The Episcopal Church's House of Bishops has deposed Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh for abandonment of communion. Eighty-nine bishops voted in favor of deposing Duncan, 35 voted against and four abstained according to several sources in the House of Bishops. Further details to come.
Read it all here at The Episcopal Cafe.
http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/bishops/duncan_deposed.html
Clearly, this came as no surprise to anyone. Here is Bishop Duncan's statement
BISHOP DUNCAN'S STATEMENT ON HIS "DEPOSITION"
It is a very sad day for The Episcopal Church. It is a sad day for me, a faithful son of that church.
Nevertheless it is also a hopeful day, hopeful because of theunstoppable Reformation that is overtaking the Christian Church in the West. It is also a hopeful day for me personally as I am unanimously welcomed into the House of Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, an act applauded by Anglican archbishops, bishops,
clergy and people all around the world.
The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will move forward under its new Ecclesiastical Authority, its Standing Committee. That body will carry the diocese through to our realignment vote on October 4. With the success of that vote, it will be possible that we be joined together again as bishop and people.
I offer my deepest thanks to the company of saints all around the globe who have sustained me, my work and all who are dear to me in these days.
Robert Duncan
Note: The Diocese of Pittsburgh's Website is purported to carry this statement as well as the statement from the Standing Committee, but when I just went on, the website says that these statements are no longer available.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again: http://www.pitanglican.org/news/local/
The Living Church has an article here.
UPDATE: Link to Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh Press Release here.
4 comments:
While the vote does not surprise and I believe it is the proper action for the HoB I must admit to a great feeling of sorrow.
Not for the deposed Bishop Duncan but for the diocese where I was baptised, confirmed and married. The diocese where my parents ashes still reside in the chapel of my home church. What comes next will be a wholesale rending of that community, I believe, every bit as bad or worse than what happened in San Joaquin. That church I grew up in was thinking of following their bishop out the door and I don't know what to think or do about my parents remains. They are only ashes, I know, but I also know that neither of them would have agreed with such an action.
It is a day for mourning.
Peace
JP
While I am not surprised and find myself surprisingly relieved, I take absolutely no joy in any of this.
San Joaquin, from the reports I get, is going to be just fine.
Don't make any hasty decisions about your parents ashes, dear man. Think and pray on it some more and see what may yet happen. I will join you in that.
Pray for the folks in Pittsburgh. Pray for Bishop Duncan and his family.
Pray for the church.
No, no hasty decisions. It's just very, very sad.
Peace
JP
People in power, people in positions of power, often arrive at the conclusion that they are right and everyone else is wrong. Once they take a stand, humility goes out the window and arrogance takes over. We see it in the Church, we see it in government and we surely see it in business. You’re right, it is a very sad situation but at the same time it brings hope. It reassures both the clergy and the lay that when these things happen there is a course of action that is thorough and fair. The bishops who have fallen under this scrutiny are all smart men. They know exactly what they are doing. They have options. They can recant or they can leave. Whether this is arrogance or steadfastness in their beliefs I’ll leave to God.
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