Normally I do not do the kind of posts entitled “Breaking: This Just In,” or similar attempts at being first to comment on the news. However, this post from Lionel Deimel in Pittsburgh just came to my attention, and he gives a link to the Supplemental Petition just filed by Calvary Church of Pittsburgh. The Petition, following up on a Stipulation entered into between Calvary Church and the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2006, seeks the appointment of a court “monitor” to oversee the expenditure of funds and any transfer of assets by Bishop Robert Duncan preparatory to, or as a result of, the Diocesan Convention on October 4, 2008—at which there will be proposed, for second reading and final passage, amendments to the Constitution of that Diocese to withdraw its accession to the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church.
Read it all and follow the links provided to further documentation.
A.S. Haley, The Curmudgeon also offers his analysis of the GAFCON/Jerusalem Declaration – IT IS A MUST READ: http://accurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2008/07/on-gafcon-bishops-and-border-crossing.html
The godly Samuel Shoemaker once preached the Gospel from underneath Calvary’s fastigial arch. It is better that he did not live to see this day.
Gracious folk in my congregation continue to remind me in the darkest hours that Jesus told us there’d be days like this. . . .
I think this may be good: if the Bishop has not done any money laundering he will be exonerated by the court. If he has been moving money around, he will be caught and this will hurt his movement to realign. Either way, the good guys win!
Please, I ask that respondents be VERY CAREFUL!
For several years I worked with the National White Collar Crime Center (Department of Justice > BJA). I have examined and reexamined money laundering techniques and effects inside and out, and I have helped train L.E. and Federal prosecutors in its detection and prosecution. While I may disagree with +Duncan on some minor issues, I see nothing (NOTHING!) in his comportment to suggest any activity akin to money laundering. Indeed, he demonstrates a transparency and level of integrity that few (Iker, Adams, Ackerman, Beckwith, etc., among them) of his HOB peers can approach.
Does anyone at Calvary really think that the Bishop of Pittsburgh has, through a criminal act, generated a financial asset? Then please show me a shred of evidence!
It’s not the presence or absence of evidence, it’s the smear that is important. Surely you have observed long enough to know that of ECUSA/TEC/GCC/ECO-PAC techniques, Briane. Sham enough charges to get some fallacious grounds for fabricated depositions. That sort of thing.
Now give ’em a bishop laundering a brother’s sexual misconduct with minors, no way, Jose.
The suit doesn’t contain any allegations regarding money laundering or any financial improprieties. It is an attempt 1) to prevent any assets of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from leaving TEC, under the assumption that all the assets of the diocese belong to TEC and 2) prevent the diocese from using any diocesan finances in defense of the suit just brought. It will be interesting to see which parishes wish to join Calvary in either the suit or in putting assessments into escrow. How will the conservatives wishing to stay react to this suit? Can they join hands with Lewis/Calvary and still stay clear of involvement in this legal battle? Hardly. It’s going to get ugly in Pittsburgh.
The Anglican Tradition began with controversy over sex (King Henry’s desire for a new bride) property (the good king appropriated the Catholic Church’s property) and state intervention in the Church (he appointed himself the sovereign head of the Church of England). So why are any of you suprised that it is ending with a dispute over sex, property and state intervention in the church? Does not the bible say that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword?
It’s already gotten ugly in Pittsburgh. Bishop-in-waiting Lewis has conducted a not-so-subtle smear campaign that reached its lowest level at a recent Diocesan meeting where a member of the Lewis contingent kept referring to the actual Bishop as a racist, homophobe and megalomaniac who wanted to destroy Bishop-in-waiting Lewis’ diocese to further his own diabolical agenda. The name-calling will only get worse, and the legal maneuvering more desperate as Convention draws nearer.
For the record, Duncan has been considerably more transparent than the Bishop-in-waiting on every issue.
All your church are belong to us.
# 7, I know this isn’t quite the point of the thread, but I must disagree. Your argument is exactly that of a skeptic, regardless of wat you may believe.
God blessed the Anglican reformers with Henry’s troubles. Henry VIII fathered Anglo-Catholicism and, yet, knowingly put men in place who birthed Anglo-Protestantism. Defender of the Faith Henry and martyr Archbishop Thomas were men my moved by God in the real world. It has taken nearly five hundred years to undo their work, not because it was wrong or cynical, but because we have become too cynical to realize that God uses states, organized churches, clerics, kings, presidents, and the whole structure of human society as His agents, in all of their howling imperfections.
Also, I really doubt that Harold Lewis will ever be Bishop of Pittsburgh. He will probably become a bishop elsewhere, though.
[blockquote] For the record, Duncan has been considerably more transparent than the Bishop-in-waiting on every issue. [/blockquote] All of the orthodox bishops have been–Duncan, Iker, Ackerman, Schofield, and so on. It’s the “other side” that have things to hide.
Apologies for my typo above. Of course, I meant wat you believe as in Wat Tyler.
Isn’t this the same “church” that recently decried application of a neutral legal principle regarding certain Virgina properties as an unwarranted intrusion of the State into ecclesiastic affairs? Now it wants the government to enmesh itself in prior restraint against one of its bishops over a very dubious supposition that it owns certain properties in Pennsylvania.
I’ll stop there. I sense the hand of an Elf near…
What is a bishop-in-waiting?
[i] Please stay on topic. [/i]
-Elf Lady
#14: A bishop-in-waiting- is like a lady-in-waiting, a well paid parasite who sole purpose is to agree with the Duchess and do her hair.
OH oh. I sense the hand of the elves is near – that shadow!…..AAAAiiiiieeeee………….. Fearful in Maine
It is incredible to me that someone has not challenged TEC for misuse of funds in these lawsuits.