Thinking Anglicans

ACNA: the background reading

Updated

As listed in my paper:

Professor Bruce Mullin’s Affidavit in the case of the Diocese of Ohio

This deals particularly with the issue of parishes purporting to depart from a diocese. It has not previously been published.

Professor Bruce Mullin’s Affidavit in the case of the Diocese of Fort Worth

This deals particularly with the issue of dioceses purporting to depart from TEC.

Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church (2009)

New edition, just published electronically during the past week.

The “Chapman report” January 2004

This matter was also reported at the time by Stephen Bates in the Guardian see
US Anglicans plot to break up church and Leaked letters reveal plot to split US church.

“Alternative oversight”

On January 14, 2004 , The Washington Post published a story headlined, “Plan to Supplant Episcopal Church USA Is Revealed.”

The article was based on a letter from the Rev. Geoff Chapman, rector of St. Stephen’s, Sewickley-one of the larger parishes in Duncan ‘s diocese-who said he was responding to an inquiry on behalf of the AAC and its “Bishops Committee on Adequate Episcopal Oversight.” 10 The letter, dated December 28, 2003 , was leaked to Post reporter Alan Cooperman.

In the letter, Chapman wrote that the AAC’s “ultimate goal is a realignment of Anglicanism on North American soil” resulting in a “replacement jurisdiction.” He added that conservatives would “seek to retain ownership of our property as we move into this realignment.”

A parish interested in “alternative oversight” should declare its relationship with its diocesan Bishop “severely damaged” as a result of Robinson’s consecration, Chapman wrote, and state that it now looked to “one of the Primates or an AAC orthodox Bishop for their ‘primary pastoral leadership.’”

Episcopal bishops who claimed authority over a parish in another bishop’s diocese would be vulnerable to prosecution under canon law. However, Chapman wrote, “we do have non-geographical oversight available from ‘offshore’ Bishops, and retired Bishops.”

If “adequate settlements” were not within reach by “some yet to be determined moment, probably in 2004,” he added, “a faithful disobedience of canon law on a widespread basis may be necessary.”

[extract from Following the Money see link below]

The “Barfoot memo” March 2004

The concept of “offshore oversight” for conservative Episcopal parishes was developed further in a March 3, 2004 , memo to “Ekklesia Society primates and bishops” and leaders of the Network by Canon Alison Barfoot. It was occasioned, Barfoot wrote, by conversations with Atwood, John Guernsey of the Network and Martyn Minns of the AAC.

Barfoot, formerly co-rector at Christ Church in Overland Park , Kansas , had recently been appointed an assistant to Orombi, primate of the province of Uganda . An ally of Duncan’s, Orombi had broken off relations with the Episcopal Church in December 2003.

In the memo, Barfoot outlined a three-step plan for removing parishes from the oversight of Episcopal bishops and placing them under the oversight of an “offshore” bishop who would then delegate his authority over that parish to the Network. If a parish did not already have a relationship with an offshore bishop, Barfoot suggested, the Ekklesia Society could arrange a match.

[extract from Following the Money see link below]

Following the Money 2006

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Cynthia Gilliatt
Cynthia Gilliatt
14 years ago

Thank you for posting these documents. It is perfectly clear what motivated and motivates these people. Why anyone in C of E would want to support their larceny and duplicity is beyond me.

EmilyH
EmilyH
14 years ago

Some time ago, a book was published in the U.S. entitled Interlocking Directorates. The point of its editors was to disclose who really ran US corporations and how they knew each other. At one point, I began a similar inquiry into the religious right, particularly those nominated by +Duncan for African episcopacy. There were clear patterns. Truro (Minns, Nolls,++Carey) Trinty Ambridge (Nolls, Pittsburgh etc.) The A.A.C. David Anderson. +Orombi and St. James Newport etc. But, on looking at it closely, Duncan’s nominees shared two characteristics. They either delivered a legitimate constituency, no matter how small or a funding stream. Although… Read more »

Father Ron Smith
14 years ago

“Oh, what a wondrous web we weave, when at first we do deceive” Let’s hope these hitherto concealed memos come back to haunt the reactionary elements of former TEC bishops and priests, whose plotting of dark deeds have now been exposed to the world, and who still seek re-connection, on their own terms, with the Anglican Communion. The audacity with which people like ‘Archbishop’ Robert Duncan and co. have pursued their agenda of intentional schism ought, at least, to give the members of the C.of E. General Synod pause for thought before they are misled into going along with ACNA’s… Read more »

Father Ron Smith
14 years ago

“ACNA is recognized by the vast majority of African, Southern Cone and Australian leaders, Archbishop Duncan is de facto a member of The Anglican Communion. It is true he is not a member of TEC (he was deposed) nor of the Anglican Church of Canada or the Church of England. However, if the Church of England Synod does recognize ACNA, that will change.” – virtue-on-line (response to TEC statement) – This statement by David Virtue, who hosts what he is pleased to call the largest ‘Orthodox Anglican web-site’, has to be taken with a large pinch of salt. For instance,… Read more »

Jerry Hannon
Jerry Hannon
14 years ago

Fr. Ron Smith wrote: “Mr Virtue’s consummate duplicity and downright dishonesty never ceases to amaze me. However, he is desperate to be recognized as the authentic voice of ‘Orthodox Anglicans’ around the world. so what more could one expect from such a spurious provenance.” Mr. Virtue’s consistent techniques rather remind me of the quote attributed to the master propagandist, Joseph Goebbels: ““If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or… Read more »

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