Episcopal parish seeking new leadership | Chicago Tribune

Bennett says the conflict between St. Andrew’s and its bishop began at the 2003 Episcopal General Convention, when Bennett cast her vote in favor of Rev. V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay man in a committed relationship, as New Hampshire bishop.

In November 2005, Bennett contacted Beckwith to ask if he was opposed to confirming a lesbian who wished to join the Church. At that point, Bennett said, the bishop declared he would confirm no one in the parish because “the faith was not being taught” there.

When Beckwith celebrated mass at the parish later that month, Bennett said, several of the lay eucharistic ministers refused communion from him.

Just days before Christmas Eve, he revoked the licenses of all 15 lay eucharistic ministers at St. Andrew’s. Since then, the lesbian candidate for confirmation have left the parish.

“We never wanted to do anything rapidly or rush to any kind of decision,” she said. “We wanted to do our homework and do everything we felt possible in terms of trying to reconcile with the bishop.”

See? Progressives will attempt to reconcile themselves with their antagonists, sometimes right into the ground. Deep-core traditionalists will exploit the reconciliation “dialogue” if not in power, and will simply impose their will if in power.

I feel bad for this parish, in a neighboring diocese, and wonder how things will turn out for them. Even though we’re on vacation, I’ll try to make it to church and include them in my prayers tomorrow.

Episcopal News Service

The diocesan news release said that on July 17 the rector, wardens and vestry of St. John’s “abandoned the offices to which they were elected as well as the Episcopal Church when they violated the canons of the church” by affiliating with the Anglican Diocese of Luweero in Uganda.

“By definition, parishioners and clergy who remove themselves from the Episcopal Church relinquish their rights of governance within the church’s structure,” the release said.

San Diego Bishop James R. Mathes appointed the Rev. Wayne Sanders as priest-in-charge of St. John’s. The parish held a special meeting and elected replacement wardens and vestry.

I’ve met Bishop Mathes, back when he was Canon Mathes of the Diocese of Chicago. Nice man, does a lot of meetings, attempts to discern arriving at agreement through discussion. Uses a lot of flip charts.

When all else fails, will fall back on legal solutions, but will continue to hope for reconciliation by attempting to keep lines of communication open (against all odds).