Breaking news: House of Bishops Commendation of provisional dioceses’ leadership
Cherie Wetzel reporting from Indianapolis at the 77th General Convention of The Episcopal Church
July 8, 2012
This afternoon, the House of Bishops delayed opening to the press and public for nearly an hour. The following “Mind of the House Resolution” is the reason. All members of the House and those in the press area were given copies. The Presiding Bishop said the vote on the Resolution was a roll call vote (read: spoken out loud) and unanimous. It reads as follows:
July 8, 2012
This afternoon, the House of Bishops delayed opening to the press and public for nearly an hour. The following “Mind of the House Resolution” is the reason. All members of the House and those in the press area were given copies. The Presiding Bishop said the vote on the Resolution was a roll call vote (read: spoken out loud) and unanimous. It reads as follows:
Resolved, that Episcopalians in the Dioceses of Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy and San Joaquin – lay and clergy – be commended for their unflagging efforts to continue to witness to God’s mission as the Episcopal Church during recent difficult times as they reorganize their continuing dioceses in that same spirit; and be it further
Resolved, That the leadership in each of those four continuing dioceses be commended for their similar efforts, including in particular the Rt. Rev. C. Wallis Ohl, Provisional Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth; the Rt. Rev. Kenneth L. Price, Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh; the Rt. Rev. John C. Buchanan, Provisional Bishop of the Dioceses of Quincy; and the Rt. Rev. Chester L. Talton, Provisional Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, and especially strong lay leadership of each diocese.
The House has experiences additional tension in the last week since the filing of a complaint against a total of nine bishops that signed amicus briefs in reference to property disputes in Quincy, Illinois and Fort Worth, Texas. The origination of the complaint is unknown.
I asked the Presiding Bishop this morning at a press conference if she could have intervened in the complaint process so it would not overlap this Convention. She replied that she could not interfere with the Title IV disciplinary process and it had to proceed on its own time table. Her stated hope is that reconciliation will be achieved as the House struggles with this new event.
It seems to me that every time the House of Bishops takes positive steps to forget the past and get on with the work ahead, an event like this complaint, filed just prior to this Convention, occurs. By accusing several of the orthodox/traditionally minded bishops who signed the amicus brief in early April, this is simply another mean spirited attack on fellow members of the House.
Today’s resolution is hoped to quiet the waters and restore some trust and piece. Prayers appreciated.
Cherie Wetzel reporting from Indianapolis
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