These are the basic steps set forth in the DEPO plan:

First, in the spirit of openness, the rector and vestry, or the canonically designated lay leadership seeking a compatible bishop shall meet with the bishop to seek reconciliation.

Secondly, if reconciliation does not occur, then the rector and two-thirds of the vestry, or in the absence of a rector, two-thirds of the canonically designated lay leadership, after fully engaging the congregation, may appeal to the bishop who is president or vice-president of the ECUSA province in which the congregation is geographically located, for help in seeking a resolution. Those making such an appeal must inform the other party of their decision to appeal.

Thirdly, when such an appeal has been made, the provincial bishop may request two other bishops, representative of the divergent views in this church, to join with the provincial bishop to review the situation, to consider an agreement for a plan, with the purpose of reconciliation. The plan shall include expectations of all parties, especially mutual accountability.

The plan shall be for a stated period of time with regular reviews. The provincial bishop shall periodically inform the Presiding Bishop, the Presiding Bishop's Council of Advice, and the House of Bishops at its regular meetings of the progress and results of this process.

The local bishop can still resist; but even if he agrees to alternate episcopal ministry acceptable to the parish, it will be time-limited and subject to regular review.

While DEPO is deeply flawed - it requires a parish to go to their bishop who is oppressing them to seek relief - it does afford the parish multiple delay tactics and time that can work in the parish’s favor. You can make the bishop jump through as many as hoops as you have had to jump through.

It also does not mean that the revisionist bishop’s good will is worth anything. It doesn’t. But that’s not the point.

DEPO doesn’t deal, for example, with ultra-liberal bishops who refuse to ordain orthodox priests or allow a faithful parish to choose its own rector, but as an emergency measure till the Lambeth Commission has finished its report, DEPO, if followed to the letter of the ecclesiastical law can fend off nasty, revisionist bishops like Pennsylvania Bishop Charles Bennison or Western New York Bishop J. Michael Garrison from pushing their way into a parish without that parish’s consent.

The bottom line is this; appeal your case and take a good lawyer along with you. Nothing scares even the most revisionist of running dog bishops than the sight of a lawyer who both knows the canons and is a good trial lawyer in the civil courts.

You may also find out that he knows more than the bishop about the Canons and Constitutions of ECUSA and delay usually works in favor of the priest and his parish.

END