The Bishop speaks
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UPDATED 10-21-07: Charlotte forwarded Bishop Howe's pastoral letter to Simon Sarmiento at Thinking Anglicans, where he posted a portion it, along with some related items. It's garnering some comments.
NOTE: I amended the ninth paragraph to make a longer quote from the Archbishop of Canterbury, through the end of the paragraph, which was evidently Bishop Howe's intention. The original quotation ended at "provincial structure as such." I misinterpreted punctuation marks made squirrelly as they went from one operating system to another, and I apologize for that.
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Here's Bishop John Howe's pastoral letter, to be read in the churches in the Diocese of Central Florida tomorrow (Sunday). Many people on both sides of the fence will be watching how Howe handles the situation. Demands to take the property are likely to come. I'm sure a few other parishes will jump if they see indications they can take it with them.
It is a sad time. I think of all all the manipulation and hoopla and playing on people's fears about the so-called "evil, liberal national church" used to work up parishes into leaving the church, and know it is a sad time.
Here is Bishop Howe's letter:
A Pastoral Letter from the Bishop of Central Florida
To be Read or otherwise Distributed in all of our Congregations
On Sunday, October 21, 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The following agreed statement was released by all of the participants in a meeting held at Diocesan House on Thursday of this past week:
- On Thursday, October 18, 2007, the Rectors and Senior Wardens of seven Parishes of the Diocese of Central Florida and two Church Planters met with Bishop John W. Howe and representatives of the Diocese to discuss the possible scenarios by which all or part of the congregations may disaffiliate from The Episcopal Church.
- Each Parish will now enter a process of conversation and negotiation with the Diocese based on its particular circumstances. Bishop Howe reiterated his commitment to provide pastoral care both to those who leave and to those who wish to remain.
"All parties agreed to enter into these negotiations in good faith using Biblical principles in an effort to avoid litigation and scandal to the Church of Christ."
As Bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, and as stated above, I remain committed to providing pastoral care both to those who wish to leave and to those who wish to remain. Individuals who wish to leave the Diocese of Central Florida and form another congregation are to be honored as brothers and sisters in Christ. The Diocese will do everything in its power to make their departure from the Diocese of Central Florida and The Episcopal Church a peaceful one without rancor or recrimination.
At the same time the Diocese is bound to work within the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church which state that a Parish holds in trust all real and personal property for the benefit of the Diocese and The Episcopal Church. We have a solemn responsibility to protect the interests of the Diocese and the larger church. We cannot and will not abandon those who wish to remain as members of The Episcopal Church and we will work diligently to determine whether in fact there is a sufficient number of Episcopalians in a given congregation to constitute a viable continuing congregation able to meet and worship in its own current facilities.
We are developing a detailed protocol for dealing with those who wish to disaffiliate, and I will discuss it with the clergy at our annual Clergy Conference this week. Only after receiving their input will this protocol be finalized. For now, let me assure you that all of you will have a say in these decisions, and they will not be made by Rectors and Vestries acting alone.
This is a very painful time for many of us. I feel a great sense of personal loss in contemplating these departures, but I want to reassure you that the Diocese of Central Florida remains steadfastly committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority and trustworthiness of God's word written, and the anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit. As your Bishop I am committed to proclaiming the Gospel, to strengthening existing churches and planting new ones, and to raising up the next generation as faithful followers of Christ. The painful loss of some of our brothers and sisters in Christ will not divert us from any of these commitments.
I have said repeatedly that it is my desire to remain both an Episcopalian and an Anglican. In that regard, let me share something with you that the Archbishop of Canterbury has written to me just this past week: "Any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church. The organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such ... I should feel a great deal happier, I must say, if those who are most eloquent for a traditionalist view in the United States showed a fuller understanding of the need to regard the Bishop and the Diocese as the primary locus of ecclesial identity rather than the abstract reality of the 'National Church.'"
We have a great and faithful Diocese, and with the help of the Lord himself, I am committed to making it even better. During this time of transition, I urge all of us to treat each other with great care and compassion. I ask your prayers for wisdom for all who will be involved in these discussions.
With warmest regards in our Lord,
John W. Howe, Bishop
27 comments:
"Any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church."
Really? The ABC is using this language, and elevating the WR to a legal status it has never held? Curious.
Caminante, this language surprises me, too. So does the claim that the diocese is the "organ of union with the wider Church." Perhaps someone at Thinking Anglicans could shed some light?
I've e-mailed Simon Sarmiento a copy of Bishop Howe's pastoral letter.
Thanks, Charlotte. I will be interested to see what he says about it. I thought Howe wanted to give reasons why it's OK to stay in the diocese instead of pulling out, but there could be more to it.
Saint Pat, he's investigating and will get back to us, but no earlier than Monday morning.
As I see it, you are right -- Bishop Howe is giving reasons to stay with the diocese. But he cites an e-mail he just received from the Archbishop of Canterbury to back up those reasons. And what he represents the Archbishop of Canterbury as saying in that e-mail doesn't match what (to my knowledge) the Archbishop of Canterbury has said up until now -- whether about the status of the Windsor Report, or about the relationship of an individual diocese to the Anglican Communion. So there are questions to be asked.
Simon Sarmiento has now posted the paragraph in question to Thinking Anglicans at http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002702.html where it is attracting comment.
Thanks, Charlotte, and Caminante!
Another version of the Bishop's Pastoral Letter, which includes a longer quotation from the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been posted at BabyBlueOnline and cited at TitusOneNine and Stand Firm.
Here's the longer version of the quotation from the AoC:
“Any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church. The organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such…. I should feel a great deal happier, I must say, if those who are most eloquent for a traditionalist view in the United States showed a fuller understanding of the need to regard the Bishop and the Diocese as the primary locus of ecclesial identity rather than the abstract reality of the 'national church'."
Well, of course, if you say it often enough and turn around three times it will magically become true, don't you know.
The diocese is the basic organizational unit of the Episcopal Church. Leave the diocese and you leave.
The only thing I agree with for sure is Pat's statement that it is a sad time. Thanks for posting this, Pat. I hope you'll share your own thoughts. You guys, Dallas, some others... it's just heartbreaking, really.
Peace to you all,
Lindy
Pat, it would be really helpful if you or someone else in Central Florida could give us all a PDF copy of the Bishop's letter.
There seems to be a lot of debate over which of the two is saying that the "national church" is merely an "abstract reality" -- the Archbishop or Canterbury or Bishop Howe. Your version closes the quotation at "Provincial structure as such," making the last part of the paragraph Bishop Howe's statement. Other versions have the quotation from the Archbishop of Canterbury continuing to the end of the paragraph. If the latter version is correct, it is much more consequential.
Charlotte, I probably made it look like the Bishop's quote when I tried to clean up the weird formatting. Too bad I didn't think to pick up a hard copy from the back of the church this morning. I can't save the e-mail text I received in a way that would let me put it on a PDF, but here it is, unaltered by my attempts to clean up weird marks, etc.:
A Pastoral Letter from the Bishop of Central Florida
To be Read or otherwise Distributed in all of our Congregations
On Sunday, October 21, 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The following agreed statement was released by all of the participants in a meeting held at Diocesan House on Thursday of this past week:
�On Thursday, October 18, 2007, the Rectors and Senior Wardens of seven Parishes of the Diocese of Central Florida and two Church Planters met with Bishop John W. Howe and representatives of the Diocese to discuss the possible scenarios by which all or part of the congregations may disaffiliate from The Episcopal Church.
�Each Parish will now enter a process of conversation and negotiation with the Diocese based on its particular circumstances. Bishop Howe reiterated his commitment to provide pastoral care both to those who leave and to those who wish to remain.
�All parties agreed to enter into these negotiations in good faith using Biblical principles in an effort to avoid litigation and scandal to the Church of Christ�.
As Bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, and as stated above, I remain committed to providing pastoral care both to those who wish to leave and to those who wish to remain. Individuals who wish to leave the Diocese of Central Florida and form another congregation are to be honored as brothers and sisters in Christ. The Diocese will do everything in its power to make their departure from the Diocese of Central Florida and The Episcopal Church a peaceful one without rancor or recrimination.
At the same time the Diocese is bound to work within the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church which state that a Parish holds in trust all real and personal property for the benefit of the Diocese and The Episcopal Church. We have a solemn responsibility to protect the interests of the Diocese and the larger church. We cannot and will not abandon those who wish to remain as members of The Episcopal Church and we will work diligently to determine whether in fact there is a sufficient number of Episcopalians in a given congregation to constitute a viable continuing congregation able to meet and worship in its own current facilities.
We are developing a detailed protocol for dealing with those who wish to disaffiliate, and I will discuss it with the clergy at our annual Clergy Conference this week. Only after receiving their input will this protocol be finalized. For now, let me assure you that all of you will have a say in these decisions, and they will not be made by Rectors and Vestries acting alone.
This is a very painful time for many of us. I feel a great sense of personal loss in contemplating these departures, but I want to reassure you that the Diocese of Central Florida remains steadfastly committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority and trustworthiness of God�s word written, and the anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit. As your Bishop I am committed to proclaiming the Gospel, to strengthening existing churches and planting new ones, and to raising up the next generation as faithful followers of Christ. The painful loss of some of our brothers and sisters in Christ will not divert us from any of these commitments.
I have said repeatedly that it is my desire to remain both an Episcopalian and an Anglican. In that regard, let me share something with you that the Archbishop of Canterbury has written to me just this past week: �Any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church. The organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such�. I should feel a great deal happier, I must say, if those who are most eloquent for a traditionalist view in the United States showed a fuller understanding of the need to regard the Bishop and the Diocese as the primary locus of ecclesial identity rather than the abstract reality of the �National Church.��
We have a great and faithful Diocese, and with the help of the Lord himself, I am committed to making it even better. During this time of transition, I urge all of us to treat each other with great care and compassion. I ask your prayers for wisdom for all who will be involved in these discussions.
With warmest regards in our Lord,
John W. Howe, Bishop
Kendall Harmon wrote on his blog [http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/7031/#132593] that he has a copy of the letter as sent to Central Florida Diocesan clergy. The version he has seen has the longer quotation, and attributes everything from "Any Diocese compliant with Windsor" to the end of that paragraph to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
However, there may be an ellipsis [...] between "Provincial structure as such" [the end of the second sentence] and "I should feel a great deal happier" [the beginning of the third and final sentence] indicating that some part of the Archbishop's e-mail has been omitted.
Sarah Hey said on Stand Firm that it would be helpful to know the context of the Archbishop's statments as quoted in Bishop Howe's Pastoral Letter, and I concur. Many of us on all sides of the "current controversy" are scratching our heads over these remarks.
Kendall Harmon has now added:
[quote] I am posting this in the comments as well as the original blog entry--
Important Update: I have contacted bishop Howe directly and he has given permission for me to cite his response: “The longer version is correct.”
October 21, 1:04 pm [close quote]
Earlier this afternoon, I sent an e-mail to Sarmiento noting I may have inadvertently changed the quotation, but he hasn't updated comments yet.
I amended my post. I see no reason to doubt Kendall Harmon's info.
I must say, I don't find anything abstract about the national church. Parishes are members of their dioceses, and dioceses are members of the national church.
It does appear dioceses in this country have more autonomy than they do in some parts of the world.
Well, I'd like to see the context. It might help to know what Bishop Howe's question to the Archbishop of Canterbury was. It's true that the national church as such has relatively little contact with the average person in the average parish.
Ask and ye shall receive! Bishop Howe has posted (on Stand Firm) the Archbishop of Canterbury's e-mail, in full, and with ++Rowan's permission. Thank you, Bishop Howe! Thank you, Archbishop Rowan!
Here they are:
From Bishop Howe:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have had several inquiries about the letter from Archbishop Williams that I quoted from in today's Pastoral Letter. I wrote to him a week ago Saturday, October 13, apprizing him of Thursday's meeting with Rectors and Senior Wardens, and I told him that what I believe is needed is for him to clearly differentiate between those Bishops and Dioceses that are Windsor-compliant and those that are not. Within less than twelve hours he wrote back the letter from which I quoted. I am printing it in full below my signature box. Since he has given permission to share it I do so as well, but I think you should probably share it in its entirety.
Warmest regards in our Lord,
The Right Rev. John W. Howe
Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida
From the Archbishop of Canterbury:
14 October 2007
Dear John
I've just received your message, which weighs very heavily on my heart, as it must - though far more so - on yours. At this stage, I can say only two things. The first is that I have committed myself very clearly to awaiting the views of the Primates before making any statement purporting to settle the question of The Episcopal Church's status, and I can't easily short-circuit that procedure. The second is that your Rectors need to recognize that this process is currently in train and that a separatist decision from them at this point would be irresponsible and potentially confusing. However, without forestalling what the Primates might say, I would repeat what I've said several times before - that any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church. The organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such. Those who are rushing into separatist solutions are, I think, weakening that basic conviction of Catholic theology and in a sense treating the provincial structure of The Episcopal Church as if it were the most important thing - which is why I continue to hope and pray for the strengthening of the bonds of mutual support among those Episcopal Church Bishops who want to be clearly loyal to Windsor. Action that fragments their Dioceses will not help the consolidation of that all-important critical mass of ordinary faithful Anglicans in The Episcopal Church for whose nurture I am so much concerned. Breaking this up in favour of taking refuge in foreign jurisdictions complicates and embitters the future for this vision.
Do feel free to pass on these observations to your priests. I should feel a great deal happier, I must say, if those who are most eloquent for a traditionalist view in the United States showed a fuller understanding of the need to regard the Bishop and the Diocese as the primary locus of ecclesial identity rather than the abstract reality of the 'national church'. I think that if more thought in these terms there might be more understanding of why priests in a diocese such as yours ought to maintain their loyalty to their sacramental communion with you as Bishop. But at the emotional level I can understand something of the frustration they doubtless experience, just as you must.
With continuing prayers and love,
+Rowan
The Archbishop's statement is indeed clearer within full context, and does not lend support to the current schismatic parishes. Interesting.
The ABC seems to spend a lot of time waiting to hear from primates. The wheels turn exceedingly slow.
When it comes down to it, I'm more concerned with what's happening in our own church than what judgments other primates make about us. They are no less abstract than the national church.
The ABC's response seems to be specific to Bishop Howe's original letter concerning the situation in his diocese. (Was a copy of either sent to ++KJS?.) If +Iker tries to take the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth out of TEC and associate with one of the other 37 "abstract realities" of the Anglican Communion, how can he possibly be "Windsor Compliant"!
Ed Adcock, Fort Worth
Good point.
The most damning phrase from the ABC is "at this point."
As in, "Don't jump ship YET." Rectors shouldn't make a "separatist" decision NOW.
The qualifying phrases are the kickers.
"Garnering some comments." Well, that might be the understatement of the year!
Saint Pat, you've seen that Lambeth Palace has now issued a clarification? Now people are trying to figure out what the clarification means.
My favorite part of all this has been the blogger (was it Fr. Greg Jones?) who started calling the Archbishop's e-mail "The First Epistle to the Central Floridians." Or "1 Central Floridians" for short.
It is an intriguing and sobering thought, though -- that many of St. Paul's Epistles must have started out this way.
No, it was Douglas LeBlanc, on the "Covenant" group blog, who has also provided a text with line numbers, making it possible to refer, for example, to "1 Central Floridians 34-35" (a particularly important textual crux, apparently).
What weighty matters with which the Anglican Communion must contend. I haven't had time to read anything, will take a look at the ABC's explication.
I've read what's published on Episcopal News Service now. Not sure I buy all the argument that the ABC said that stuff because a priest's first relation is to his/her Bishop directly and not through the national church.
So, how does that make the national church an abstract reality? That would make the Communion even more abstract.
I don't think the letter means as much as various commenters have been saying it meant. The quotations in Bishop Howe's original letter were surprising, but put back into the context of the Archbishop's original letter, much less so. Must have been a slow news day in the blogosphere, though, because everybody's posted someting about it.
Great ride in a B-17, Pat! More on that thread...
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