Bishops Schofield, Lamb Both Attending Lambeth

From The Living Church:

Posted on: June 2, 2008

Bishops Jerry Lamb and John-David Schofield both report having accepted their invitations to next month’s Lambeth Conference.

Bishop Lamb, who was nominated provisional Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, said he received his invitation on May 27.

“This a clear sign from the Anglican Communion that the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is the only Anglican diocese in all of inland Central California,” Bishop Lamb wrote in an internet column he maintains. “I received this invitation because I am your bishop and, therefore, entitled to attend the Lambeth Conference as the Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

But Bishop John-David Schofield of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin also will be attending the conference. He has received his Lambeth study materials and has begun familiarizing himself with them, according to the Rev. Canon Bill Gandenberger, canon to the ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin.

“Bishop Schofield received and accepted his invitation to Lambeth shortly after the invitations were first issued,” Canon Gandenberger said. “Shortly thereafter he received the study material common to all the bishops.”

Canon Gandenberger said he had no knowledge of any further correspondence from either Archbishop Williams’ office or the Lambeth planning committee.

In a related development, the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin amended its civil complaint against the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin on June 2, adding Merrill Lynch and the “Anglican Diocese Holding Corporation” as defendants.

“The main reason for the amendment is that we have obtained information that [Bishop Schofield] has actually been transferring both real property and investment accounts (the latter held by Merrill Lynch) to non-Episcopal entities, including specifically a new corporation known as the Anglican Diocese Holding Company,” said Heather Anderson, a lawyer representing The Episcopal Church, as reported by Episcopal News Service.

The Episcopal Church and a newly constituted Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin have asked a judge to declare Bishop Lamb the true custodial owner of diocesan property and investment funds worth millions.

Steve Waring