WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses and Affirms Covenant
Bishop Cautions that diocese could move away from TEC to Anglican Communion
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
October 19, 2009
"This will bring further recognition of our diocese as a part of the Episcopal Church, as a constituent member of the Anglican Communion, and in communion with the See of Canterbury. When I shared with the Archbishop of Canterbury last month the plans for a resolution of this nature, he responded favorably," the bishop told delegates. The bishop is a founding member of the Communion Partners bishops, a group of orthodox bishops who plan to stay in The Episcopal Church.
Acknowledging what he called "the dilemma of the nature of the church at this time" he nonetheless urged delegates to remain in The Episcopal Church. "We need to stay where we are because our Lord needs the faithfulness of the ministry this diocese has to offer through the commitment of those who make this their spiritual home, and in turn are striving to build up the kingdom of God in this place and the life of Christ's Church.
"We stay also because our historic identity with the Anglican Communion demands it of us. Without ordered processes there is no catholicity, no claim to the ancient Christian unity, which we claim is at the very heart of whom we are as members of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church."
The bishop caveated his words warning delegates that catholic order may require (eventually) the diocese become less provincially oriented and more Communion oriented. "This is why we stay where we are at this time, but in the months ahead, and depending upon the direction taken by the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, we could well be faced with making a choice of being either provincially oriented or Communion oriented - for it is clear we cannot be both," he said. "We know who we are, and we cannot claim to be part of a catholic body and then seek to exercise 'local option' over crucial issues." Convention delegates also affirmed the Ridley Cambridge Draft of the Anglican Covenant.
The convention tabled one pro-covenant resolution that was proposed by the diocese's standing committee. It then considered a similar resolution proposed by St. Mark's Cathedral, Shreveport. The cathedral's dean, the Very Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, is a member of Communion Partner Rectors.
The full report can be seen here: http://www.diocesewla.org/DC%202009%20Convention%20Address%2010.9.09%20final%20delivered.single.pdf
A contra point of view on the passage of the Ridley-Cambridge resolution is posted here:
http://cottoncountryanglican.blogspot.com/2009/10/diocese-of-western-louisiana-convention.html
END
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| Alabamian | Posted: 2009/10/19 16:11 Updated: 2009/10/19 16:11 |
Quite a regular   Joined: 2009/9/8 From: Posts: 49 |
 Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ...On the one hand the bishop affirms his loyalty to TEC while on the other offering a scarcely veiled threat to leave: "depending upon the directon taken by the Episcopal Church...we could be faced with making a choice."
TEC has already taken a very clear direction. How much more "direction" does he need? This leaves one wondering what new actions TEC could take that would cause the bishop to be "making a choice." Perhaps he could enlighten us on that issue. At any rate, I for one rejoice that the Communion Partners are staying put in TEC. Bravo Bp MacPherson! We all need you. Now, let's hope Bp Lawrence in SC will find the same good sense and reaffirm his attachment to TEC as he gets his five resolutions passed on Oct. 24, one of which is to give him power to withdraw the diocese from the governing bodies of TEC. |
| hunter | Posted: 2009/10/19 19:54 Updated: 2009/10/19 19:54 |
Just can't stay away  Joined: 2007/4/29 From: Posts: 113 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... Alabamian:
Maybe you could help some of us out who have been following your postings. Seems as though you have a counter AC-NA and pro TEC agenda. Perhaps you could explain where you are coming from so we can reply to you and your postings in a more appropriate way. For starters: What do you think is so great, even positive at all, about TEC at this point? |
| ctowles | Posted: 2009/10/19 20:44 Updated: 2009/10/19 20:44 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2006/12/4 From: Posts: 477 |
Come tiptoe through the tulips with me Tiptoe through the window
By the window, that is where I'll be Come tiptoe through the tulips with me Oh, tiptoe from the garden By the garden of the willow tree And tiptoe through the tulips with me Altogether Now! Tiptoe.... I wonder if clean Gene sings this? |
| daveball | Posted: 2009/10/19 20:46 Updated: 2009/10/19 20:46 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2004/12/18 From: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2281 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... With all due respect, I cannot see one reason to stay in TEc. Trying to straddle the line is even more pointless. It is simply hedging a bet to avoid making a decision. Save your sole and flee TEc as fast as possible.
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| Cennydd | Posted: 2009/10/20 3:01 Updated: 2009/10/20 3:03 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2005/10/30 From: Los Banos, CA, Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin Posts: 6684 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... While I applaud his decision, Bishop MacPherson has placed himself squarely in Mrs Schori's sights, alongside Bishop McDonald. If the other CP bishops sign onto the Covenant, they'll face the same treatment, and if she takes any action to inhibit or depose them for "abandonment of communion with this Church," what will they do then?
The obvious choice for each bishop would be to leave TEC and take most or all of his diocese with them. Will they do this? Sooner or later, they're going to have to choose who they'll serve: Christ and His Church, or The Episcopal "Church." There is a difference. A huge one. Cennydd |
| patulous | Posted: 2009/10/20 14:56 Updated: 2009/10/20 14:56 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2007/5/18 From: Posts: 1746 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... Quote: ""We need to stay where we are because our Lord needs the faithfulness of the ministry this diocese has to offer through the commitment of those who make this their spiritual home, and in turn are striving to build up the kingdom of God in this place and the life of Christ's Church.
This is a foolish statement if I ever heard one. When you stay with TEC you are obligated to pay your portion to the church.....and supporting TEC is defeating to some other church. Your giving money to an organization that is after property and bank accounts. I see some of the parishioners of the TEC church that I used to go to.....they are not the happy bunch of people that I used to know....they are outwardly sad looking and skip church alot. I have wondered why they don't leave, but I doubt that they know why either. We can always pray for the lost people of the episcopal church. |
| failte | Posted: 2009/10/21 2:10 Updated: 2009/10/21 2:10 |
Just popping in  Joined: 2007/9/15 From: Posts: 11 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... "The orthodox Bishop of Western Louisiana..."
Here is a reminder that terms such as "orthodox" mean various things to different people. To those for whom WO is a essential matter of church order and doctrine, orthodox means something very different from those for whom WO is not a crucial issue. Hence, those who seek catholic order within ACNA will eventually have to separate themselves (by more than a "gentlemen's agreement to disagree) for the integrity of their beliefs from those for whom WO is acceptable at both a priestly and episcopal level. |
| Tusker | Posted: 2009/10/22 0:17 Updated: 2009/10/22 0:17 |
Just popping in Joined: 2006/6/22 From: Posts: 7 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... And now comes Pope Benedict XVI rendering all this hand wringing and Obamaesque dwaddling moot.
THWAP! Absolutely brilliant. |
| RTGAL | Posted: 2009/10/22 23:56 Updated: 2009/10/23 0:23 |
Just popping in  Joined: 2009/10/22 From: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 8 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... McPherson is a godly man and knows what is best for his diocese.
Birmingham Anglicans are praying that he will take this same Covenant up to Sewanee and begin the recovery there. Without him and the other few right thinking TEC bishops in the South, Sewanee will continue becoming a cesspool of TEC degredation, apostacy, and homosexual perversion. Are their any VOL readers with children up there at Sewanee? We need to encourage our students to find each other and begin praying inside the gates while we pray on the outside. |
| gregory | Posted: 2009/10/23 15:33 Updated: 2009/10/23 15:33 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2004/8/4 From: Nflorida Posts: 4423 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... "what new actions TEC could take that would cause the bishop to be "making a choice." "
A "man" marrying a goat in NY cathedral while clowns serve the ceremony. Already sacrifice (abort) children maybe "making a choice" relates to euthanasia???  |
| Sodslaw | Posted: 2009/10/24 6:11 Updated: 2009/10/24 6:11 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2007/8/3 From: Orthodox Bunker Posts: 330 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... I knew Bruce as a Canon in Dallas, he was a good man then, probably still is.
But ordaining women does not an orthodox man make! He's "taken the cool aid" and is a company man in my opinion. Still pension just a round the corner, eh? |
| AFS1970 | Posted: 2009/10/26 13:28 Updated: 2009/10/26 13:28 |
Quite a regular Joined: 2008/12/30 From: Stamford, CT Posts: 65 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... So they may leave at some future date if things change for the worse. I for one can not even imagine what the next step towards not Christianity could be. I also fear that this will add some new bizarre flavor to the already muddy orthodox soup. We will now have a group that is OK with WO, OK with HO, och with heresy but has drawn the line in the sand over something else. How many more times will one be asked to agree to disagree?
Oh and at that Goat Wedding...they were Harlequins not clowns, and they wore the most dignified and reverent red rubber noses you have ever seen. It was really beautiful, especially when the brides father ate that tin can. |
| warmac9999 | Posted: 2009/11/1 11:21 Updated: 2009/11/1 11:21 |
Home away from home Joined: 2004/2/16 From: Posts: 1447 |
Re: WESTERN LOUISIANA: Communion Partner Bishop Endorses ... There will always be folks like Alabamian who believe that by staying in TEC he can confront evil at its source. I sense desperation because it is increasingly obvious that to confront evil people must be given a choice. That is what ACNA and Pope Benedict is about - a choice.
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