Bishop Lawrence’s thinking is problematic. An Episcopal diocese is no more independent of the Episcopal Church than a state is independent of the federal government. This is nothing short of an attempt to craft ecclesiastical nullification. And of late, we have had too much practice in that with four other dioceses claiming nullification on the road to secession.
The Diocese of Northern Michigan announced today that its Bishop’s Search Committee has nominated four priests to stand for election as the diocese’s next bishop. The election will be held in Escanaba, MI on December 4.
Following up on the announcement several months ago of the impending retirement of Bishop Chane of Washington, word came our way earlier this week, but
“So, the Diocese is going after a Federal ruling as to which is the ‘real’ diocese, and the Federal courts are pretty much bound by law to say the real Diocese is the one TEC says is the Diocese. The trademark complaint is a legal device aimed at getting this done.”
Loyal Episcopalians in South Carolina ask for help. In particular, they are concerned that recent actions by their diocesan leadership as well as proposed canonical changes are attempt to alienate the diocese from the Episcopal Church and insulate the leadership from accountability.
Today, the Supreme Court of Virginia declined a request by the CANA congregations to reargue the decision of June 10, 2010. The Court’s original, unanimous ruling in favor of the Diocese stands, and the case will return to the Fairfax Circuit Court.
On September 21, 2010 the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth against its former bishop, Jack Leo Iker, seeking damages and an injunction against his use of the name “Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth” and the diocesan seal, both continually in use by the Diocese since 1983.
In the debate over this resolution, the Rev. Dan Martins, who was elected yesterday as Bishop of Springfield, said that if the convention voted in favor of blessing LGBT relationships, members would be “covering ourselves in shame.” This is a word that has been thrown in the faces of LGBT people for most of their lives, and it goes well beyond stating a theological disagreement.
Kendall Harmon reports that in the Diocese of South Carolina there is the view that the revised Title IV canons encroach on the authority of
Delegates to the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia’s annual convention voted this week to allow the church to bless same-gender relationships.