The Rev. Paul C. Fuener, rector of Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church in Georgetown, agrees. He says although South Carolina is listed in many publications as the “fifth” diocese which may leave the National Episcopal Church, that is unfounded, he says. He agrees with Burwell’s sentiment (above).
“At present most everybody wants to hold together as a diocese,” Fuener said. “We have never talked internally about leaving. If we were to join this new province, we would have to split because everyone wouldn’t want to do that. We tend to be united as a diocese.”
He says the formation of a new Anglican province would be “truly extraordinary.”
“It is not every day that an entire diocese of one of the Anglican provinces gets together and says it is no longer going to be in the province,” Fuener said. “It is sad to me, not upsetting, that it has come to that point where the actions of our national church have driven people to this conclusion that they can’t stay.”
It has been stated that there is room in The Episcopal Church for those holding different opinions, but the evidence so far shows that those “different opinions” are given short shrift in TEC’s scheme of things.
TEC’s General Convention and their House of Bishops may claim that they HEAR those “different opinions” expressed on the floor of Convention, but do they LISTEN CLOSELY to what is being said? Do they pay ATTENTION? Do they take into consideration what is being asked of them, and do they give the petitioners the same consideration as others who speak in opposition to what is being asked for?
I am not at all convinced that they do!
I am pleased about the formation of a new province and hope that it will be recognized by the wider Anglican communion. I know that the official position of the Diocese of SC is to stay in and be the “conscience” of TEC, but I hope that that too will change.
I consider TEC to be a rotting corpse. I know that God can do miracles and raise even Lazarus, who “stinketh”. I believe it will take drastic action to get TEC to come around. Casting them out of the communion so that they might have a change of heart would be my preferred course of action,
WestJ, The Episcopal Church with its sixteen overseas jurisdictions is already a communion of its own; unofficially of course, but for all intents and purposes, a communion nevertheless. That’s one reason why they renamed themselves at their last General Convention. Expelling them from the Anglican Communion would be like recognizing them as a separate entity. Instead, they’d rather claim to be a part of the Anglican Communion and to continue to rule the roost with their money, while at the same time being prepared to go it on their own…..which they think they’re quite capable of doing.
I gather this is a typo and that what is meant is ‘two-thirds majority of Archbishops in the Anglican Communion.’ The newspaper summarises Fr Kelaher as saying:
“He points out that if a two-thirds majority of arch bishops in the Anglican Mission approve the new province, there will be two separate provinces in one country, which is rare.”
Fr Fuener–a solid conservative–gives important perspective in this article. I take it the reference to comment from Fr Burwell (which does not appear in the article) is in the same vein as his (consistent with remarks made last week and cited here). His characterisation of SC as doing things in concert is consistent with my own take on this fine diocese.