While disappointed that you did not grant our request, we are grateful for your recognition that we are seeking to act together as two missions and four parishes. We understand that you believe we in "the six congregations have ignored an important avenue for reconciliation," (your letter, p. 17) and we are together in being open to considering other forms of oversight with you.

Because we fear that your letter may imply some risk of action against the mission congregations and their vicars, we have felt it necessary to apply to the Panel of Reference for protection. We would prefer to work out a solution locally, and will rescind our application if that can be accomplished.

We plan to respond in greater detail to your letter in the future. For immediate purposes of clarification, let us share the following. We have all given to the diocese of Florida financially and in terms of significant service in mutual ministry since 2003. We are simply giving directly to shared diocesan ministries instead of pledging to the diocesan budget. We are concerned that your statement that three of the parishes "have failed to give any monetary support to the mission and ministry of the diocese since 2003" could be misconstrued. For example, two parishes alone have given well over $120,000 to diocesan ministry since 2003, once you allowed us to do so.

As we made clear in our June letter, our goal is temporary oversight until hopefully the larger Anglican Communion reconciles with a truly repentant ECUSA. We have included our June letter below for reference. To use your language, we are indeed seeking a "time out" or a separation, not a "divorce" (p.16). We likewise do not intend to be a diocese within the diocese (p.5).

We look forward to meeting with you soon to find ways we can move forward which are respectful of your ministry and our diocese for the sake of Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

Church of the Redeemer
The Rev. Neil G. Lebhar, rector, and Mr. William Shroeder, IV, senior warden

Grace Church
The Rev. Dr. Samuel C. Pascoe, rector, and Mr. Thomas McKeithen, senior warden

All Souls Church
The Rev. James K. McCaslin, rector, and The Hon. L. Haldane Taylor, senior warden

St. Michael's Church
The Rev. Charles Alexander Farmer, rector, and Ms. Emily Wilson, senior warden

Calvary Church
The Rev. David J. Sandifer, vicar, and Ms. Elizabeth Collins, mission board chairman

St. Luke's Community of Life
The Rev. James R. Needham, vicar, and Ms. Mary Leffler, mission board chairman

June 12, 2005

The Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida
325 Market Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Dear Bishop Howard,

Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus.

We as clergy and leaders of several congregations have made a difficult decision in this difficult time. We hereby request that you provide adequate alternative episcopal oversight for us so that we can continue with clear consciences in our ministries. Our diocesan convention strongly endorsed the recommendations of the Windsor Report, among which was one for alternative oversight (Sections 150 & 151). The Primates' Communiqué likewise recognizes the principle of alternative oversight (Paragraph 15). We base our request on these two documents.

We have two concerns that provide the basis of our request. First, as we have shared with you in the past, we concur with the many Primates who believe that Scripture prohibits believers being at table with V. Gene Robinson and Bishop Griswold. This is based on our obedience to St. Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 5 and, as such, is consistent with the ordination vows. We believe that your public commitment to remain at the Holy Table with them ties us as priests and congregations to the "yeast" of immorality and false teaching in an unacceptable way. We are convinced that this is a salvation issue, for we believe the consecration and ministry of V. Gene Robinson repudiates traditional teachings about repentance, grace, sanctification, holiness and discipline regarding the sacraments.

We also represent congregations whose leadership bodies have decided that they cannot financially pledge to this diocese at this time because the diocesan budget, with your encouragement, includes support of the programs of our national church, especially those connected to the office of the Presiding Bishop. We believe that it is poor stewardship to give resources to national ministries that have been exercised in ways that directly damage our bonds of affection with the Anglican Communion. Not only did Bishop Griswold consecrate V. Gene Robinson, but he has hired staff personally committed to an agenda opposed to the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10 including at least one staff member who is a self-declared lesbian priest. Scripture commands us not to partner in such ministries. (Ephesians 5:7) For our diocese to provide for ECUSA programs that have drifted away from the Scriptures and sometimes the gospel itself (for example, a pagan liturgy was hosted on the Episcopal Church website), we perceive to be disobedient to St. Paul's command. Many of our Anglican Communion partners are now likewise demonstrating the state of impaired fellowship by refusing to receive funds from our national church.

The oversight we request, again in the words of the Windsor Report, "must be sufficient to provide a credible degree of security on the part of the alienated community" (Section 151). We assume this security would include assurances that non-pledging parishes would not face a change in their parish status, nor vicars in their employment. None of the applicable canons appear to be mandatory in their application.

Based on the above, we ask that you grant to another bishop oversight over us which in addition to confirmation includes clergy discipline, employment and succession. Needless to say, we ask for a bishop who is not at table with Mr. Robinson and Bishop Griswold, and whose diocesan budget does not include giving to the national programs. We ask that this episcopal oversight be in place until after this diocese has a chance to make decisions for its future in the Anglican Communion following Lambeth 2008. If the Episcopal Church leadership truly repents as you and we hope, we can then move forward again together.

We wish to both remain in the Anglican Communion and continue our ministries in good conscience. We believe that adequate alternative episcopal oversight makes both possible. We commit ourselves to attempt reconciliation with you and other diocesan leaders once the period of the oversight has satisfactorily begun, as recommended by the Windsor Report.

We ask that you respond within a month of receiving this request so that we can move forward together in creating this oversight.

We sincerely regret that we have to make this request, and hope for a long-term resolution that does not damage our ministries or yours. You remain in our prayers in this difficult season.

Sincerely in Christ,

END

FLORIDA SEVEN WRITE TO ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

August 13, 2005

The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury

c/o Mr. Christopher Smith, Chief of Staff to the Archbishop of Canterbury

Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace Road
London SE1 7JU
United Kingdom

Dear Archbishop Williams,

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are writing you as priests and lay leaders in the Diocese of Florida to appeal to the Panel of Reference for alternative episcopal oversight for the congregations we represent.

This is a difficult step for us to take. After attempting to work with our Bishop for the past year and a half in response to the crisis in the Episcopal Church, we have come to the conclusion that we are in "serious theological dispute" with him over this issue (Primates' Communiqué, Par. 15), and that we therefore find it "impossible in all conscience to accept his direct ministry" (ACNS 3986, June 8, 2005). Our vestries or boards have all passed resolutions in favor of this appeal.

We have approached our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. John Howard, about arranging adequate alternative oversight for us. Bishop Howard has now responded, and has rejected our request. His response also makes clear that the continued employment of the two Vicars in our group is in immediate jeopardy.

Additionally, according to the chairman of our Standing Committee, the bishop is seriously considering making at least three of our parishes into dependent missions, thus dissolving our vestries and possibly preventing our priestly ministries.

Our need for protection is therefore urgent, which is the reason for our appeal to you now. Included with this letter is a copy of our letter to him, which provides more detailed reasons for our request, as well as a document describing our need for protection and the nature of our dispute.

We thank you for considering our appeal. It is our fervent desire to remain under the Anglican Communion, which we continue to recognize as our spiritual home and authority; we cannot, however, continue in good conscience in full communion with most of the bishops of the Episcopal Church. We look to you to provide us with a way to be both Anglicans and faithful Christians under the authority of God's Word and in concert with the majority of Anglicans worldwide.

Faithfully in Christ,

The Rev. Neil G. Lebhar William Shroeder, IV

Rector, Church of the Redeemer Sr. Warden, Church of the Redeemer, for the Vestry

The Rev. Samuel Pascoe Thomas McKeithen
Rector, Grace Church Sr. Warden, Grace Church,
for the Vestry

The Rev. David Sandifer Elizabeth Collins
Vicar, Calvary ChurchSr. Warden, Calvary Church,
for the Mission Board

The Rev. James K. McCaslin
The Hon. L. Haldane Taylor

Rector, All Souls Church Sr. Warden, All Souls Church,
for the Vestry

The Rev. James R. Needham
Mary Leffler,
Vicar, St. Luke's Community of Life Sr. Warden, St. Luke's Community of Life, for the Mission Board
the Rev. Charles Alexander Farmer Emily Wilson
Rector, St. Michael's Church Sr. Warden, St. Michael's Church,
for the Vestry

END