I really do not know anymore what is coming next. How things are done and not done are as haphazard as people’s ideas; or so it seems.
Now I read that the “New” Diocese of Fort Worth passed a $632,466 dollar budget for a part-time bishop, a little over 19 priests and 62 delegates who represent way less than a thousand people, and $200,000 is from the General Convention budget!
First, I did not see that in the GC budget that was passed in 2006. Where did it come from?
Excellent letter, +Adams! I hope you are ready for retirement…. after questioning her majesty, you will be on your way out! I really do wish you could get some straight answers.
HOOOOORAAAAYYYY!
Back this man up South Carolina. NOW!
Great letter. Bishop Jim Adams continues to be one of the most honest, straight-spoken bishops still in TEC. And does anyone else remember the Peter Sellers classic, “The Mouse That Roared”?
I hope I am wrong but I have a funny feeling that the sights at 815 are now being turned toward Western Kansas. But I digress, is he the only Bishop raising questions about this and all the other craziness coming from 815?
The excesses at 815 are being outed. With the lawsuit frenzy, Canon-trashing, awful stewardship and all, even moderates and a few progressives are starting to say, “This is out of control.”
Don’t know if there are enough of them to put a stop to it… many GenCon deputations were elected well before the lawsuit $ figures came out and Anaheim will likely be another PB worship fest.
We really need a major TEC insider to stand up and exhibit a conscience. The current leadership is clearly serving very narrow interests and doing long term harm to folks of all parties in the church.
“……and doing long term harm to folks of all parties in the church.” This includes outright [b]lying[/b] to them!
A most courageous and straight-talking leader! My prayers that the Lord will uphold him and his diocese through the storms ahead.
Egads. The flying monkeys are no doubt on their way to Kansas! Watch out, Toto! Watch out, Bish!
I am reminded of the scene in the movie “Network”, wherein the chairman of the conglomerate that owns the network summons the protagonist to the board room. The chairman dims the lights and then shouts: “You have offended the Forces of Nature, and you will atone!!”
The interesting question is whether the Presiding Bishop smacks down Bp. Adams herself, or has her personal litigation counsel do it for her, or prompts a “grassroots” group in Western Kansas to suddenly discover impediments to Bp. Adams’ continued episcopacy. Perhaps the only outward and visible sign of the coming smackdown will be Bp. Adams’ announcement that he is retiring…
I have long wondered whether the bishops of TEC have been reduced to shuddering fearful shadows of their former selves, or have become isolationists that would make Joseph Kennedy (Sr.) very proud.
Once again we have +Kate “declaring” standing committees and bishops “invalid”, handing out monies that don’t exist (or are stolen from other ministries), swooping in to declare that, presto-chango there are “continuing” dioceses here there and everywhere.
Not a word – at least not a public word – from any TEC bishops. God bless this courageous man.
The TEC diocese of Fort Worth probably has about 5000 members in it’s parishes, and average Sunday attendance of something between 1200 and 1500. Why does Bp. Adams refer to ” way less than a thousand people”? No snark intended, I’m just wondering what the support for TEC/Fort Worth really is.
Anyone paying close attention over the last few years should know that Bp. Adams has spoken up before. If it were entirely up to him Western Kansas would have joined ACN and possibly more. He has been at odds not only with TEC but with liberals and moderates in his own diocese who don’t want to stir the pot. I suspect the PB’s eye (and dare I say Mr. Beers’) has been on him for sometime. At least all of this is the impression I have gotten over the last few years, and during one visit I made there three years ago.
I too have heard liberals and moderates grumble about these things. Bp. Adams’ tongue-in-cheek suggestion reminds me of a self-described liberal priest I know, who likes to joke that he’s willing to negotiate to take his parish into the Southern Cone or Uganda, if only they’ll give him a break on apportionment. This is not a joke about SC or Uganda but about the high cost of maintaining a diocese that is still deep in the red.
Bishop Adam states that his diocese can’t ask for funds. Why not? The 2002 through 2007 data would seem to justify such a request. Membership fell by 6 percent and ASA by 13 percent while Plate & Pledge fell 11 percent (which added to inflation was a decline of 27 percent in real dollars). And the diocese is Aging as 32 Infant Baptisms and 49 Burials in 2007 demonstrate. And it tok 31 churches and 2,281 Members to produce those 32 baptisms or 71 to ONE (which is good enough for runner-up in the PB’s birth control contest). Also, 29 of the 31 churches had Plate & Pledge of less than $150,000 in 2007. Can the diocese ask for funds? Yes, you can!
Statmann
Revdons (#4) wrote: “I hope I am wrong but I have a funny feeling that the sights at 815 are now being turned toward Western Kansas.”
Reminds me of something out of the Two Towers (LOTR) by Tolkien. (Can you see the eye of Sauron?)
I think I see an invisible abandonment of communion with The Episcopal Church right there betwixt the last paragraph and his signature.