter which Via Media sent to all bishops and standing committees of the Episcopal Church which asked them to withhold consent for the election of a new bishop in our diocese, and cited the reasons for this request," he related. "The Standing Committee included their letter of response which they sent to all bishops and standing committees. In this letter they emphasize that they are duly following canonical process, have no intention of splitting from the Episcopal Church, and defend their decision to not meet with us as something that would have contributed to a politicization of the process of discernment. They say that they are following the guidelines of the Presiding Bishop's Office of Pastoral Development. "In regards to Via Media, they claim that 'misunderstanding about this process' has led us to 'attempt to block the election.' Further, they called our attempts to subvert the due process of the election 'reprehensible, destructive of the life of the diocese." Bishop Terence Kelshaw responded to an email request for comment on Via Media Rio Grande, but said he preferred to absent himself from the discussion. Disengaging from the Network Fort Worth Via Media started in November 2003. "Bishop Jack Leo Iker was the issue that led to the formation of the group," said spokesperson Barbi Click. "Our goal is to disengage ourselves from the stronghold of the NACDP (Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes)." Fort Worth Via Media's Web site states that it is "an organization of ordained and lay Episcopalians in the Diocese of Fort Worth who are going to remain within the Episcopal Church of the United States of America." Language of divorce "After General Convention Bishop (John-David) Schofield called an emergency meeting with eight deputies to report to members of the diocese," said the Rev. Rick Matters, co-chair of Remain Episcopal, San Joaquin. "That report included statements/opinions from the bishop and others that the Spirit of the Lord has left the Episcopal Church in those people who voted in favor of the consecration of Gene Robinson. At that time, very much in line with the AAC, they were talking about a parallel or separate province and using the language of divorce. One person asked whether the diocese needed to use the word 'Episcopal' in its name. "Nancy Key, a layperson and co-chair of Remain Episcopal, and I spoke publicly in favor of the convention votes. We met afterwards and realized we were a minority but recognized there were probably others who thought like us," Matters recalled. "At our October diocesan convention the language of divorce had disappeared but there was a lot of condemnation, not from the bishop but from other people in convention, including the keynote speaker and others who thought differently." In fact, Matters said, the bishop has discouraged such behavior. "At the diocesan convention, Schofield spoke about his own experience as an evangelical in a more liberal diocese prior to his election and consecration and asserted that he wanted everyone to have a voice in this diocese. So we have been accepted and tolerated, and I think he is honoring his stated openness," Matters said. "There are passionate feelings, of course, strong feelings, and as I said, there was a lot of condemning during our diocesan convention which was unpleasant, but it was not from the bishop; it was from others." Resisting a divisive force Episcopal Forum of South Carolina started following a special diocesan convention held in October 2003. "EFSC was organized on December 20, 2003 by five founding Episcopalians," said spokesperson Lynn Pagliaro. "EFSC's goal is 'to insure the continued existence of an Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina that is in full participation with ECUSA, its constitution, canons and leadership.' EFSC states that 'it cannot support the Diocese's intention to join the Network because by its own current self-definition the Network is a divisive force within ECUSA.' If Network membership is sustained by the Diocesan convention, members of EFSC intend to exclude themselves from Network participation 'because the Network represents a particular advocacy to the exclusion of others held by a majority of ECUSA dioceses, parishes, clergy and members.'" Contacted by email, Bishop Edward Salmon of South Carolina reported that he and Bishop Suffragan William Skilton met with five members of EFSC in February. "Their stated purpose is unity, their actual purpose is to support the consecration of Gene Robinson and same sex blessings," said Salmon. "We have those in the diocese who do support it and they have always been supported by me, even though we don't agree." Salmon said that the diocese does not have a policy to deny anyone appropriate news coverage and that the group's events could certainly be listed in diocesan publications. He said he knows who the members of EFSC are, since "I have been bishop here for 15 years." Salmon also was adamant about his commitment to staying in the Episcopal Church, saying "my family has been it for generations." He said that every diocese he knows is made up of diverse groups. "The fact is that the Via Media group is not nearly as diverse as the diocese. In fact it has almost a singular point of view," he maintained. "I am impressed that Via Media groups are found only in 'conservative' dioceses and nowhere else. Dioceses like Pennsylvania and others who have persecuted orthodox Episcopalians have no such groups." Staying in communion According to Albany Via Media's Web site, the organization was founded when Bishop Daniel Herzog, a board member of the American Anglican Council, and Bishop David Bena, a member and leader in the AAC, spoke of realignment and impaired communion with the Episcopal Church USA following General Convention. "Since any realignment or impaired communion with other dioceses of the Episcopal Church affects our lives and our ministries, binds our consciences and violates the ordination vows of our clergy, Albany Via Media ... was created to keep the Diocese of Albany in communion with the Episcopal Church USA." "The Diocese of Albany called a special convention on September 20 to vote on five resolutions responding to General Convention 2003," said Andrew Grimmke of Concerned Episcopalians of the St. Lawrence Deanery (CESLD), another Via Media group in the Diocese of Albany. "Four of the founding members of CESLD were in attendance and found the proceedings unfair and one-sided." The mission of CESLD is to gain support for the Diocese of Albany to remain in full communion with all churches in the Episcopal Church, USA and resist efforts for Anglican realignment. Striving for unity Episcopal Voices of Central Florida was formally formed in December 2003 by a group of laity and clergy. "We were concerned about statements being made by leaders in the diocese and by resolutions adopted at a special September convening of our diocesan convention that pointed toward a potential break with ECUSA," said spokesperson Leslie Poole. "Although we are of differing opinions about sexuality issues within the national church, Episcopal Voices represents the voice of many moderate Episcopalians in Central Florida who do not want a break with ECUSA and the Anglican Communion. We are striving for unity, despite differences of opinion, and are committed to remaining in communion with ECUSA and the Anglican Communion." "Bishop John Howe and our diocesan leadership have not opposed Episcopal Voices," said Poole. "However, there have been a number of 'untruths' about Episcopal Voices spread throughout the area by others." Refocus energies on mission pringfield Via Media (SVM) was formed January 30, 2004. Betsy Rogers, media director for the group, stated that SVM has three overall purposes: "to keep the Diocese of Springfield within ECUSA; to open the channels of communication and disseminate balanced information in the diocese; and to refocus our energies on the mission and ministry of Christ to which we are all called." "The members of Springfield Via Media are confident that they represent the majority of laity and clergy within the Diocese of Springfield," said Chuck Evans, president of Springfield Via Media. "We believe that the voice of the laity has been suppressed and that only by organizing into a coordinated coalition can we regain our democratic voice and be effective in thwarting Bishop (Peter) Beckwith's drive to move the diocese into the AAC and the Network." (Beckwith did not respond to an email request for comment.) Withholding funds and support Southwest Florida Via Media Episcopalians, formed in mid-March, 2004, is the newest Via Media group. "Concerned clergy began meeting after our October diocesan convention when Bishop [John] Lipscomb introduced the idea of withholding funds from our giving to ECUSA," said the Rev. Edward M. Copland, convener of the Southwest Florida group. "We had another convention and achieved some compromise, but there was no clear leadership support for ECUSA. This concerned many of us. In December the Diocese of Southwest Florida was erroneously named as part of the Network, and our bishop acknowledged he had been one of the authors of the Network's 'theological statements.' The concerned clergy decided to form Southwest Florida Via Media Episcopalians." Lipscomb of Southwest Florida said he had learned most of what he knows about the development of the Via Media organization in his diocese from the media. "One presbyter who is a founding member contacted me. I have not seen a roster of members and do not know who gave their assent to the formation of a so-called Via Media organization in this diocese. "It is unclear what the real agenda of the Via Media organization might be," Lipscomb went on. "I am not sure that the current group calling itself Via Media represents the Anglican concept of a middle way as expressed in classical Anglican theology and practice. I am also unclear how this organization understands the authority of Holy Scriptures and the role of the wider communion of faith. I believe the new globalization of the Church requires us to look beyond our own borders when we take actions that depart from the accepted teachings of our Communion." He said he has not been invited to meet with Southwest Florida Via Media Episcopalians, but is ready to do so when they request such a meeting. Bishops Howe (Central Florida), Iker (Fort Worth), Duncan (Pittsburgh), Schofield (San Joaquin), Beckwith (Springfield), and Herzog and Bena (Albany) did not respond to email requests for comment on the Episcopal Via Media groups in their dioceses. As of March 23, 2004, the dioceses of Central Florida, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Rio Grande, San Joaquin and Springfield had voted to join the Network. ALBANY VIA MEDIA (AVM) CONCERNED EPISCOPALIANS OF ST. LAWRENCE DEANERY (CESLD) E-WAY, SAN DIEGO EPISCOPAL FORUM OF SOUTH CAROLINA EPISCOPAL VOICES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
www.episcopalvoicescf.org FORT WORTH VIA MEDIA PROGRESSIVE EPISCOPALIANS OF PITTSBURGH (PEP) REMAIN EPISCOPAL, SAN JOAQUIN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA VIA MEDIA EPISCOPALIANS SPRINGFIELD VIA MEDIA THE GATHERING (DALLAS) VIA MEDIA RIO GRANDE (VMRG) -- Deborah Zacher is a freelance writer in St. Louis and the former editor of The Springfield Current (2001-2003). Via Media groups unite in Atlanta meeting
by Jan Nunley [Episcopal News Service] Representatives of 12 independent Episcopal groups opposed to efforts to “realign” the Episcopal Church along more conservative lines met together for the first time at a retreat in Atlanta March 25-27, and emerged as an alliance called Via Media USA. They represent laypeople and clergy from the grassroots organizations who say they hold diverse opinions about controversial issues in the church, but desire to remain in communion both with the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Via Media groups include Albany Via Media and Concerned Episcopalians of the St. Lawrence Deanery (both in the Diocese of Albany); Episcopal Voices of Central Florida; The Gathering (Dallas); Fort Worth Via Media; Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (PEP); Via Media Rio Grande (VMRG); E-Way (San Diego); Remain Episcopal (San Joaquin); Episcopal Forum of South Carolina (EFSC); Southwest Florida Via Media Episcopalians; and Springfield Via Media (SVM). Leaders of the groups said they did not discuss the controversy over the consecration of an openly gay bishop in the Diocese of New Hampshire or the issue of same-sex blessings during their meeting, and preferred not to reveal their individual stances. “We have acknowledged different perspectives,” said the Rev. Michael Russell, rector of All Souls’ Episcopal Church in San Diego and a member of Episcopal Way of San Diego, at the group’s closing news conference. “We haven’t criticized or judged any of those perspectives, and that’s the kind of mindset we try to promote here and in our local communities.” “We believe that our position represents the vast majority of the church, even if it is not perceived that way in our particular dioceses,” said Dr. Joan Gundersen of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh. Organizers said all of the groups would consult with their own members in coming weeks about how to move forward as a group. Fear is not the word Most of the groups are located in dioceses that have joined or are considering membership in the newly formed Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, which is seeking to provide “alternative episcopal oversight” for dissenting congregations in moderate-to-liberal dioceses. Via Media leaders said they think the Network’s ultimate goal is to replace the Episcopal Church entirely within the Anglican Communion, and that, if not opposed, its actions may result in schism. “Fear is not the word, but we pray that will not happen,” said Gundersen. Members of some of the groups reported that the level of anger and even “hatred” in their dioceses has increased in recent months. Some told of clergy and bishops refusing to be seen with those who did not agree with them on joining the Network, and of a rector who refused to wear vestments made by a woman who opposed his position. “It’s Donatism in a modern form,” said Dixie Hutchinson of The Gathering in Dallas, referring to a North African heresy of the 4th-7th centuries. Others, such as the Central Florida group, said their bishop has worked for tolerance of all opinions while standing firm on remaining within the Episcopal Church. “Bishop Howe has had lots of pressure,” said the Rev. John Townsend. “He has pressure from churches that want to leave, but he has stood very firmly about property and he is not going to let it go away.” Another member, Donna Bott, said a moderate clergyman told her he didn’t feel at all intimidated by Howe, but did feel pressured by other priests, particularly on the diocesan email list for clergy. In fact, several leaders cited the Internet as a two-edged sword: a wonderful organizing tool, but at the same time, a frequent source of misinformation and ill feeling. Unity ‘not at all costs, but at all risks’ At the group’s closing Eucharist, Atlanta Bishop Neil Alexander quoted missionary bishop Charles Henry Brent, saying, “Unity is not a luxury, but a necessity. We must work for the unity of the church, ‘not at all costs, but at all risks.’” “My sense of the House of Bishops meeting is that the Episcopal Church is alive and well and vigorous and committed to the mission and gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and let us have no doubt about that,” said Alexander. “However, it was interesting to listen to person after person talk about the fact that, in their judgment, the church is broken. “Friends, I don’t believe the church is broken…Virtually all of those who want the church to be different absented themselves from the table, and I think that Bishop Brent would have said, no matter what, you’ve got to take the risk of what it means to be in unity and fellowship—not in agreement, but in reconciliation.” Two observers from the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council attended the meeting, and Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold sent a letter of greeting to the group. “These are challenging days for our church, and yet they contain within themselves an invitation to be the many membered body of the risen Christ in a deeper and fuller way,” Griswold wrote. “Rooted and grounded in common prayer, our divergent points of view find their place of meeting and reconciliation in word and sacrament and a life shared in the service of the Gospel. The diverse center is the overwhelming reality of our church and its voice is urgently needed, both within the church and in our fractured and polarized world.” For additional information read 'Via Media' groups appeal to the center and Via Media members speak out...
"VIA MEDIA" GROUPS RESIST CALLS FOR REALIGNMENT, REDIRECTION By Jan Nunley [ENS] In the past few months, as statements and meetings have proliferated for those objecting to the 2003 General Convention's two most controversial decisions and talk of "realignment" fills online weblogs (or "blogs"), lists and chat groups, another group of Episcopalians has quietly emerged, largely under the radar of the national news media. Some members of the groups are happy about the consecration of an openly gay priest as bishop coadjutor in New Hampshire and the acknowledgement of same-gender blessings by General Convention. Others are not, and still others say they aren't sure how they feel. But they say they are united in one belief: no matter what, they want to stay in the Episcopal Church and keep sending a portion of their offering to its national missions and programs. The grassroots movement doesn't have a name yet, but several of the groups have adopted a Latin phrase commonly used to describe the Anglican "middle way" between extremes-via media. "The Via Media as theological method ... incarnates a Godly way of treating those with whom each of us disagree. A Via Media method recognizes that the truth of one generation might be understood differently in the next. In humility, Anglicans give their theological opponents the respect that comes from reading history, knowing that one ideology's devil is another movement's martyr. In so doing we create room for each other, learning from each other, in communion around God's table," says one group's website. The major Via Media groups are located in the dioceses of Albany and Pittsburgh, where special conventions were held following General Convention to consider resolutions disassociating those dioceses from the New Hampshire consecration and making contributions to the national mission programs of the Episcopal Church optional for parishes. But other Via Media-type organizations are springing up in the dioceses of Central Florida, Fort Worth, Springfield, and San Joaquin, all of whose bishops are or have been associated with conservative groups such as Forward in Faith (FiF) and the American Anglican Council. They join existing groups and independent church publications of long standing such as Network News: Voices of the Rio Grande, published by the Episcopal Information Network in Rio Grande; Covenant: A Commentary on the Church in Tennessee; and Nevertheless in the Diocese of Texas. Here's a brief look at the main Via Media groups in existence today. Albany Via Media/Concerned Episcopalians of the St. Lawrence Deanery When Albany's Bishop Daniel Herzog came back from General Convention in Minneapolis, he called for a special diocesan convention to consider resolutions to "disavow" General Convention's consent to the election of Gene Robinson and the acknowledgement of the practice of blessing committed same-gender relationships. "The day after we received notice of this, John Sorensen [rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Plattsburgh] called me and we shared our frustration," said the Rev. James Brooks-McDonald, rector of St. Stephen's in Schenectady, who had been one of Albany's deputies at the 2000 General Convention in Denver. "He asked me what we were going to do about it, and I suggested we organize a dissenting voice. It was in that phone call that John suggested we call it 'Albany Via Media.'" Brooks-McDonald emailed other clergy and organized a meeting at St. James in Lake George prior to the special convention. More than a dozen attended. "John and I made it very clear that the issue was not Gene Robinson, but was whether the Diocese of Albany was going to stay in the Episcopal Church or not, " Brooks-McDonald explained. A response to the special convention resolutions was sent to every parish in the diocese, with an invitation to sign on. "The response was greater than many of us had ever thought," Brooks-McDonald recalled. "By the time of the special convention we had over 350 names on the document." Riffing off the American Anglican Council's statement "A Place to Stand," the Albany group called theirs "A Place to Kneel." "We are loyal to the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ in the Episcopal Church USA and our Primate, the Presiding Bishop. We recognize the General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA as the highest authority in the church," the document said. "Since any realignment or impaired communion with other dioceses of the Episcopal Church affects our lives and our ministries, binds our consciences and violates the ordination vows of our clergy, Albany Via Media, a not-for-profit corporation in the State of New York, was created to keep the Diocese of Albany in communion with the Episcopal Church USA." Though their attempts to amend some of the special convention's resolutions were defeated, Brooks-McDonald said he thinks their efforts "helped soften" the wording of the resolutions that eventually passed, and may have made an impression on some deputies: "We noticed that in the laity it was relatively close." What motivated Hallett Luscombe, a Trinity parishioner, was "a sincere concern regarding the disturbing happenings" within the Episcopal Church in Albany. "Personally, in my own naiveté, I thought the core of the problem centered only about the gay bishop. There had been threats of schism if he were consecrated," Luscombe said. "Now that we have been involved in the whole picture, we know it isn't just the consecration." Her rector, Sorensen, said he's involved because "every value and virtue essential to Anglicanism-the spiritual heart of our Anglo-Catholic diocese is being trampled. It tears me up." "This conservative effort to corral the support of foreign primates to censure the Episcopal Church is a betrayal of our most treasured Anglican principles. It's religious terrorism of the worst kind, by a group of American bishops who lost a vote on sexual morality and would rather blow us all up than have to learn to live with the diversity of the church," Sorenson wrote with palpable anger in an email. "I'm particularly distressed, and I keep speaking out, because many church leaders seem to forget that we had an event called the English Reformation, whereby the church in England freed itself from the tyranny of the Pope. I, for one, find it no improvement to replace the tyranny of the Pontiff with the presumption of the Primates." Another smaller Via Media group in the Albany diocese, still in its infancy, calls itself Concerned Episcopalians of St. Lawrence Deanery. The largely rural deanery is home territory for Bishop Herzog, and according to CESLD member Joseph Liotta, the clergy are virtually united behind his positions-but the laity are not. "Many people in our deanery were dismayed to learn that our bishop is a member of the board of the AAC," Liotta explained. "The special diocesan convention our bishop called was seen as a tool to implement the AAC agenda. We do not agree with the policies and programs the AAC stands for. We expect to contribute to all efforts to keep our Diocese in the Episcopal Church of the USA-in fact and in spirit." Another St. Lawrence Deanery lay member, Suzanne Smith of Trinity Episcopal Church in Potsdam, said there is "a strong divide between the position of the bishop and clergy in our diocese and the laity in our church. Many Trinity members support [Gene] Robinson and do not support the bishop on this issue. People in our church who agree with the bishop's basic position are still unwilling to separate or realign in any way. They are comfortable agreeing to disagree with ECUSA's decision and letting it go at that." "It is difficult to get information on where our diocese is going from our clergy who remain fairly silent on the issue," Smith added in an email. "It is politically imprudent for them to disagree with the bishop and they are weary from listening to angry church members." Neither of the Albany bishops responded to an email request for comment on the group. Episcopal Voices of Central Florida Like Herzog and bishop suffragan David Bena in Albany, Bishop John Howe of Central Florida called a special September diocesan convention to consider resolutions of disassociation from the actions of General Convention. "Our called special convention in September sent up alarm bells in that all of the resolutions, from my viewpoint, pointed toward what the 'Catholic Encyclopedia' calls passive schism: rebel against the authority, blame the other side, seek outside intervention, etc.," wrote moderator Donna Bott. "As the senior warden of my parish [Holy Trinity, Fruitland Park], I proposed a resolution to the vestry to request alternative episcopal oversight." Howe responded and met with the vestry during his visitation October 5. "Because I perceived a sense of conciliation along with conversation that led me to believe he would be the bishop to all people of the diocese, I withdrew the resolution," Bott said, but in the meantime a group of "concerned" clergy and laity had convened and wanted to continue their conversations about the direction of the diocese. Four of the founding members of the group, now calling themselves Episcopal Voices of Central Florida, are also on the diocesan board. Although group members are of differing opinions about sexuality issues, they say they are dedicated to "remaining in full support and union" with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. "We are mainstream Episcopalians who represent the middle ground-the place where everyone is welcome and we can find unity despite our differences," said Bott, a member of the diocesan board. "We oppose and will continue to oppose any attempts to take our churches, our property, our congregations, or our diocese of the national church. Our bishop, John Howe, has stated that he wishes to remain in the Episcopal Church and we are here to support him." At present, Bott maintained, Howe is "welcoming and candid" and the Episcopal Voices group has been promised "comparable space" in the diocesan newspaper with the AAC. "Separation or schism, for us, is just not the Anglican way!" Bott wrote. With the annual diocesan convention set for the end of January, Episcopal Voices is beginning a petition drive to assure that the diocese remains part of the national church. In a personal reply to an email query, Howe wrote that in his opinion Episcopal Voices "is committed to preserving unity in the diocese and in the Episcopal Church. They have said of themselves that they hold a diversity of views of the sexuality issues that are so very divisive just now, but they share a desire remain in communion with each other and throughout the Church." Fort Worth Via Media Fort Worth Via Media's website describes it as "an organization of ordained and lay Episcopalians in the Diocese of Fort Worth who are going to remain within the Episcopal Church of the United States of America." Acknowledging that some are "deeply troubled and grieved" by the actions of the 2003 General Convention while others "celebrate these actions," the Fort Worth group maintains that it is uniquely positioned to know that opposite views can remain in the same fellowship. "We know this is possible to do, because since our diocese was founded in 1983, it has been 'out of communion' or in 'impaired' communion with other parts of the Episcopal Church or the Anglican Communion over the issue of the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate," the group said in a press release issued December 5. "We also have survived intense internal disputes over the use of the 'new' Book of Common Prayer. Through all this, we have remained together. We know from experience that there is a via media-a middle way-between complete agreement and schism. "We are deeply concerned about steps taken by Fort Worth Bishop Jack Leo Iker and other diocesan leaders that appear to be leading toward schism," the statement said. "We believe that these actions do not warrant leaving the Episcopal Church of the United States of America." Members of the group have voiced objections to Iker's signing the name of the diocese to a petition supporting a new "Network of Confessing Dioceses and Congregations" headed by Pittsburgh bishop Robert Duncan. "The problem we have is that he signed up 18,000," wrote Barbi Click, a spokesperson for the group, in an email. "The diocese, according to the main office, only has 19,000 in it. That means he signed up 94.7 percent of the diocese. However, only 82+% of the lay delegates and clergy voted for the resolution. Therefore the numbers are incorrect and misrepresentative of the entire diocese." Asked about the group, Iker replied simply by email: "No comment." Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh Perhaps because Duncan, a vice president of the AAC, has been one of the most outspoken proponents of "realignment," the Via Media group in his diocese is one of the more vocal in opposition to it. Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (PEP) began organizing even before Duncan declared his determination to "stand against the actions of [General] Convention with everything I have and everything I am." According to member Sue Boulden, the Pittsburgh group had its genesis in a regular meeting of the local Episcopal Women's Caucus in September 2002, held the same day deputies to the diocesan convention received their information packets. The first resolution under consideration, modeled on a South Carolina resolution, was touted as an attempt to build a 'firewall' between self-described 'orthodox Anglicans' and decisions of the General Convention. "When we women came together that evening and realized what was going on, we immediately called for an ad hoc committee to be formed to deal with said resolution," recalled Boulden. The committee soon became known as Those Opposed to Resolution One (TORO), which lobbied unsuccessfully against the resolution. "Following that diocesan convention, those of us who were the most involved felt we needed to come together on a regular basis to support each other," Boulden said, and out of that grew PEP and the PEPChat list, which convened online prior to the 2003 General Convention. But it was their bishop's passionate statements in Minneapolis that galvanized PEP members to take action. "I became increasingly alarmed by the many statements of our bishop, Robert Duncan, and the actions of the AAC," said current PEP president Lionel Deimel. Following General Convention, he and a conservative friend, Celinda Scott, began circulating a petition for unity in the diocese, with the help of PEP members. Then PEP's focus shifted to opposing the six resolutions proposed for the September special convention called by Duncan. The PEPChat list now has participants from all over the country, and has provided advice and resources to groups elsewhere. The group is increasingly taking on an educational role within the diocese, encouraging parishes to support national mission programs financially and resist the inclusion of their congregations "in any network established by Bishop Duncan and the AAC," said Deimel. PEP vice president Joan R. Gundersen is an historian and "seventh generation cradle Episcopalian" who has been active in at least nine Episcopal dioceses over the years, and is on the board of editors of Anglican and Episcopal History. "What we agree on is that the Episcopal Church we know and love is a place open to multiple Biblical interpretations, united through the Creeds and worship," Gundersen wrote. "My worst nightmare is that the Episcopal Church will not be able to hold the center-to be broad enough to have room for both a liberal like me and my father and siblings who are conservative Rite I traditionalists." Like Gundersen, Jennifer Sinclair is a cradle Episcopalian, born and raised in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. When she returned to Pittsburgh after several years as a student in London, she said, "I had no idea how far right the diocese had swung, or that my parish and beloved members of its clergy had gone along with it." For Sinclair, "Resolution One was the final straw. I church shopped for a couple of weeks, and landed at Calvary [Episcopal Church] one morning," she recalled. People there "agree on the substantive issues-that the Gospel is about love, that the Creeds are sufficient statements of faith, that those things are more important than the details of the style in which one worships...Above all, we agree that the Scriptures must be read in the dual lights of Reason and Tradition." PEP member Karen Kapsanis said she was "raised unchurched, spent my early adulthood church shopping, did a graduate degree in theology in the hope that it would help me in my search for God and for a church, and in the midst of all that happened on Calvary Episcopal Church, a haven for all who want to belong." She joined PEP on the recommendation of a friend. "I don't think the real issue for the AAC is homosexuality. I think the real issues are money and power, and the AAC and groups like them seem to think it is worth sacrificing ECUSA for money and power," she wrote. "I feel that if there is anything I can do to make up for the damage that has been done, I need to do it. Asked about PEP, Bishop Duncan's secretary responded, "He has no comment." Remaining ECUSA, San Joaquin A group of five priests in the Diocese of San Joaquin began the "Remaining ECUSA" web page after the Diocese of San Joaquin voted in October to withhold budgeted funds from the national mission programs of the church. In a question-and-answer section authored by the Rev. Keith F. Axberg, rector of Fresno's Church of the Holy Family, the website states: "Q. Some say the Episcopal Church has departed the faith and order of the Anglican Communion, and others say the diocese is maneuvering to leave. Who leaves whom in a schism? "A. There are two kinds of schism: schism in the Church, and schism from the Church. ... The debate raging within the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church is partially clouded by the use of the term 'schism' without the defining prepositions: in or from. The Episcopal Church is clearly experiencing schism in the Church over such issues as Prayer Book revision, the ordination of women, gay, and lesbian persons, human sexuality, etc. Those persons, parishes, or dioceses not able to abide such changes are, themselves, departing from the faith and order of the Church by choosing not to accede to the authority of the Constitution & Canons of the Episcopal Church (USA) and the actions of General Convention, and not the other way around." One of the Remaining ECUSA priests is the Rev. Mark Hall, rector of St. Anne's in Stockton, California. "St. Anne's is one of the 'liberal' parishes in the diocese, but that is a very relative term," said Hall. "Our vestry put our money where our voices are by passing a resolution at the last regular vestry meeting." The resolution, passed unanimously, declares that St. Anne's "will designate an amount equal to 10% of its Diocesan Assessment for the year 2004, or the sum of $2501, to be sent directly to the support of the General Convention Budget during the year 2004." Monthly payments begin in January, Hall said. San Joaquin bishop John-David Schofield did not respond to an email request for comment. Episcopal Forum of South Carolina "I think that all of us have had long-standing concerns that the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina is much more concerned with being 'right' and 'pure' for the 'right' people than it is in what is addressed in the Beatitudes," said Thomas Myers Jr., a parishioner at St. Stephen's in Charleston, South Carolina and spokesperson for the fledgling Episcopal Forum of South Carolina. In the 1990s, Myers, the father of a gay teenager, founded We Are Family, a Charleston nonprofit devoted to helping gay and lesbian teens and their families. "For me, the resounding defeat of a proposed resolution committing us to continue to meet, study and pray was the final act that made me feel I had to do something." "We are now in the process of establishing a steering committee and a plan for action, as well as holding a conference in February," said Myers. "We have a list of 33 people who have all responded to the Special Convention held here in early October and the letter I sent out the next day." Asked for comment on the formation of the group, South Carolina bishop Ed Salmon replied, "I have never heard of it." Episcopal Free Speech of Springfield According to the introduction on its Yahoo!Group page, Episcopal Free Speech was created "in response to allegations that the Diocese of Springfield is censoring the news that goes into 'The Springfield Current' [the diocesan newspaper]." Wrote list member Jestin Trahan: "WE WANT OUR NEWSPAPER BACK. "I think most Episcopalians in our Diocese are in agreement with this. We must not touch on issues that may divide us, for not all of us agree that the national church did the right thing when it allowed a gay person to become bishop. But I have not talked to anyone who is in disagreement with the above demands." Trahan said that until recently he was a member of the diocesan council, and his wife LaVonne is still is a member. Both belong to Church of the Holy Trinity in Danville, Illinois. Trahan attended the last meeting of the diocesan council held before the annual Synod meeting, and confirmed that at that session the council "voted not to withhold funds from the national church." By the October meeting, Trahan said, several council members had either resigned or their positions "were terminated" by Springfield bishop Peter Beckwith. When a withholding resolution was brought up again, the newly constituted council passed it. Some on the Springfield list are angry that no resolution regarding withholding was brought before parish representatives at the annual synod earlier in October, effectively depriving them of voice and vote on the matter. "This seems to be a first step in working toward delivering our diocese to the AAC," Trahan maintains. Other concerns include the cancellation of a new mission effort, called Sacred Journey, "because the priest in charge apparently disagreed with the bishop," Trahan said. Beckwith did not respond to an email request for comment. Pushing back To date, the Via Media groups have been active primarily within their own diocesan boundaries, but that may be changing rapidly. Just as widespread email networks energized opposition to General Convention's actions, the same kinds of links are enabling those who want to stay in ECUSA to do some "pushing back" of their own. In a news release dated December 16, three of the groups-Albany Via Media, Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh and Fort Worth Via Media-united to blast an online petition effort by the conservative coalition Anglican Mainstream, saying it "uses a dubious signature counting method that does not meet any Christian ethical standard for honesty or truth-telling." They based their objections on the petition's acceptance of a signature by a single individual-a bishop, parish rector or organizational officer-as representing the signature of every individual in the diocese, congregation or organization. "It matters not whether a bishop has limited the numbers of 'signatures' to the proportion he believes support his position," the release said. "The count was made without asking the individuals where they stood on this statement. Such 'mass signatures' account for over 97% of the total signatures on this 'petition.'" "We call on our Diocesan Bishops Herzog, Iker and Duncan, who belong to both the Anglican Mainstream and to petition co-sponsor the American Anglican Council, to uphold the Ten Commandments and not 'bear false witness' when seeking support for their network," the release concluded. Some members have also criticized a December 17 New York Times report indicating that 13 US dioceses had joined the new Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. Within hours after the story broke, the communications officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida informed other diocesan communicators that neither the Diocese of Southwest Florida nor the Diocese of Central Florida were allied with the network. News reporters confirmed that the incorrect number had been given to the media by the network's moderator, Duncan, and by an American Anglican Council news release. According to the Diocese of South Carolina's canon theologian, the Rev. Kendall Harmon, only the dioceses of Pittsburgh, South Carolina, and Fort Worth have formally agreed to be part of the network. The Via Media lists contain some commentary and analysis of conservative proposals as well, some of them based on personal observation. One member of the St. Lawrence Deanery group, Andrew Grimmke, had attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the American Anglican Council in Atlanta. In a later essay posted on the list, Grimmke criticized what he had heard from Duncan and AAC executive director David Anderson about their concept of "adequate episcopal oversight, " in which a parish would be able to contract with a bishop other than their diocesan for oversight without the diocesan's consent or even knowledge. "Sadly, the AAC proposal bears a remarkable resemblance to the process used to switch long distance phone companies," Grimmke wrote. Such a "free-market model" for episcopal oversight could lead nervous bishops to politicize parish search processes in order to "stack the deck with ideological cronies and yes men; to remove, over time, ideological diversity from the diocese and cast it in his own image, whether 'orthodox' or 'inclusive'. ... the impulses which drive the markets can not be expected to push our churches on the path to Christ." -The Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy director of Episcopal News Service. 12/10/2003 Middle GroundA local Episcopal group is working to keep its house undivided.By Dan Malone (Reprinted by Permission of Fort Worth Weekly) When the Episcopal Church's general convention consecrated a particular New Hampshire bishop a few months ago, the decision drew bitter opposition from local conservative clergy -- including one priest who threw down his church's flag, trampled on it, and said his church was no longer Episcopal. There are plenty of local worshippers, however, who are determined that, regardless of what that priest and others like him do, their churches will indeed remain Episcopal. Now their fight has moved from the sanctuary to the internet -- and may eventually wind up in a Tarrant County courtroom. The fight began last summer when the Episcopal Church gave its blessing to the selection of a new bishop in the Live Free or Die State. Gene Robinson, the man at the center of this storm, is a father of two who has owned a horse farm, ministers to the sick, and spends his leisure time cooking, gardening, and jogging. And, oh yes, he also shares his life with a state government employee who happens to be a man. Robinson's consecration has upset Episcopal conservatives, including Fort Worth's Bishop Jack Leo Iker. They contend that the Bible forbids the ordination of anyone involved in a sexual relationship outside of marriage -- a group which presumably would include adulterous heterosexuals, committed homosexuals, and generic fornicators alike. Iker and his diocese are listed as supporters of an international movement seeking to collect by Christmas a million signatures opposing the gay bishop. Their petition says Robinson's ordination puts the future of the church in jeopardy and "tears at the fabric of our communion at its deepest level." By mid-week, the movement was claiming more than 400,000 supporters. Some members of Iker's own diocese, however, have responded to the anti-Robinson sentiment by forming an organization and web site (www.fwviamedia.org) aimed at keeping their own congregations firmly in the Episcopal family. The group takes its name from a Latin phrase meaning "middle way,'' a traditional term describing the Episcopal position between Roman Catholics and some Protestant sects. "We're committed to remaining in the Episcopal Church of the USA, and we're deeply concerned about these steps that Bishop Iker and other leaders have taken that appear to be headed toward schism,'' said spokeswoman Barbi Click. "They have basically said that any bishop who participated in the ordination of Gene Robinson, that they are no longer in communion with them.'' What Via Media would have members of the diocese do is, basically, stay together despite their disagreements. Members disagree over the appropriateness of Robinson's selection, but are dedicated to what others might say is increasingly impossible -- continuing to worship together despite their differences. And yet, that's what the diocese has been doing, on a different issue, since it was separated from the Diocese of Dallas 20 years ago. The Fort Worth diocese is among a handful nationwide that continue to ban women from the clergy. "We're searching for a middle way between complete agreement and schism,'' Click said. "It's been done before and can be done again.'' Iker did not respond to a request for an interview -- which isn't perhaps surprising, given his comments to the diocese at its annual convention last month. "Quite honestly, I feel the need to tell you that I am tired of this controversy and weary of the continual battles revolving round it,'' he said in address posted on the diocese web site. "I am tired of being interviewed about it, issuing statements on it and going to meetings about it.'' "I do not hate homosexuals, nor do I fear them,'' he explained. "To say that the Christian church opposes the blessing of same-sex unions is not a hateful thing; it is speaking the truth in love. To say that Scriptures forbid the ordination of persons involved in sexual relations outside the body of holy matrimony is not bigoted or prejudiced. It is a faithful expression of the apostolic teaching of the church.'' In an e-mail, diocese spokeswoman Suzanne Gill said if there is a schism forming, it's being done by those who "consented to the consecration of Bishop Robinson,'' not by those opposing it. Click isn't saying what her group might do if Iker were to try to take the diocese out of the church. "That remains to be seen'' is about all she'll say on the topic. One liberal Episcopalian who agrees with Via Media, and who asked not to be identified, said he has been talking independently with an attorney and indicated that a lawsuit is "definitely an option.'' Via Media is part of a nascent national movement in which church members across the country have taken their leaders to task for opposing Robinson's ordination. In Pennsylvania, according to press accounts, a church facing a similar schism went to court two months ago seeking an injunction to prevent church leaders from transferring property. In California, five moderate priests are tussling for power with their own bishop over the future of the San Joaquin diocese in the wake of Robinson's elevation. Emotions on the issue are roiling high in North Texas as well. Fort Worth Weekly reported in August that a Richland Hills priest walked on his church's flag in protest over Robinson's selection and that vandals in Graham set an Episcopal church office on fire, leaving behind a message that said "God and Jesus Love Homosexuals.'' Firsts are usually hard to accept, and the Episcopal Church, according to news reports, was the first mainstream religion in the United States to ordain a gay bishop. Still, the church is nowhere close to being the nation's dominant religion. Its membership of about 2.3 million people is dwarfed by the Catholic Church and about a dozen other Protestant denominations. The Fort Worth Episcopal Diocese -- some 56 congregations in 24 counties stretching from the Mid-Cities to Wichita Falls, Brownwood, and Stephenville -- counts just 19,000 members. So why all this fuss -- in North Texas and elsewhere -- about which side of home plate a New Hampshire bishop prefers? Click said the issue is one that transcends her diocese and denomination. "It's a hot issue right now in every church, hotter in some than others,'' she said. What makes the Episcopal Church different, she said, is that "We're speaking about it publicly. We're airing it front of the world. "It's an issue people are going to have to deal with -- whether today or tomorrow -- it's there.'' You can reach Dan Malone at dan.malone@fwweekly.com. |