AAC TRACKS EPISCOPAL CHURCH’S CANONICAL ABUSE - PLIGHT OF ORTHODOX ANGLICANS

Via TitusOneNine:

News & Commentary

AAC Tracks Episcopal Church’s Canonical Abuse - Plight of Orthodox Anglicans
Source: American Anglican Council Press Release

Atlanta, GA - The American Anglican Council today made public an accounting of how The Episcopal Church (TEC) has spent millions of dollars in over 50 lawsuits, deposed or inhibited 12 bishops and more than 400 other clergy, and violated its own canons numerous times. The paper, titled "The Episcopal Church: Overbearing and Unjust Episcopal Acts," chronicles each of these subjects and a number of other abuses or injustices committed against faithful Anglicans in the U.S.

"The Episcopal Church is systematically targeting, intimidating, suing, and ultimately persecuting orthodox Anglicans throughout the U.S." said the Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, President and CEO of the American Anglican Council. "This paper illustrates the lengths to which TEC leaders will go to silence the voices of orthodox Christians in the Anglican Communion - Anglicans whose only offense was to stand for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and Anglican Communion teaching."

The Rev. Philip Ashey, AAC Chief Operating Officer and a practicing attorney, originally authored the 29 page paper at the request of several members of the Church of England's General Synod. Fr. Ashey was also instrumental in helping draft the constitution and canons of the new Anglican Church in North America (AC-NA). The Synod is expected to vote on the nature of its communion with the AC-NA next week. The AC-NA, of which the American Anglican Council is a member group, formed in 2009 and is made up of many former Episcopalians who left that church over deep theological differences.

While many groups outside and inside TEC have called into question the church's canonical and legal practices, Fr. Ashey believes few realize the extent of the abuse. "I don't think there has ever been a period of time in the Anglican Communion where one church has deposed such a huge number of clergy. It is my hope that Anglicans around the world will read this paper and do something to halt these unjust and un-Christian actions."

The paper can be found at: http://www.americananglican.org/assets/Resources/TEC-Canonical-Abuses.pdf