Read it (‘reddit’) – and it is concise, and simply excellent. Thank you for putting out there something which might otherwise have not come before most of the eyes beholding this blog, Kendall.
Now to comment on the actual message. I agree with the good Bishop that the ages will judge this era in TECUSA’s history harshly. They will wonder where the love of God is in all the depositions and claims of abandoning communion and why those in power didn’t wonder why so many clergy and lay people felt it necessary to leave TECUSA for Africa or South America.
I’ve long felt that when bishops depose a priest because he left for another province in the Anglican Communion that the bishop was thereby admitting that the bishop himself and his diocese are no longer part of the Anglican Communion. Otherwise, it makes no sense to charge a priest with abandonment of communion when he leaves for another province.
I agree with you. And that is precisely the point that ++Henry Orombi made in an open letter to +Peter James Lee of Virginia when he deposed several priests in his diocese who transferred to Uganda over a year ago (at about the same time a larger number transferred to CANA). As far as I know, +Lee has never bothered to answer Archbishop Orombi’s complaint.
Although it is a very small diocese, Springfield is experiencing some promising signs of renewal, especially since +Beckwith invited Fr. Alan Hansen of Acts 29 to come and lead an extensive program of corporate renewal for diocesan clergy and leaders. I hold Fr. Hansen in the highest esteem. I hope other dioceses will consider drawing on his remarkable wisdom and pastoral senstivity in a similar way. Alan Hansen+ is the epitome of a Spirit-anointed leader who combines great boldness with equally great tact and maturity. And it says a lot about Bp. Beckwith that he chose Fr. Hansen to come and help the diocese get out of a rut and start growing again.
I get the distinct impression that TEC’s bishops……most of them, anyway……regard The Episcopal Church as the only part of the Anglican Communion which really matters to them, since TEC’s polity is so important. They see the reasserter bishops as deserting the communion of The Episcopal Church. Nothing else matters to them.
NRA, +Lee gave the answer that every TEC bishop gives, I think — if the priest is actually moving to the new jurisdiction, a transfer letter can be issued. But no such transfers to foreign provinces will be allowed if the priest just plans to keep working in the U.S. IIRC, this was a policy decided upon by the House of Bishops.
NRA,
Fr. HAnsen was my rector for ten years and a finer priest would be hard to find. I credit his preaching and the wonderfully reverent, majestic, and beautiful traditional worship services he presided over with transforming me from a pew potato into a more intentional Christian. His leadership sent many of us deeper into the Scriptures and his introduction of Alpha brought many, including my wife, into an active faith in our Lord.
While I agree that the use of the abandonment canon has been twisted badly, I believe the exegesis of the phrase “the communion of this church” made by the Bishop and others is off base. The word “communion” here is lower case and is equal to “fellowship.” The phrase itself is not asserting that TEC is a Communion unto itself. An accurate paraphrase would be: “Those who remove their ministerial credentials from the official ministerial fellowship (communion) of this particular denomination will be declared, after adequate time for a change of heart, to no longer have the standing and rights of ordained ministers in this particular denomination.”
Keep making the point about the dreadful misuse of the canon; just stop using this one part of the argument.
Yes, you are quite correct. I remember that now, but I guess I just dismiss that argument as just a cheap sleight-of-hand trick. I suspect you’re right that there is indeed an unofficial agreement among TEC bishops to handle the issue this way.
However, I can also testify that the regrettable act of deposing of the 21 priests that +Peter Lee committed last year was a change of policy for him. One of my friends, Fr. Joe Murphy, now with AMiA, left TEC not long after the debacle of Gen. Convention in 2003. He had been rector of St. Mary’s, in Reedville, VA. He asked for, and received, letters dimissory from +Lee when he transferred to Rwanda, even though the bishop knew full well that Murphy+ was remaining in the U.S. and would be ministering with AMiA. But like the breakdown in the negotiations over church property in northern VA with regard to the 11 CANA churches now being sued, there is every reason to think that +Lee has knuckled under to pressure from his colleagues in the HoB with regard to deposing clergy who leave TEC too.
Thanks for clarifying things, DavidH.
David Handy+
Very disappointed, but not really surprised about +Lee
Well, as one of his former parishioners, you certainly know Fr. Alan Hansen much better than I do. But the contact I have had with him has left me very impressed (and inspired) indeed. He has done a fantastic job leading Acts 29. For those unfamiliar with Fr. Hansen, he has produced a lot of superb short study courses that have been field tested and shown their practical value in a growing number of parishes of various types and sizes (not only in charismatic churches by any means).
Evan, does this mean that you were, or are, in Stacy Saul’s diocese? If so, heaven help you! Anyway, thanks for posting the tribute to your former pastor. Fr. Hansen’s powerful ministry deserves to be much more widely known and appreciated.
Fr. Handy,
I was in +Sauls’ diocese, but left when approximately 80% of the parishioners of St. John’s in Versailles (Fr. Hansen’s old parish) left to form St. Andrew’s Anglican Church after +Sauls fired our vestry while we were still searching for a replacement to Fr. Hansen, and placed St. John’s in a mission status with his own Quisling Bishops committee in charge. While Fr. Hansen’s heart was indeed with the charismatic movement and he introduced a “contemporary” service at St. John’s, he led the most wonderful high-church service on Sunday mornings, complete with bells and smells, in which he sang the opening to the Eucharistic prayer from Rite I. Warmed the heart of this staunch high-church traditionalist.
I think we’re in danger of the Elves declaring that we’ve hijacked this thread and wandered off-topic, but thanks for clarifying things. What you’ve said about Fr. Hansen doesn’t surprise me one bit. There are actually more than a few of us who are fervently charismatic (and evangelical too), but who also love the fullness of Anglo-Catholic worship. It’s what I keep calling the “3-D” approach to Christianity, the three dimensions being evangelical, catholic, and charismatic, although it’s more commonly called the “three streams, one river” model. Anyway, I’m proud of all of you who courageously left St. John’s, Versailles to start St. Andrew’s Anglican. God bless you richly.
#16
I’m sure you’re right about the Elves, so we’d best relinquish this thread back to the discussion of the excellent statement from +Springfield. Thanks for the kind words and for your appreciation of Fr. Hansen.
Somehow I think you made a Freudian Slip in the title: “Bishop of Spring’s” message rather than the Bishop of Spring[b]field[/b]’s ;).
It does bring up rather disconcerting images.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
[i] Fixed. Thank you. [/i]
Ah, Phil, you got there first!
I was thinking, it must have been a long winter….:-)
Now to go read it.
Read it (‘reddit’) – and it is concise, and simply excellent. Thank you for putting out there something which might otherwise have not come before most of the eyes beholding this blog, Kendall.
Now to comment on the actual message. I agree with the good Bishop that the ages will judge this era in TECUSA’s history harshly. They will wonder where the love of God is in all the depositions and claims of abandoning communion and why those in power didn’t wonder why so many clergy and lay people felt it necessary to leave TECUSA for Africa or South America.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
I’ve long felt that when bishops depose a priest because he left for another province in the Anglican Communion that the bishop was thereby admitting that the bishop himself and his diocese are no longer part of the Anglican Communion. Otherwise, it makes no sense to charge a priest with abandonment of communion when he leaves for another province.
Just to be clear about what we’re talking about here. Have there actually been any cases of deposition where a priest:
1. Genuinely moved — or stated a clear intention to move — *to* the other province (geographically)?
and
2. Asked their bishop for all the normal letters associated with such a move?
Or are these all cases where priests are trying to “transfer in place” without seeking normal letters.
David+ (#5),
I agree with you. And that is precisely the point that ++Henry Orombi made in an open letter to +Peter James Lee of Virginia when he deposed several priests in his diocese who transferred to Uganda over a year ago (at about the same time a larger number transferred to CANA). As far as I know, +Lee has never bothered to answer Archbishop Orombi’s complaint.
Although it is a very small diocese, Springfield is experiencing some promising signs of renewal, especially since +Beckwith invited Fr. Alan Hansen of Acts 29 to come and lead an extensive program of corporate renewal for diocesan clergy and leaders. I hold Fr. Hansen in the highest esteem. I hope other dioceses will consider drawing on his remarkable wisdom and pastoral senstivity in a similar way. Alan Hansen+ is the epitome of a Spirit-anointed leader who combines great boldness with equally great tact and maturity. And it says a lot about Bp. Beckwith that he chose Fr. Hansen to come and help the diocese get out of a rut and start growing again.
David Handy+
I get the distinct impression that TEC’s bishops……most of them, anyway……regard The Episcopal Church as the only part of the Anglican Communion which really matters to them, since TEC’s polity is so important. They see the reasserter bishops as deserting the communion of The Episcopal Church. Nothing else matters to them.
This message demonstrates why I am pleased and proud to be under +Peter’s jurisdiction, and to serve as one of his chancellors.
NRA, +Lee gave the answer that every TEC bishop gives, I think — if the priest is actually moving to the new jurisdiction, a transfer letter can be issued. But no such transfers to foreign provinces will be allowed if the priest just plans to keep working in the U.S. IIRC, this was a policy decided upon by the House of Bishops.
NRA,
Fr. HAnsen was my rector for ten years and a finer priest would be hard to find. I credit his preaching and the wonderfully reverent, majestic, and beautiful traditional worship services he presided over with transforming me from a pew potato into a more intentional Christian. His leadership sent many of us deeper into the Scriptures and his introduction of Alpha brought many, including my wife, into an active faith in our Lord.
While I agree that the use of the abandonment canon has been twisted badly, I believe the exegesis of the phrase “the communion of this church” made by the Bishop and others is off base. The word “communion” here is lower case and is equal to “fellowship.” The phrase itself is not asserting that TEC is a Communion unto itself. An accurate paraphrase would be: “Those who remove their ministerial credentials from the official ministerial fellowship (communion) of this particular denomination will be declared, after adequate time for a change of heart, to no longer have the standing and rights of ordained ministers in this particular denomination.”
Keep making the point about the dreadful misuse of the canon; just stop using this one part of the argument.
DavidH (#11),
Yes, you are quite correct. I remember that now, but I guess I just dismiss that argument as just a cheap sleight-of-hand trick. I suspect you’re right that there is indeed an unofficial agreement among TEC bishops to handle the issue this way.
However, I can also testify that the regrettable act of deposing of the 21 priests that +Peter Lee committed last year was a change of policy for him. One of my friends, Fr. Joe Murphy, now with AMiA, left TEC not long after the debacle of Gen. Convention in 2003. He had been rector of St. Mary’s, in Reedville, VA. He asked for, and received, letters dimissory from +Lee when he transferred to Rwanda, even though the bishop knew full well that Murphy+ was remaining in the U.S. and would be ministering with AMiA. But like the breakdown in the negotiations over church property in northern VA with regard to the 11 CANA churches now being sued, there is every reason to think that +Lee has knuckled under to pressure from his colleagues in the HoB with regard to deposing clergy who leave TEC too.
Thanks for clarifying things, DavidH.
David Handy+
Very disappointed, but not really surprised about +Lee
evan miller (#11),
Well, as one of his former parishioners, you certainly know Fr. Alan Hansen much better than I do. But the contact I have had with him has left me very impressed (and inspired) indeed. He has done a fantastic job leading Acts 29. For those unfamiliar with Fr. Hansen, he has produced a lot of superb short study courses that have been field tested and shown their practical value in a growing number of parishes of various types and sizes (not only in charismatic churches by any means).
Evan, does this mean that you were, or are, in Stacy Saul’s diocese? If so, heaven help you! Anyway, thanks for posting the tribute to your former pastor. Fr. Hansen’s powerful ministry deserves to be much more widely known and appreciated.
David Handy+
Fr. Handy,
I was in +Sauls’ diocese, but left when approximately 80% of the parishioners of St. John’s in Versailles (Fr. Hansen’s old parish) left to form St. Andrew’s Anglican Church after +Sauls fired our vestry while we were still searching for a replacement to Fr. Hansen, and placed St. John’s in a mission status with his own Quisling Bishops committee in charge. While Fr. Hansen’s heart was indeed with the charismatic movement and he introduced a “contemporary” service at St. John’s, he led the most wonderful high-church service on Sunday mornings, complete with bells and smells, in which he sang the opening to the Eucharistic prayer from Rite I. Warmed the heart of this staunch high-church traditionalist.
evan miller (#15),
I think we’re in danger of the Elves declaring that we’ve hijacked this thread and wandered off-topic, but thanks for clarifying things. What you’ve said about Fr. Hansen doesn’t surprise me one bit. There are actually more than a few of us who are fervently charismatic (and evangelical too), but who also love the fullness of Anglo-Catholic worship. It’s what I keep calling the “3-D” approach to Christianity, the three dimensions being evangelical, catholic, and charismatic, although it’s more commonly called the “three streams, one river” model. Anyway, I’m proud of all of you who courageously left St. John’s, Versailles to start St. Andrew’s Anglican. God bless you richly.
David Handy+
#16
I’m sure you’re right about the Elves, so we’d best relinquish this thread back to the discussion of the excellent statement from +Springfield. Thanks for the kind words and for your appreciation of Fr. Hansen.
[i] Hooray for sanity. Thank you, gentlemen. [/i]
-Elf Lady