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SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Bishop Uninvites Gene Robinson as Guest Preacher
News Analysis
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
11/15/2007
The new Bishop of SW Florida, the Rt. Rev. Dabney Smith has written a letter to New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson canceling a planned visit to St. Boniface parish in Sarasota, saying that his appearance would unduly upset many people.
"He has capitulated to bullies", cried Louie Crew, the Episcopal Church's First Sodomite Emeritus in an angry story at his blog. Bishop Robinson was scheduled to speak at St. Boniface. He had been invited by the ultra-liberal priest of the parish, the Rev. Canon Edward M. Copland. Arrangements were made for him to come by Assistant Rector Wes Wasdyke who is canonically resident in the Diocese of New Hampshire. Robinson was scheduled to speak January 16-20, 2008.
The purpose of his coming, according to Copland, was "to share his own journey of faith and encourage each of us in ours."
Bishop Smith, who was consecrated in September 2007, had apparently given permission for Bishop Robinson to be the speaker in residence. Smith was told that Robinson's appearance was part of the listening process, a Windsor Report recommendation.
On Nov. 14 Bishop Smith wrote to Robinson (who is on Sabbatical and in New Zealand with his male partner) asking him to decline the parish's invitation.
Copland said he got a call from Bishop Smith after saying he (Smith) had contacted Bishop Gene Robinson again and had asked him to decline the invitation. He said he took this action because of all the heat he was getting.
Bishop Smith said he has been getting a lot of [negative] reaction to Robinson coming into the diocese because Robinson's presence would be viewed as divisive.
On hearing the news Crew went ballistic. "You know opposition is losing when opposition resorts to the tyranny of ideas, afraid to allow anyone even to listen to a point of view not approved by the one in power. This country was built on strong advocacy for the right -- even the obligation -- of persons to expose themselves to all points of view before holding a point of view themselves."
Crew said Bishop Smith is thoroughly within his rights as a bishop to cancel any presentation if doing so helps him save his skin. "I hope that he can sleep in that skin.
"When you want to know why most young people don't give the church the time of day, you need look no farther. Bishop Smith's cowardice gives me the creeps and makes me embarrassed to be an Episcopalian," said Crew.
Crew should think twice before exploding about the illiberalness of orthodox or neo orthodox bishops.
Recently the outgoing revisionist Bishop of Chicago,the Rt. Rev. William D. Persell denied the Most Rev. Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria, a parish venue in which to speak, forcing Akinola and his entourage to speak at Wheaton College.
He is not the only liberal bishop to deny entrance of orthodox primates into their dioceses.
Back in 2001 the now inhibited Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison denied retired South Carolina Bishop C. FitzSimons Allison the right to preach at the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli, PA and several years later restricted four overseas primates serving as Trustees of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund from from preaching at the Eucharist at the same parish.
It is now almost standard behavior by liberal bishops that they will not allow graduates and ordinands from the evangelical Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry to take parishes in their dioceses, something Crew has never railed against for their lack of inclusivity.
Only graduates from liberal seminaries like Episcopal Divinity School, General Theological Seminary and Virginia Theological seminary are made welcome.
Wrote one blogger, "These TEC whiners make me ill; Bishop Smith should be commended for disinviting Robinson."
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