I have now to affirm once again my opposition to schism as a method of affording protection to those whose beliefs and ideals were normal in the recent past. The unwillingness of our church to adopt unusual methods to afford safe haven to a disenfranchised and impotent minority, because TEC is governed by a \u201cwinner take all\u201d\u009d form of governance is in itself a scandal. A simple expedient of the English \u201cflying bishops\u201d\u009d idea, adopted by a church which has a real claim to historic and unique territorial diocesan integrity, a system adopted to preserve unity, in that it was rejected by our \u201cdenominational\u201d\u009d church, only underlines the stubborn and \u201cconservative\u201d\u009d policy of our majoritarian leadership. The simple adoption of protective measures to afford a safe haven for those who cannot in conscience submit to current TEC policies would have trumped schismatic schemes which have led to our present divisions. Our church would be lauded for its tolerance and comprehension while free to pursue the ideals of the majority. What would have emerged would have been \u201ccomprehension\u201d\u009d tailored to years of conflict.<\/p>\n
Instead TEC has asked the secular State by its courts to adjudicate not only property disputes but explicitly in is pleadings the doctrinal and structural ethos of what it means to be an Anglican in America.<\/p>\n