NEW! "Orthodox"
Episcopalians, Diocese of SC silent on African ally's support of gay
genocide,
as they denounce election of new Bishop in California (December 9, 2009)
While
Anglicans around the world are urging the Province of Uganda to back
away from its support of the dictatorial regime of President Yoweri
Museveni, right-wing critics of the Episcopal Church, including the
Diocese of South Carolina, are lying low.
The most recent evidence of moral corruption in the Church in Uganda is
its support of Museveni's legislation to impose capital punishment on
gays while while requiring the imprisonment of parents and priests who
fail to report a child's homosexual tendencies to the government.
Henri Luke Orombi, Anglican Primate of Uganda and outspoken opponent of
homosexuals, appears to be supportive of the draconian measures that
Museveni is promoting.
While Orombi is notoriously homophobic, there is no question that he
has allowed the Anglican Church to be corrupted by the Ugandan
dictator.
Museveni has used public money to finance Orombi's crusade to lure
unhappy "orthodox" Episcopalians in the US away from their parishes and
into his Province. At his installation as Primate, Museveni bought
Orombi a new car to drive around in.
Orombi's spokesman advocates life-in-prison option "if the (gay) person is still alive," while his leading theologian likens gays to "cockroaches."
This week Orombi seemed to soften his stance, as his senior spokesman
said that said the death penalty clause in the legislation should be
scrapped... and life imprisonment or concentration camps substituted.
"If you kill the (gay) people, to whom will the message go? We need
to have imprisonment for life if the person is still alive," said Rev.
Canon Aaron Mwesigye, the provincial secretary of the Anglican Church
of Uganda.
Rev.
Michael Esakan Okwi , another senior cleric in the Anglican Church in
Uganda and professor at the Christian seminary, said on Friday that not
even “cockroaches” who
are in the “lower animal kingdom” engaged in homosexual relations. Adolph Hilter made the same analogy to "vermin" in describing Jews.
To "orthodox" critics of the Episcopal Church, Orombi is a "godly" man. Orombi is a close ally of American critics of the Episcopal Church,
including those in leadership positions in the Anglican Communion
Network and dioceses like South Carolina. Orombi claims that 33
"orthodox" American parishes, including one in Savannah, are now under
his authority.
The Diocese of South Carolina fully supports the creation of an
Anglican Covenant through which Primates like Orombi will have direct
authority over the Episcopal Church.
Even before he became bishop, Mark Lawrence felt the Episcopal Church
would be well-advised to put itself under the control of the Primates
for a while.
Over the years the Diocese of South Carolina has repeatedly cited
Orombi as an example of an "orthodox" Anglican and praised him as one
of the leaders of the Global South.
If the Diocese of South Carolina has used its substantial influence
with Orombi to dissuade him from supporting a genocide of gays, it has
not made it public.
Diocese of SC says election of lesbian bishop in Los Angeles will offend "orthodox" Primates like Orombi.
However, the Diocese's Canon Theologian on Sunday wasted no time
denouncing the election of a 55-year-old female priest as a Suffragan
bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles. The Very Rev. Mary Glasspool has
been in a committed domestic partnership with another woman for twenty
years.
According to Canon Kendall Harmon, Glasspool's election will further
damage the Episcopal Church's relationships with "orthodox" Anglican
leaders (like Orombi).
"This decision represents an intransigent embrace of a pattern of life
Christians throughout history and the world have rejected as against
biblical teaching," said Harmon.
____________
Georgia Court rules that Christ Church, Savannah belongs to the Diocese of Georgia (October 28, 2009)
In
another blow to congregations attempting to leave the Episcopal Church,
a Georgia Court ruled that historic Christ Episcopal Church in downtown
Savannah belongs to the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. In a 22-page
decision, the Court ruled that the Episcopal Church is "hierarchical" and that its "Dennis Canon" establishes the Diocese's claim to the property.
Christ Church's congregation has been attempting to align itself with
the Anglican Province of Uganda, under the authority of its Primate,
Henri Luke Orombi.
(click here for full opinion)
____________
Will Lawrence "Sacrifice" Clergy Pensions?
(October 29th, 2009)
Among
the big questions left unanswered by October’s Special Convention is
whether Bishop Lawrence really intends to withdraw from all the bodies
of the Episcopal Church he believes are acting in un-Biblical ways.
Resolution #2 passed by the Convention authorized the Bishop and
Standing Committee to withdraw from any elements of the Church that
have assented to actions contrary to Scripture and other standards of
the Faith.
When asked by delegates which "bodies" he had in mind, Lawrence named
the General Convention and the House of Bishops, but said that others
that have “sinned” could be added in the future.
No organization in the Episcopal Church has a bigger bull’s eye on it than the Church Pension Fund,
which sponsors one of the best retirement programs for clergy of any
denomination. Most, if not all, clergy in the diocese are counting on
a pension from this organization in their retirement.
Unfortunately for them, the Church Pension Fund provides spousal
benefits to the “spouse” of its retirees regardless of the spouse’s
gender. This is a clear and important economic benefit for clergy and
other retirees in same-gender relationships, and not likely something
from which the Pension Fund is likely to “repent,” as the Bishop demands
In August the Bishop told the clergy that they would be expected to
make “sacrifices” on a much greater scale than they have been called on
to make in the past. He has been careful to avoid saying what those
sacrifices might look like, but it is hard to imagine this isn't one of
them
By nearly four-to-one, clergy at the convention supported the Resolution.
____________
Did the Special Convention Nix John Burwell's Chances to be Elected Bishop? (October 29, 2009)
Younger hot-headed clergy, spoiling for a fight with the National
Church, unexpectedly forced a roll call vote at October's Special
Convention that may have doomed John Burwell's chances to be elected
Bishop in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina.
Burwell is the long-time rector of Holy Cross, Sullivan's Island, which
has been a model of new growth and successful parish ministry under his
leadership. He was named earlier this month as one of five nominees
for Bishop in our sister diocese.
However, Burwell voted YES on Resolution #2 that called for the Diocese
to withdraw from the governing bodies of the national Church and inject
an unauthorized cross-your-fingers caveat into future ordinations.
The twenty-something rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Myrtle Beach
demanded the vote many felt was an attempt to ferret out clergy who
aren't on board with the Diocese's crusade against the National Church.
This news, according to SC Episcopalians in the "upper" Diocese, has cast a cloud over Burwell's chances, which had been considered pretty good .
Even if delegates to the electing convention are not bothered by
Burwell's vote, it almost certainly would be a challenge for Bishops
and Standing Committees in the wider Church when they are asked to
consent to his election.
____________
Comments to the Special
Convention by Tommy Tipton, Rector of Holy Cross Faith
Memorial, Pawley's Island (October 29, 2009)
"First I want to remind
us of the term “broad church.” When I became an Episcopalian it was
this term that attracted me most to the Episcopal Church – the fact
that we could have “evangelicals” and “traditionalists” and
“anglo-catholics” – and “conservatives” and “liberals” and everything
in between – all coming together as one Body of Christ.
The part of the church that I represent is the “broad church middle.”
While we may not agree with everything that is decided at our National
Church Convention – or decisions that are rendered by our Executive
Council or the House of Bishops – it does not give cause to separate
ourselves from those decisions, to begin any sort of withdrawal from
those decisions or deem those decisions null and void.
In fact Bishop, as you stated in your address, our own Diocesan Canons
state very clearly in Article I that “the Diocese of SC accedes to and
adopts the Constitution and Canons" of the Episcopal Church and
acknowledges this authority accordingly.” I simply cannot figure out,
for the life of me, how withdrawing from anything brings us closer
together.
Bishops Dan Daniels of the Diocese of Eastern Carolina; Herman
Hollerith of Southern Virginia, Porter Taylor of Western North
Carolina, Neil Alexander of Atlanta, Charles von Rosenburg of East
Tennessee, Henry Parsley of Alabama, Scott Benhase of Georgia, Dorsey
Henderson in Upper South Carolina are “godly” “holy” “orthodox” bishops
who are not “left wing radicals.” They are our neighbors and our
friends and they represent the “broad church middle” – the Anglican
“via media” – which is the Episcopal Church of which I am a part – and
make the following invitation.
There are many in this diocese – both clergy and lay – who are “broad
church Episcopalians” and it is passed time for our voices to be heard
– for us to stand up and claim the Church.
I am saddened by the direction this diocese is heading – I think it is
destructive – and the Resolutions will do nothing but separate us even
more. I will not vote in favor of them.
You can view the activities of the Diocese of South Carolina by visiting its website at www.dioceseofsc.org
