Thus [we hear from today’s Living Church article that] Bishop Henderson previously worked with Mr. J. B. Burch when Bishop Henderson served on the former “Title IV Review Committee” (of which Bishop Waggoner was the chair). And in that capacity, Bishop Henderson tells us, “he did preliminary work on the Bishop Lawrence information . . .”.
What are we to make of this? It indicates that the so-called allegations of “abandonment” against Bishop Lawrence were on the docket of the former Title IV Review Committee until that body ceased to operate as of July 1, 2011. But if that is the case, they must have been presented with the allegations in June 2011 or earlier — possibly (as I indicated in an earlier post) as long ago as last September.
One wonders why it took so long for Bishop Lawrence to be informed of the allegations made against him, if that chronology is true….
Thanks, Kendall+, I downloaded the article and added it to our collection of articles from the ACI. It always amazes me how some can read the same information and get a totally different opinion even when that opinion is not supported by any further information on the subject. Weird.
What Peter Carrell said:
Dead right – this is turning into an indictment not of +Mark Lawrence, but of KJS, Goodwin Proctor and Beers, with +Henderson doing a in-credible job of covering the trail which so clearly now leads back to them.
I watch with my draw dropping further and further with each wriggle and turn of +Henderson. What a shower.
John 3:20 – so true.
I don’t detect any great thirst on the part of the Establishment for this to turn into a trial.
#3, that’s part of the problem, the new way doesn’t require a “trial.” There is an investigation, a finding presented to the PB, and the vote of whatever form of the House of Bishops the PB says is legally appropriate. [url=http://accurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2011/10/absurdities-in-midst-of-crisis.html]See here and the links for examples.[/url]
While still a travesty, it would be more fair if there actually *were* a trial. At least that would give +Lawrence due process to be heard and defend himself before having a sentence laid on him.
Right now deposing him is as simple as 10 votes on the Disciplinary Review Board and a bare majority of how ever many Bishops show up to the next Bishop’s meeting (as long as there is at any point of the meeting a quorum.)
It takes more due process to order new embroidered kneeling cushions for the parish Cathedral than it does to depose a sitting Bishop in Apostolic Succession in the one true catholic church.
:::sorry::: should be local diocese Cathedral…::::
“What kind of Christian grace and freedom is it that refuses to dialogue and to converse over a grievance and instead waits, and waits, and waits until the full force of the law can be brought against a fellow Christian with whom one is out of sorts?”
Um, yeah, and the sad thing is that we’ve seen that before, are seeing it now, and will sadly see it again. Yet it was also foreseen–From John 15:
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[c] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26″But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
Even when you understand it and its purpose, it’s not a real fun place to be.
Prayers again for Bishop Lawrence and DioSC.
Is there any mention that Bishop Lawrence insisted that All Saints Parish, Waccamaw drop its lawsuit in the US Supreme Court while it
was on the steps of the court house? Is there any mention that Bishop Lawrence insisted along with THE PRIEST, Ed Kelaher that All Saints Parish, Waccamaw settle with All Saints AMIA for $375,000 and change the name of the church to Christ The King? Is there any mention that the All Saints Parish, Waccamaw vestry voted over eight times to continue to US Supreme Court and that the priest threatened to resign if the did not change their vote? Of course not!!! After all…he resigned in June. Bishop Salmon had another hatchet job for him in a Maryland parish. Watch Out!!!
There indeed [b]should[/b] be a trial, and it should be one designed so that all of the dirty linen is brought to light.
Peter Carrell notes further that: “Bishop John Harrower of Tasmania has come out in support of +Mark Lawrence in a published letter here“:
[blockquote] Dear Brother,
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I received with deep concern and sadness the news of formal allegations against you and your diocese with respect to some ill-defined sense of abandoning the faith of the Church.
I write so that my recognition and support of you as a Brother Bishop in the Anglican Communion may be clear and unambiguous, and to assure you of my prayer for you and your leadership team at this time.
It has become clear over recent years, and it was certainly my experience at the Lambeth Conference of 2008: not only are the revisionist pursuits of certain parties clearly no longer bounded by the fundamental witness of the gospel in Scripture, but the means of that pursuit seem no longer bounded by the common human wisdom of good grace and fairness. The fact that current events demonstrate a willingness to impugn the fundamental character of Episcopal polity is a demonstration of their intransigence.
Nevertheless, please be encouraged in the Lord Jesus in whose sufferings you share and in whose resurrection hope we live and minister.
I note the words at the top of your diocesan website – “…that all may come to know Him…†Our Lord Jesus is indeed our sole focus, our joy, our salvation; and the knowledge of him our goal for ourselves and all those we meet. He is the head of the church and his promise to his people is secure.
May his grace and peace be with you and the faithful saints of the Diocese of South Carolina.
Yours sincerely in the bonds of Christ,
Shalom
John Harrower
Bishop of Tasmania[/blockquote]
Good for him
What a wonderful letter! The support is gratifying even if it means nothing to the Presiding Bishop. His support as a fellow bishop means a lot to us in the diocese.
Many thanks for the link in #9; I can only hope that other bishops “speak” out publicly as well.