Standing by the Faithful
Let me interrupt my holiday just to bring you this quote (which may very likely have read elsewhere)
“In the United States, although someone may be charged with an offence, they have a presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Any ambiguity goes in favor of the accused. The accused has a right to see the written charges against him or her and a right to offer defense. The Episcopal Church House of Bishops has abrogated basic civil rights by deposing Bishop Duncan based on what he might do in the future, without offering him a trial and time of defense and with less than a Constitutional vote.
“Throughout history, faithful Christians have been persecuted for living what they believe. The same is true today. It is truly shameful that The Episcopal Church is persecuting one of its own bishops for upholding the faith once delivered. But thanks be to God that, though persecuted, Bishop Duncan, along with all Christians, are more than conquerors,” said Bishop David Anderson, of the American Anglican Council and the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. Both bodies are members of the Common Cause Partnership.
“In spite of the sham deposition of Bishop Robert Duncan by the House of Bishops, he remains the formidable leader of traditional Episcopalians and loyal Anglicans in North America. Bishop Duncan continues to have the respect of a majority of the primates and bishops of the entire Anglican Communion, including the Archbishop of Canterbury. In an effort to silence him, the House of Bishops has only given him greater credibility as the leader of the realignment movement,” said Bishop Jack Leo Iker of the Anglican Communion Network diocese of Fort Worth.
If anybody is any doubt that this was railroaded through without even a single attempt to discuss the legalities, I also offer you the following:
Early this morning, Bishop Mark Lawrence, South Carolina, challenged the ruling of the chair, refuting that: 1) there was no need for inhibition prior to deposition; 2) there was no need for three senior bishops to agree on inhibition and deposition; 3) there was no need for the entire list of living bishops to vote on the deposition – only those present. The challenge was substantive and "superb, " according to a bishop present.
After Bp. Lawrence’s presentation, there was no address of the charges or vote to accept or reject the challenge.
How any English churchmen can uphold any pretence of the leadership of the American Church being the nice guys simply beats me.
My wife and I will be praying tonight for Bishop Bob and all those who hold true to the Gospel in the US. Please join us.
I am praying for all who seem to misunderstand what has gone on here, as well as all who hold the true faith in the Anglican Church.
Robert Duncan had the right to personally leave the Episcopal Church – and indeed all of us have the right to leave any church we are members of. As has been commented elsewhere, ‘when Duncan announced his intended “reaffiliation” then he was effectively no longer part of the Episcopal Church, and the House of Bishops simply recognized the reality and severed Robert Duncan from official status within the Episcopal Church, declaring the See of Pittsburgh, accordingly, vacant.
That does not make the leadership of the TEC ‘bad guys’ or ‘not nice guys’.  As another commentator has properly put it, ‘anything other than that action would have been improper, delusional, and cowardly abandonment of the vows of all of the Bishops of the Episcopal Church.’
Sound,
You string together a nice sounding set of words while blinking at reality. The fact of the matter is that TEC didn’t follow its own canons. You might personally like what the HOB chose to do, but the decision subverted the canons, and Robert’s Rules of Order. It’s mob rule in the HOB right now (and all around TEC for that matter).Â
TEC’s leaders are either a group of people with deep charachter flaws (‘bad guys’) or they are mind numbingly incompetent. Either way…it ain’t good.
What’s the difference between mob rule and majority rule? Whether or not you like the outcome?
Jon
Not at all Jon.
Majority rule is when more than 50% of any given body legally chooses an option.Â
Mob rule is when more than 50% of any given body illegally forces their will.Â
TECÂ violated its own canons in deposing Duncan, and it has violated its canons a hundred times over by charging faithful priests with “Abandonment of Communion” when they have done no such thing.Â