PITTSBURGH: BISHOP DUNCAN'S PRIORITIES QUESTIONED

By Steve Levin Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 3/9/2004

Bishop Robert W. Duncan Jr. missed last week's meeting of the Pittsburgh diocesan council, but not because he was out of town.

Duncan was at St. Stephen's Church in Sewickley, attending a three-day meeting of the nascent Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. He is moderator of the group, which was established in January for Episcopalians who oppose gay ordination and same-sex blessings as contrary to biblical tradition.

The bishop is a nonvoting member of the council, and while several others among the council's 30 current members also were absent, Duncan has missed numerous diocesan-related meetings during the past several months because of his involvement with the new network.

"We are concerned that Bishop Duncan is putting his efforts to change the nature of the Episcopal Church ahead of his responsibilities as a diocesan bishop," said Lionel E. Deimel, president of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh, an organization of clergy and laity that opposes the diocese's participation in the network.

"Parishioners of this diocese have a right to expect that Bishop Duncan's voluntary obligations to the network not cause him to disregard his vows to participate in church governance."

Duncan, who was traveling yesterday, said in a brief interview that since he convened the national meeting in Pittsburgh, he chose to attend it instead of the diocesan council's regular monthly meeting.

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is one of seven across the country that has voted to associate with the group, which is also known as the Anglican Communion Network. Another five dioceses have voted to associate provisionally with it. There are 110 total dioceses in the Episcopal Church with an estimated 2.3 million members.

The three dozen people attending the Anglican Communion Network meeting in Pittsburgh included representatives from all 12 participating dioceses, plus several members from the American Anglican Council, which is providing financial and organizational help.

Four "convocation deans" were elected to develop procedures by which biblically conservative parishes and individuals in more liberal dioceses can associate with the network. In addition, mission and vision statements were completed, and a missionary arm formed to attract more people to Anglican orthodoxy.

At last week's diocesan council meeting, members of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh challenged the diocese's February decision to join the Anglican Communion Network. A letter titled "A Call for Unity" signed by 149 parishioners from 20 churches requested the council rescind its earlier vote to join the network pending a national church ruling on its legality.

The issue was not brought to a vote.