The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church has ended its meeting in Ecuador and issued a statement to the Episcopal Church. In the letter, the Executive Council discusses the situation in the Diocese of San Joaquin in particular.
“The Executive Council issued a letter to the Episcopal Church February 14 during the final day of its four-day meeting here praising the transformation of the Diocese of Ecuador Central and saying it gives the members hope in light of the attempt of the leadership of the Diocese of San Joaquin to transfer their diocese to another province in the Anglican Communion.
‘We are deeply concerned for those who want to continue as members of The Episcopal Church but now find themselves in parishes or dioceses attempting to depart,’ the letter. ‘To the members of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, know we stand with you. Your struggles and needs inform our prayers, deliberations, and plans.
‘This is a new and unfamiliar landscape for all of us. We stand with you and commit ourselves to provide pastoral care, to aid in re-organization, and to support legal actions necessary to retain the assets of the diocese for ministry. We will hold clergy leaders accountable to their vows to uphold the doctrine, discipline and worship of this Church, and lay leadership accountable to the fiduciary responsibilities of the offices they hold.’
The letter also summarizes the Council’s time in Quito, commends Ecuador Central for its mission and ministry, and briefly discusses the financial state of the Episcopal Church.”
In other news released at the meeting, the Episcopal Church’s national budget is going to show a surplus due to larger than anticipated contributions by many dioceses to its common work. Council also heard reports on the ongoing process in the Communion to define a broadly acceptable Covenant.
Read the rest of the news report here.
The text of the letter (in pdf format) issued by the Executive Council can be read here.