From the Lead, appended to an article on the post-HoB Press Conference. Here are the official minutes of the Business Session of the HoB Meeting including the roll call vote on the deposition of Bp. Duncan
House of Bishops Business Meeting
Little America Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah
September 18, 2009
The business meeting of the House was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. Prayers were offered by Chaplain Carol Wade and the roll of bishops was called by Secretary Bishop Kenneth Price. It was determined that the 127 bishops present represented significantly more than a quorum. Bishop Clifton Daniel moved, on behalf of the Dispatch of Business Committee, the agenda for the day. It was adopted.
The Presiding Bishop then recognized Vice President Bishop Dick Chang who moved that the House go into a Committee of the Whole to discuss the matter of the deposition of Bishop Robert Duncan. Parliamentarian Bishop John Buchanan explained that as a Committee of the Whole no minutes would be taken and no motions made. The rest of the morning session was spent as a committee of the whole in which 21 bishops spoke. The morning section of the business session recessed for Holy Eucharist at 11:45 a.m. and lunch
.
The business session resumed at 2:00 and the Committee of the Whole continued with 14 more speakers. When no more speakers requested to be recognized the Presiding Bishop declared the Committee of the Whole to be ended and the following motion was made and seconded.
“RESOLVED, that pursuant to Canon IV.9.2 of the Episcopal Church, the House of Bishops hereby consents to the Deposition from the ordained ministry of the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.”
The following explanation accompanied the resolution.
EXPLANATION: On December 17, 2007, the Title IV Review Committee certified to the Presiding Bishop, pursuant to Canon IV.9.1, that the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, had “abandoned the communion of this Church by an open renunciation of the Doctrine, Discipline or Worship of this Church.” In the intervening months since the Presiding Bishop gave notice to Bishop Duncan of the foregoing certification, Bishop Duncan has failed to submit to the Presiding Bishop sufficient retraction or denial of the actions found by the Title IV Review Committee. Accordingly, the Presiding Bishop has presented the matter to the House of Bishops and requested consent to Bishop Duncan’s Deposition.
Bishop William Love then called for division with the following statement:
“We the undersigned being voting members of the House of Bishops, hereby call for division of each and every vote of this House on any matter put to vote with respect to the status of the Bishop of Pittsburgh as a bishop and member of this House of Bishops and that each member’s vote, whether it be aye or nay, be entered in the journal.”
This above call was signed by Bishops William Love, James Adams, David Reed, Michael Smith, Edward Little, Geralyn Wolf, Mark Lawrence, John Howe and Bruce MacPherson. She ruled that the roll would be called on the final vote.
Bishop Michael Smith made a challenge was then made and seconded regarding the chair’s ruling that no inhibition was needed before the house considered deposition. The matter was put to a vote and more than the requisite 2/3 vote sustained her ruling.
Bishop Lawrence made a challenge was then made and seconded regarding the chair’s ruling that the requisite votes for deposition would be arrived at by a majority of the bishops eligible to vote who were present at this meeting. The matter was put to a vote and more than the requisite 2/3 vote sustained her ruling.
Prayer was then offered by Chaplain Carol Wade and the roll was called on the matter of the deposition of Bishop Robert Duncan. The motion passed by a vote of 88 Ayes. 35 Nays and 4 Abstentions. A complete list of the votes of the 127 bishops present is as follows:
RECORD OF VOTES CAST REGARDING THE DEPOSITION OF BISHOP DUNCAN
Consecration Number Consecration Date Name Role Diocese Vote re: Duncan
627 11/26/67 William Frey Assisting Rio Grande n
665 9/12/71 Otis Charles Resigned y
721 10/31/77 Bob Jones Resigned y
722 2/11/78 Robert Anderson Assistant Los Angeles y
779 1/21/84 James Ottley Assistant Long Island y
780 1/25/84 Leopold Frade Diocesan Southeast Florida y
785 5/19/84 Peter Lee Diocesan Virginia n
804 2/15/85 Allen Bartlett Resigned y
812 10/11/86 Arthur Williams Resigned y
819 2/24/87 E. Don Taylor Assistant New York y
830 9/27/88 C. Christopher Epting Bishop for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations y
835 2/25/89 John Buchanan Assistant Southern Virginia y
839 4/15/89 John Howe Diocesan Central Florida n
844 8/20/89 Sergio Carranza Assistant Los Angeles y
854 3/24/90 Charles Keyser Assisting Florida y
861 1/26/91 Chester Talton Suffragan Los Angeles y
864 3/15/91 Victor Scantlebury Assistant Chicago y
865 3/23/91 Steven Charleston Assistant California y
868 6/9/91 Jerry Lamb Provisional Bishop of San Joaquin y
869 6/15/91 Alfred Marble Assisting North Carolina y
870 8/16/91 Julio Holguin Diocesan Dominican Republic a
872 2/29/92 Peter Beckwith Diocesan Springfield n
876 11/19/92 Jane Holmes Dixon Resigned y
879 3/6/93 James Stanton Diocesan Dallas n
883 9/11/93 F. Clayton Matthews Bishop for Pastoral Development y
885 10/29/93 James Jelinek Diocesan Minnesota y
891 4/17/94 Edwin Gulick Diocesan Kentucky y
894 5/24/94 Russell Jacobus Diocesan Fond du Lac a
900 10/29/94 Kenneth Price Suffragan Southern Ohio y
901 1/21/95 Henry Louttit Diocesan Georgia y
902 2/3/95 Dorsey Henderson Diocesan Upper South Carolina n
904 3/25/95 Vernon Strickland Resigned y
907 6/24/95 David Jones Suffragan Virginia y
909 10/21/95 Robert Ihloff Resigned y
912 1/27/96 Catherine Roskam Suffragan New York y
913 2/17/96 Geralyn Wolf Diocesan Rhode Island n
917 5/4/96 Andrew Smith Diocesan Connecticut y
918 5/31/96 Carolyn Irish Diocesan Utah y
919 6/29/96 Paul Marshall Diocesan Bethlehem y
922 9/21/96 Clifton Daniel Diocesan East Carolina y
924 10/12/96 Gordon Scruton Diocesan Western Massachusetts y
925 10/26/96 F. Neff Powell Diocesan Southwestern Virginia y
926 1/4/97 Richard S.O. Chang Resigned y
929 6/7/97 Catherine Waynick Diocesan Indianapolis y
930 6/28/97 C. Wallis Ohl Diocesan Northwest Texas n
933 9/13/97 Mark MacDonald Diocesan Navajoland a
934 9/26/97 Bruce Caldwell Diocesan Wyoming y
936 1/31/98 Charles Jenkins Diocesan Louisiana n
937 3/14/98 Barry Howe Diocesan West Missouri y
938 3/28/98 Chilton Knudsen Resigned y
939 4/25/98 Mark Sisk Diocesan New York y
940 6/6/98 Harry Bainbridge Diocesan Idaho y
942 10/10/98 John Rabb Suffragan Maryland n
944 2/27/99 Charles vonRosenberg Diocesan East Tennessee n
945 3/13/99 William Persell Resigned y
946 4/10/99 Keith Whitmore Assistant Atlanta y
947 4/24/99 J. Michael Garrison Diocesan Western New York y
949 10/9/99 D. Bruce MacPherson Diocesan Western Louisiana n
950 2/5/00 Wendell Gibbs Diocesan Michigan y
951 2/12/00 George Packard Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies n
952 3/18/00 Edward Little Diocesan Northern Indiana n
953 4/29/00 J. Jon Bruno Diocesan Los Angeles y
955 6/17/00 Michael Curry Diocesan North Carolina y
956 6/17/00 Duncan Gray Diocesan Mississippi n
957 9/23/00 William Gregg Assistant North Carolina y
958 9/30/00 Stacy Sauls Diocesan Lexington y
959 10/14/00 James Curry Suffragan Connecticut y
961 10/21/00 James Waggoner Diocesan Spokane y
963 2/24/01 Katharine Jefferts Schori Presiding Bishop y
965 4/28/01 Thomas Ely Diocesan Vermont y
966 5/12/01 Philip Duncan Diocesan Central Gulf Coast y
968 7/7/01 J. Neil Alexander Diocesan Atlanta y
969 7/14/01 Francisco Duque Diocesan Colombia y
970 10/13/01 William Klusmeyer Diocesan West Virginia n
971 10/20/01 Lloyd Allen Diocesan Honduras n
972 10/27/01 Gladstone Adams Diocesan Central New York y
973 11/18/01 Pierre Whalon Suffragan American Churches in Europe a
974 2/7/02 Marc Andrus Diocesan California y
975 3/2/02 G. Wayne Smith Diocesan Missouri y
976 3/16/02 James Adams Diocesan Western Kansas n
979 6/1/02 John Chane Diocesan Washington y
981 1/18/03 Gayle Harris Suffragan Massachusetts y
982 1/25/03 James Shand Diocesan Easton n
983 4/5/03 Alan Scarfe Diocesan Iowa n
984 11/28/97 David Alvarez Diocesan Puerto Rico y
985 9/13/03 Joe Burnett Diocesan Nebraska y
987 9/27/03 C. Franklin Brookhart Diocesan Montana n
989 10/4/03 Robert O’Neill Diocesan Colorado y
990 10/18/03 George Councell Diocesan New Jersey n
991 10/18/03 Steven Miller Diocesan Milwaukee n
992 11/1/03 S. Johnson Howard Diocesan Florida y
993 11/2/03 V. Gene Robinson Diocesan New Hampshire y
994 11/8/03 Dean Wolfe Diocesan Kansas y
995 2/21/04 Gary Lillibridge Diocesan West Texas n
996 4/24/04 Kirk Smith Diocesan Arizona y
997 4/17/04 Mark Hollingsworth Diocesan Ohio y
998 5/8/04 Michael Smith Diocesan North Dakota n
999 9/18/04 G. Porter Taylor Diocesan Western North Carolina y
1001 1/22/05 Bavi Rivera Suffragan Olympia y
1002 3/5/05 James Mathes Diocesan San Diego y
1003 6/11/05 E. Ambrose Gumbs Diocesan Virgin Islands n
1005 8/26/06 David Reed Suffragan West Texas n
1006 9/9/06 S. Todd Ousley Diocesan Eastern Michigan y
1007 9/16/06 William Love Diocesan Albany n
1008 9/30/06 Barry Beisner Diocesan Northern California y
1010 10/26/06 Nathan Baxter Diocesan Central Pennsylvania y
1011 1/6/07 Larry Benfield Diocesan Arkansas y
1012 1/27/07 Mark Beckwith Diocesan Newark y
1013 1/27/07 John Bauerschmidt Diocesan Tennessee n
1014 3/10/07 Dabney Smith Diocesan Southwest Florida n
1015 3/10/07 Robert Fitzpatrick Diocesan Hawaii y
1016 4/28/07 Thomas Breidenthal Diocesan Southern Ohio y
1017 5/26/07 Shannon Johnston Coadjutor Virginia n
1018 6/30/07 Laura Ahrens Suffragan Connecticut y
1019 9/8/07 Sean Rowe Diocesan Northwestern Pennsylvania y
1020 9/15/07 Edward Konieczny Diocesan Oklahoma n
1021 9/15/07 Gregory Rickel Diocesan Olympia y
1022 11/10/07 Mary Gray-Reeves Diocesan El Camino Real y
1023 1/5/08 Dan Edwards Diocesan Nevada y
1024 1/12/08 John McKee Sloan Suffragan Alabama n
1025 1/26/08 Mark Lawrence Diocesan South Carolina n
1026 2/2/08 Jeffrey Lee Diocesan Chicago y
1027 1/25/94 Sylvestre Romero Assisting New Jersey y
1028 5/3/08 Stephen Lane Diocesan Maine y
1029 5/31/08 Prince Singh Diocesan Rochester y
1030 6/28/08 Eugene Sutton Diocesan Maryland y
1031 7/12/08 Paul Lambert Suffragan Dallas n
.
The Rules of Order call for the introduction of new bishops at each business meeting. The Presiding Bishop had introduced them the day before. They are:
Bishop Steven Lane, Bishop Diocesan of Maine
Bishop Prince Singh, Bishop Diocesan of Rochester
Bishop Eugene Sutton, Bishop Diocesan of Maryland
Bishop Paul Lambert, Bishop Suffragan of Dallas
The Rev. Brian Thom, elected Bishop Diocesan of Idaho, was also introduced. His consents have been received but he is not yet consecrated.
The following bishops, who have died since our last meeting, also were remembered with a moment of silence. They are:
Bishop Robert Spears, Rochester, resigned
Bishop Ronald Haines, Washington, resigned
Bishop Frank Vest, Southern Virginia, resigned
Bishop Jose Gonzalez, Newark, resigned
As a communication from the Presiding Bishop, Bishop Jefferts Schori explained that in the matter of inhibited Bishop Charles Bennison of Pennsylvania, we are still waiting a verdict from the Trial Court. Bishop Allen Bartlett will continue serving as Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania until December 31. The Presiding Bishop will meet with the Standing Committee on October 3 to discuss next steps.
After comments from six bishops regarding a desire to be clear in explaining the actions of the House regarding the deposition of Bishop Duncan, the House shared in prayer and took a brief break.
Bishop Chilton Knudsen, reporting for the Committee on the Resignation of Bishops,
moved that the resignations of Bishops Harry Bainbridge and Wallis Ohl both be accepted, the
canonical reason being “advanced age.” Both resignations were accepted.
The agenda as set forth in the Rules of Order is the reading of the minutes of the last meeting. Motion was made to dispense with this reading as the minutes are posted on the College of Bishop web site. Motion Passed.
Several announcements were made, Bishop Chris Epting reported on ecumenical and interreligious issues coming to General Convention. These include full communion with the Moravians, a modest proposal for relations with the Presbyterians and principles and approaches to be used in interreligious talks. He also announced his office is now in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Presiding Bishop then called on bishops to reflect on the actions of this meeting, and after 13 bishops spoke, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted, Certified
Kenneth L. Price Jr., secretary James Mathes, chair,
House of Bishops Committee on Certification of Minute
Michael Smith
Committee on Certification of Minutes
David Jones of Virginia voted “yes” to depose. Shame on you, David.
All I need to make sense of what deposition means is this:
“993 11/2/03 V. Gene Robinson Diocesan New Hampshire y”
Bishop Duncan judged by Gene Robinson. It is almost too much for me to bear…
Here is a list of the 35 No-voting bishops in alphabetical order, the abstainers, and a few absences I noted.
[b]Voted NO[/b]
Adams, Diocesan Western Kansas n
Allen, Diocesan Honduras n
Bauerschmidt, Diocesan Tennessee n
Beckwith, P., Diocesan Springfield n
Brookhart, Diocesan Montana n
Councell, Diocesan New Jersey n
Frey, Assisting Rio Grande n
Gray, Diocesan Mississippi n
Gumbs, Diocesan Virgin Islands n
Henderson, Diocesan Upper South Carolina n (initially voted Yes, changed his vote afterwards)
Howe, J., Diocesan Central Florida n
Jenkins, Diocesan Louisiana n
Johnston, Coadjutor Virginia n
Klusmeyer, Diocesan West Virginia n
Konieczny, Diocesan Oklahoma n
Lambert, Suffragan Dallas n
Lawrence, Diocesan South Carolina n
Lee, Diocesan Virginia n
Lillibridge, Diocesan West Texas n
Little, Diocesan Northern Indiana n
Love, Diocesan Albany n
MacPherson, Diocesan Western Louisiana n
Miller, Diocesan Milwaukee n
Ohl, Diocesan Northwest Texas n
Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies n
Rabb, Suffragan Maryland n
Reed, Suffragan West Texas n
Scarfe, Diocesan Iowa n
Shand, Diocesan Easton n
Sloan, Suffragan Alabama n
Smith, D., Diocesan Southwest Florida n
Smith, M., Diocesan North Dakota n
Stanton, Diocesan Dallas n
vonRosenberg, Diocesan East Tennessee n
Wolf, Diocesan Rhode Island n
(28 diocesans, 7 others)
[b]Abstainers[/b]
Julio Holguin Diocesan Dominican Republic a
Russell Jacobus Diocesan Fond du Lac a
Mark MacDonald Diocesan Navajoland a
Pierre Whalon Suffragan American Churches in Europe a
[b]Notable Absences:[/b]
+Parsley, Alabama
+Wimberley, Texas
+Johnson, W. Tennessee
+Iker, Fort Worth
+Ackerman, Quincey
Since this is such a lamentable episode at so many levels, let me say a couple of positive things.
It is a relief that there was a recorded roll call vote on a matter this important, and that exposes how truly shameful it was not to have had one when somewhat similar situations were considered at a previous House of Bishops meeting in terms of Bishops Cox and Schofield.
Second, it is a real tribute to a number of TEC Bishops that they showed themselves to be committed to due process and justice for all, even though they disagree with Bishop Duncan theologically (in many cases quite strongly).
So my hat is off to people such as John Rabb in Maryland, or Alan Scarfe of Iowa, in terms of how they voted. Good for them.
[blockquote]So my hat is off to people such as John Rabb in Maryland, or Alan Scarfe of Iowa, in terms of how they voted. Good for them. [/blockquote]
And a tip of the old fedora to +Geralyn Wolf also.
the snarksterâ„¢
[i]S. Johnson Howard Diocesan Florida y[/i]
Hard to believe he pulled the wool over our eyes into thinking he was going to be a conservative who would carry on Bp. Steven Jecko’s policies.
It would be informative to have a list of the “yes” voters too.
I have great esteem for the faithful bishops of our church, but I disagree with Kendall that it is a real tribute to those who voted against this measure. Only a modicum of ethics is necessary to follow the ordained canons of the church in such a weighty matter. These are Christian bishops. They are expected to act nobly and honorably. I think this is rather one more note of shame against those voting “yes.” The most decent of Americans would expect a man of Bp. Duncan’s caliber to have a fair hearing. For most Americans, it is common sense. This is indicative of how far these bishops and their leaders have fallen from what is considered civil in this country. If this same situation occured in a Rotary club, I would expect 99% of members to vote against it. It is sad that we can’t expect as much from bishops so that it is considered a tribute when they abide by the Canons under which they are ordained. This action seems sub-human against Bp. Duncan.
Bishop Councell of NJ is also a pleasant surprise. He does not agree with Bishop Duncan either, and he participated in the consecration of Bishop Robinson, but he’s a fair man and he recognizes the crisis the Communion is in. Most of those who voted “yes” do not grasp fully what they have done or how they have now completely torn the already fragile fabric of the Communion.
Once more — great thanks and honor to Bp Bill Love for making the correct case, standing up for what is right and especially for making the motion that the vote be a recorded role call.
Wicked deeds are best done in darkness. Thanks Bp Bill for holding their feet to the fire enough so that they would have to own their decisions and be identified with them.
The thing that astonishes me is that neither John Spong nor Walter Righter nor Bennison (yet) nor Joe Doss nor any of the other completely __________(fill in the blank with your own amazing adjectives) bishops were ever deposed by the post-WW II HoB.
Anybody who fails to get this picture is blind.
the thing that jumped out at me in the minutes – just in passing; Report by Bishop Epting that “we” (we being TEC) are in full communion with the Moravian Church. Now I am not making negative regarding the Moravian Church. I only know what I read on Wikipedia – which states the Moravian Church has a world wide communion of 825,000. I won’t say it…….
A totally random thought–in 229 years TEC has consecrated over 1031 bishops? That should tell us everything that’s wrong TEC.
[blockquote] Several announcements were made, Bishop Chris Epting reported on ecumenical and interreligious issues coming to General Convention. These include full communion with the Moravians, a modest proposal for relations with the Presbyterians and principles and approaches to be used in interreligious talks. He also announced his office is now in Omaha, Nebraska.[/blockquote]
I think it’s important for the Presbyterians in presbytery to defeat the resolution approved at the last General Assembly affirming relations with TEC, including the outrageous statement that in the Episcopal Church “the Word of God is authentically preached. . . .” There needs to be a move in the Presbyterians to cut off any further relations with TEC. One cannot have fellowship with darkness. Of course the bigger snake lurking in the Presbyterian Church is the pending resolution that would abolish the fidelity and chastity standards for Presbyterian ministers (thus legalizing same-sex relationships, as well as adultery etc. among PCUSA clergy).
Bishop Bennison got a trial for his transgressions but Bishop Duncan was not given a trial? Where is the justice in this?
We’ve uploaded an Excel table to our server.
See new entry above:
http://new.kendallharmon.net/wp-content/uploads/index.php/t19/article/16322/
here’s the link:
http://kendallharmon.net/t19/media/Duncan_Deposition_Vote.xls
That way you can search by diocese, name, vote, etc.
We’ve also noted absences.
Another absence: -Robertson (SDak). Had he been there, it would have no doubt been 89/36.
You know, if the PB had been smart, she would have forbidden all retired bishops from attending or voting. That way maybe people might have forgotten what the Canons say which required a majority of all the bishops entitled to vote.
And yes, that means retired bishops too.
And so that means about 294 bishops (give or take 1 or 2—the 294 figure is from the +Cox “deposition†in April) were entitled to vote. Meaning KJS needed 148 bishops voting Yes to oust +Duncan (Assuming, of course, that +Duncan was even eligible to be deposed, which he wasn’t because he wasn’t inhibited first.)
There weren’t even 148 bishops PRESENT.
So the fact of votes by retired bishops is a GOOD thing. They show just how far KJS strayed in her application of the canons… They remind people clearly that retired bishops are among those entitled to vote!
Well put, #17. By showing up, the retired bishops apparently qualified themselves to vote, making “entitled” synonymous with “present,” something clearly not in the canons.
It’s really getting more difficult to find a single provision of IV.9 that the PB hasn’t trampled in her rage to get at her foe.
RE #11
Dee, ECUSA is not yet in full communion with the Moravian Church. A proposal for such will be voted on by ECUSA in 2009, and by the Moravian provinces North and South in 2010. I would also note that the agreement would only involve the two American provinces (the world-wide Unitas Fratrum has 22), with a total membership of about 45,000.
(I posted this on the wrong thread!)
Elves — #17,
What would happen if +Duncan showed up to ‘work’ as usual Sunday morning?
After all, the vote was irregular at best, illegal at worst, according to a number of reports we are seeing and your own analysis.
I’d dearly love to see him do so, at any rate.
Jim Elliott <><
libaryjim (#20)
Given that Bishop Duncan’s work is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ I have no doubt but that he will “show up for work” this Sunday as will as every day. I do not believe that the trappings and borrowed glories of the office make much difference to him.
RS Bunker
Alan Scarfe, as he so publicly proclaimed at Lambeth and provided smoke screen for those who can only sing the creed, does agree with Duncan theologically, just not ethically (on sexuality).
Don’t know if it has a chance of going anywhere, but there are several people in the ELCA who are considering synod assembly resolutions asking our church to suspend Called to Common Mission. Actions such as this one are fueling the growing discomfort of calling TEC our ecumenical partner.
Brian
#22, the separation between theology and ethics is a false one. Ethics is moral theology, and it matters.
Thanks, though, for the comment.
#24, I could not agree more with you. I have no idea how Scarfe balances his theological disputations, but it is a fact.
See the elves in #17 above. Interesting but pointless, is the only reasonable conclusion. What difference does it make how many bishops were present. The issue is merely theoretical. He was deposed as we all knew he would, and we knew the canons would be irrelevant.
Is anyone surprised? All the talk here, all the criticism of Schori et all, all the angry let ers from Important People – what does it amount to if no one ever ACTS? Larry
I know this is an old post, and no one will ever likely see this comment. But what is up with this, from the minutes, “The following bishops, who have died since our last meeting, also were remembered with a moment of silence.”
Moments of silence are for non-denominational events, so people can do there own thing. What Church does this when it is just them? Why doesn’t the Episcopal House of Bishops PRAY for their own members, who have departed this life?
Aggh. A typo. Should have said “their” own thing. Yuck. Yuck.
#9 – as a member of the Dio of NJ, I too am quite proud of Bishop Councell. While he (and I) do not agree in the slightest with Bp. Duncan’s theology, this shows the level of injustice leveled in this process.