New leadership, both lay and ordained, a new episcopal presence and a new priest highlighted the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s special convention December 12.
Meeting at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, the special convention was called to reorganize the diocese and fill a number of leadership positions vacated by those who left the Episcopal Church following the diocese’s 143rd annual convention on October 4.
The people who departed, led by deposed Bishop Robert Duncan, now say they will be a part of the Argentina-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone while they attempt to form a parallel Anglican province in North America that would be recognized by the large Anglican Communion.
Members of 28 congregations took part in the December 12 convention, representing 40% of both the number of parishes and total membership — as measured by the benchmark average Sunday attendance — in the Pittsburgh diocese prior to October, according to a diocesan news release. Members of 18 congregations had declared their plans to remain with the diocese in the days just after the October convention.
The TEC Diocese of Pittsburgh made a rather reasonable estimate of Membership at 40 percent of the pre-schism Membership; i.e., about 8,000 out of about 20,000. I hope that they follow this same honest effort by claiming about 8,000 in the final 2008 Parish reports, unlike the bogus numbers put out by TEC San Joaquin for 2007. Statmann
Figures they would appoint a Satanic blues musician as bishop.
Satanic clues musician? Please explain. Laarry