For those with an interest in church politics (and bearing in mind that there's so much more to the Episcopal Church than this sort of internal wrangling):

I wrote back in December how the diocesan convention of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin had voted (at the urging of the bishop here) to secede from the Episcopal Church and become the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, with joining up with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone (S. America).  Note that this is akin to the manager and workers of the McDonald's down the street deciding they're going to be a Burger King instead -- it's fine if you want to quit and go working down the street, but not if you still say it's your store and your supplies.

Well, after all the Episcopal bureaucratic wheels have turned for a month-plus, the Episcopal Church has finally entered in an preliminary judgment that Bp Schofield of San Joaquin has abandoned the Episcopal Church -- which seems rather self-evident -- and thus is inhibited from exercising any ministry with TEC until further notice (which, given the convention's announcement and Bp Schofield's huzzahs over it also seems self-evident).  That also starts the clock ticking for deposing him from his bishop's title, so far as the church is concerned.

Here's were things get really amusing (in a darkly wry fashion).  Bp Schofield professes to be shocked, shocked I tell you, that the nassssssty TEC is persecuting him this way.  The Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin issued a statement (certainly vetted by the bishop) which basically said the following:

1. By saying that Bp Schofield has "abandoned the communion of the Church" TEC is admitting that it "rejects the historical Anglican faith."  You kicking me out means you're kicking out all the other people who aren't kicking me out.
2. A whole bunch of bishops (well, a couple dozen) from around the Anglican Communion say Bp Schofield is a fine fellow in the face of his martyrdom before TEC.  All the cool kids like me!   Never mind that they are the Usual Suspects re schism present and future.
3. Bp Schofield is both part of the Episcopal Church and the Southern Cone.  We sell both McDonald's and Burger King, even though we've taken down the McDonald's signs, told all the staff to wear BK uniforms, and have told McDonald's we're not following their employee manuals any more.  This one seems patently absurd on the face of it (and see below).
4. The TEC is an Anglican Church, and that status is at risk with such actions.  You keep picking on me and I'll get you thrown out of the club.  Never mind that he thinks TEC should get booted over doctrinal matters -- what's really important is that they're reporting him to the cops after he kicked sand in their faces, the nerve of 'em!
5. There are a lot of "orthodox" Anglicans and not very many Episcopalians.  We have more people on our side than you have on yours, neener-neener.  As if majority vote actually an objective measure of righteousness and morality.

What's really interesting is (a) the Abp of Southern Cone came out with a note immediately following saying that, no, Bp Schofield (and the diocese) really are part of the Southern Cone, not the Episcopal Church (contradicting #3), and (b) the statement above disappeared off of the San Joaquin web page, to be replaced by statements basically saying You're not the boss of me now.

Best of all, there's a bit of spinning going on claiming that the original statement from the bishop (the one that was taken down) was actually just the work of a PR firm for the diocese.  Riiiight.

More here.

And so it goes.  Remarkably enough, we have a nice dinner with fellow parishioners last night, and a fine church service this morning, and nobody appeared particularly apoplectic, tyrannical, dissipated, or distressed by the whole thing.

Filed under :: Religion
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