PRESIDING BISHOP GRISWOLD AND COUNCIL OF ADVICE CONDEMN OHIO ACTION

(Consolidated from statements by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and his Council of Advice)

Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold sharply criticized the unauthorized Ohio confirmations, calling them a violation of the Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons—specifically Article II, Section 3, requiring diocesan consent for episcopal acts across boundaries.

He rejected claims that the Primates’ 2003 statement authorized such unilateral action, noting it explicitly affirmed “the autonomy and territorial integrity of dioceses” and mandated oversight plans be developed within provincial structures “in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

Griswold surmised the timing—days before the House of Bishops’ spring meeting—was intentionally provocative, aiming to force a reaction that could justify further defiance. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence the “diverse center” of the House would craft a “clear, just, and pastoral” path forward.

His Council of Advice—10 active bishops representing all nine provinces—unanimously condemned the incursion. While acknowledging internal disagreements over 2003 General Convention decisions, they reaffirmed commitment to unity grounded in shared mission and sacramental life: “These bonds… are far stronger and more enduring than the forces… which seek to sow division.”

They quoted the Archbishop of Canterbury’s plea for solutions “within the constitutional and canonical structures of ECUSA” to avoid fragmentation and refocus on evangelism.

THE GREAT UNRAVELING: ANALYSIS OF ANGLICAN CRISIS

By David W. Virtue

The Ohio confirmations mark a decisive escalation in the Anglican realignment—what one observer calls “the great unraveling” of the Episcopal Church (ECUSA).

Held secretly at an Orthodox church to avoid injunction, the service drew ~800 attendees, with Bishop FitzSimons Allison preaching on defending the faith—and invoking 19th-century Ohio Bishop Charles P. McIlvaine’s warnings against rationalism and ecclesial idolatry.

This act signals a new willingness among orthodox Anglicans to defy canonical boundaries when conscience and orthodoxy are at stake. While ECUSA leaders decry it as “defiant,” critics note parallels to the 1974 Philadelphia ordinations—also illegal, yet later normalized.

The deeper crisis is demographic and spiritual: ECUSA membership fell 36% (1966–2001) while clergy numbers rose 63%, reducing members per priest from 343 to 133. Over 500 parishes have closed or departed since 1985.

Dioceses led by revisionist bishops show steep decline: Ohio (40K→24K), El Camino Real under Schimpfky (30K→12K)—suggesting theological innovation correlates with attrition, not renewal.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Rowan Williams’ endorsement of atheist Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials for religious education reveals a broader strategy: engaging doubt as a pedagogical tool. Yet many traditionalists see this as further evidence of doctrinal drift—a Church accommodating unbelief rather than proclaiming Christ.

The path forward remains uncertain. Disciplinary action against retired bishops is unlikely—and may backfire. More probable: accelerating realignment, with orthodox networks (e.g., NACDP, AAC) forming proto-provinces under global Anglican primates.

As one priest observed: “A monochrome network of geographical dioceses may be passing into history as rapidly as an all-male priesthood once did.”