Press Release from Bishop Ackerman

From: Bishop K.L. Ackerman [mailto:bishopkla@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 11:40 AM

Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009

Members of the press:

I greet you in the precious Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose
servant I am.

When I retired one year ago as the Bishop, Diocese of Quincy, the Episcopal
Church, I did so for reasons of physical, spiritual and emotional distress,
related to the ongoing demise of the Episcopal Church. When promised
assistance with my health insurance was denied by the Episcopal Church
Center in freezing invested funds in Quincy, my health insurance was
cancelled. It, therefore, became necessary for me to seek part time
employment that would provide the money necessary to have health insurance.

I accepted a position counseling the homeless, and the unemployed, in a
Christian non-profit organization in Dallas, Texas. It became necessary for
me to learn Spanish since 95% of the people with whom I am counseling speak
only Spanish.

I did so and this experience made it possible for me to respond positively
to the kind invitation of the Bishop of Bolivia, to minister part time, in
addition to assisting part time in the Diocese of Springfield (IL). Both
dioceses are duly recognized members of the Anglican Communion. I saw no
conflict of interest with The Episcopal Church, but wrote the Presiding
Bishop for clarification in July, 2009 and believed that there would be no
problem with this extension of ministry.

This letter was handwritten, sharing with the Presiding Bishop my current
health, my new ministry with the homeless, my desire to assist another
Anglican partner in ministry in Bolivia and, at their invitation, to
participate informally (seat but no voice and no vote) in the House of
Bishops of the Southern Cone. At no time did I express dissatisfaction with
the Episcopal Church, or make any statement of a desire to be separated from
it.

I made no copies of my letter because I wanted it to be clear that this was
a very personal communication. She responded by written letter in
September, 2009, telling me that she would send the appropriate
documentation. After two months with no communication, I sent another
handwritten, unduplicated letter in early October asking about this matter.

This past Friday, October 16, 2009, I received an e-mail from the Presiding
Bishop, "indicating that there is no provision for transferring a bishop to
another Province." At no time did I request transfer to the Southern Cone.
Her letter concluded, "I am therefore releasing you from the obligations of
ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church".

I did not ask for release and have never considered ministry in this Church
an obligation, since it has been the source of my greatest joy.

I have not renounced, and in fact, in my first handwritten letter indicated
that my intention was not to be seen as either "abandonment of the
Communion" or "Renunciation."

I have never received telephone calls from either the Presiding Bishop or
any member of her staff asking for clarification. I can only conclude that
assumptions were made in the press of events, which are incorrect. I
intend to continue my ministry wherever possible.

Yours in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy, retired