WYOMING: BISHOP WANTS LICENSE OF ORTHODOX WYOMING PRIEST REVOKED

Associated Press

CHEYENNE - The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming wants the license of a local priest revoked in an unusual case involving two churches in two countries.

Wyoming Bishop Bruce Caldwell has filed a complaint against the bishop of Canada's Anglican Church, who reached across international borders to license a Cheyenne priest who left the Episcopal Church last year.

The unprecedented move violates the church's territorial jurisdiction and "flies in the face of the whole structure of the church," Caldwell told the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle.

Pressure from church leaders on both sides of the border may force Canadian Bishop William Anderson to withdraw the license of the Rev. Skip Reeves. Anderson could also face censure from his country's church.

Territorial jurisdiction - the rules that maintain the separation of different ecclesiastical provinces - ensures that the church of Canada will not start a church here and is the glue that keeps the church together, Caldwell said.

"It's a critical component to how we live our lives together," he said.

Reeves left the Episcopal Church in December after disagreeing with its decision to confirm an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire.

In January, he established the Church of St. Peter, Apostle and Confessor, which meets at Laramie County Community College and has about 100 members. The church is listed as a parish of the Anglican Diocese of Caledonia in northern British Columbia.

According to the complaint, Anderson overstepped his bounds in offering to oversee the new congregation in Wyoming, especially since Reeves renounced his orders as an Episcopal priest.

Caldwell attributes the infringement to Anderson's relative inexperience as a bishop.

"He's probably just ignorant of these things," Caldwell said. "I hope that he's not actively doing this to create conflict."

Reeves said the Canadian bishop has justified his actions. He said he was drawn to Anderson because both men share conservative views.

The conflict, Reeves claimed, is more about money and politics than stepping on the toes of another jurisdiction.

"It's very political, and a lot of it has to do with money," he said. "This controversy is hurting contributions around the diocese."

If his license is revoked, Reeves pledged to find another international bishop to take up his cause.

"There's a bishop in Uganda that will pick me up and make me part of his diocese," he said.