Whatever happened to big tent pecusa?

Episcopal Chancellor Urges Purge of Whistleblowers

from Stand Firm by Jackie

How many times have you heard the Episcopal church referred to as a place where you don’t have to check your brain at the door?  It was the stereotypical response when someone raised any of the many, many, many heresies Tec has foisted on its slumbering membership over the years.  It was used to force us into submission when the LG (they weren’t real concerned about the BTQI at that time) first got their nose under the tent. 

Allowing dissidents to speak their mind was something we were told must be tolerated - even if it meant allowing them to spew a false gospel.  Heavens to Betsy, John Spong has been allowed to spout more heresies than even Bishop Pike.  And those are just two out of a myriad who were encouraged and celebrated for their willingness to express their far left opinions.  So much so, Tec leadership is more closely aligned with the last half of Caligula’s reign than Peter’s discipleship.

Isn’t it odd then that since the entire camel is in the tent, only the politically correct opinions are tolerated?  Tec has sought to defrock good men simply because they stand for biblical authority.  All this from an organization that was unwilling or unable to strip Pike or Bennison of their pointy hats.  In yet another stunning move, they have brought charges against even more good men.  Their great crime?  They dared to have the courage of their convictions and blow the whistle on the fantasy known as Tec Hierarchy.  In the new and improved Tec you are not only required to check your brain at the door but it must be thoroughly washed in the process.

As if that were not enough, it seems a church chancellor is supporting a move to put bishop candidates through a public inquisition.  Will they be asked questions that relate to their ability to be a shepherd to their flock?  Will they be questioned on their theology?  Their relationship with Christ?  No, silly rabbit.  This inquisition will be to determine their willingness to bend the knee to the heretics that run the joint. The equivalent of ecclesiastical waterboarding.  Send out an alert, let it be known – any who refuses to toe the party line will be – well everyone knows how the Red Queen would have it end.

Colleagues, regarding resolutions to consent to ordination and consecration of several bishops-elect, e.g., C072 Western Louisiana, C066Virginia, etc.:

We will have the opportunity to vote to consent to the ordination and consecration of several bishops-elect at General Convention.

We from Fort Worth are joined by bishops and deputies from the Dioceses of Quincy and San Joaquin in our hope that none of these bishops-elect harbors the views expressed in the amicus brief recently filed against the Diocese of Fort Worth by seven (7) bishops and three (3) priests of this Church.

We respectfully ask that you support us in our request that, before the Bishops and Deputies are asked to vote on these consent resolutions,

1.    each bishop-elect will have been appropriately and directly examined at a public hearing of the Legislative Committee on Consecration of Bishops or other appropriate public forum in order to confirm his or her (a) understanding of the basics of the polity of this hierarchical Church and (b) specifically whether he or she contends that dioceses have the unilateral and autonomous authority to leave the Church and take church property with them; and
2.    those views be published or otherwise communicated to both houses.
Specifically, as you all probably know, on April 23, 2012 several bishops of this Church-The Rt. Rev. Maurice M. Benitez (retired, Diocese of Texas); The Rt. Rev.  John W. Howe (retired, Diocese of Central Florida); The Rt. Rev. Paul E. Lambert (suffragan, Diocese of Dallas); The Rt. Rev. William H. Love (diocesan, Diocese of Albany); The Rt. Rev. D. Bruce MacPherson (diocesan, Diocese of W. Louisiana); The Rt. Rev. Daniel H. Martins (diocesan, Diocese of Springfield); and The Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton (diocesan, Diocese of Dallas)-filed an amicus brief with the Texas Supreme Court which urged that Court to reverse the summary judgment in favor of The Episcopal Church, Bishop Wallis Ohl, and the loyal Episcopalians in the reorganized, continuing Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, promoting a fundamental misunderstanding of the polity of our Church, including misrepresentations that:
*    The Church is hierarchical only to the diocesan level, not to the General Convention;
*    In the Episcopal Church, the highest authority is the diocesan bishop, not General Convention;
*    A diocese in the Episcopal Church is autonomous;
*    The Diocese of Fort Worth (and therefore presumably any diocese in the Episcopal Church) can unilaterally leave this Church (and presumably usurp the historic church names, records, funds and substantial other real and personal property as the breakaway group forms or affiliates with a new church);
*    Breakaway former bishop Jack Iker, not Provisional Bishop Wallis Ohl who is recognized by this Church, is still the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and that it is Iker’s determination of core ecclesiastical issues, e.g. identity of the bishop and other church officials, that binds the secular court under the deference standard in resolving church property disputes; and
*    Iker and the breakaway Defendants should prevail in the litigation against the loyal Episcopalians and thus be able to remove from the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church and its Diocese and congregations the historic church names, records, funds and substantial other real and personal property throughout the Diocese.

We interrupt your regular programming to issue an Urgent Keyboard Alert.  Remove all liquids and swallow all foods before you continue reading.  (You will thank me later.)

Certainly this request is not a criticism or judgment of any of the bishops-elect we will prayerfully consider in the consent process at General Convention.  They-and future bishops-elect for whom the dioceses may grant or withhold their consent-can and should speak unambiguously for themselves on these issues.

  You may now take a break to wipe the tears from your eyes and straighten the furniture that was abused when you fell over laughing.  Ready?

We believe strongly that, as we vote, each Deputy and Bishop should be fully informed of the position of each bishop-elect on these fundamental issues and consider the grave spiritual, missional, and financial costs of the schisms which can emanate from all those qualified accession clauses and this “hierarchy stops at me” mentality.

  Seriously, do they even read what they write?  Grave spiritual costs indeed.  If Tec were worried about the spiritual cost, they would never have embarked on this course of secularizing the church.  One has to wonder if they have set aside a General Convention Hierarchal Sex Abuse and Other Expensive Liability Issues Fund.

Bishop and Deputation, Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth:
    The Rt. Rev. C. Wallis Ohl
    C1     The Rev. David A. Madison         L1     Kathleen Wells
    C2     The Rev. Susan Slaughter           L2     Victoria Prescott
    C3     The Rev. J. Fred Barber             L3     Katie Sherrod
    C4     The Rev. Melanie Barbarito         L4     Robert Hicks
    CA1   The Rev. Amy Haynie               LA1   Lisa Neilson
    CA2   The Rev. Janet Nocher             LA2   Norm Snyder
    CA3   The Rev. James Reynolds         LA3   Brent Walker
    CA4   The Rev. ClayOla Gitane           LA4   Margaret Mieuli
Kathleen Wells
Fort Worth L1

So, what happened to the plea to allow each Diocese to self-determine who they wish to lead them?  You remember – that was the plea when VRG was nominated.  Oh yeah – tent, camel, nose.  This letter certainly proves the rear end has fully entered the room.