As Communion Partner colleagues and friends of Bishop Bill Love, we were disturbed by the result of the disciplinary process that concluded last year and are now further troubled by his tragic departure from The Episcopal Church. Our prayers continue for Bishop Love, and for our brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, especially for its leadership, in a difficult time.
We believe that we are called to live our lives in Christ together with our fellow Episcopalians, within the Anglican Communion, as we make our witness to the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage. We are encouraged to read the statement of the Rev’d Scott Garno, president of the Standing Committee in Albany, that with respect to the upcoming election of a new bishop in Albany, “we believe there is a way forward for Albany as an orthodox diocese within the Episcopal Church.” We share this belief, in keeping with the Presiding Bishop’s recent comments that ours is a church with “room” for us all.
This latest development is a stark reminder that more work needs to be done to secure “the indispensable place that the minority who hold to this Church’s historic teaching on marriage have in our common life, whose witness the Church needs.” (from TEC General Convention Resolution 2018-A227) We seek a “lasting path forward for mutual flourishing” for both parties, as called for by the General Convention. We ask your prayers as we, along with many others in our church, continue to follow this difficult path.
The Rt. Rev. Lloyd Allen
Bishop of Honduras
The Rt. Rev. John Bauerschmidt
Bishop of Tennessee
The Rt. Rev. Greg Brewer
Bishop of Central Florida
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins
Bishop of Springfield
The Rt. Rev. Moises Quezada Mota
Bishop of the Dominican Republic
The Rt. Rev. Michael G. Smith
Bishop Assistant of Dallas
The Rt. Rev. George Sumner
Bishop of Dallas
April 19, 2021
“We share this belief, in keeping with the Presiding Bishop’s recent comments that ours is a church with “room” for us all.” This is the funniest thing I have read all day.
I am sure Bp. Love is deeply comforted by this empty expression of solidarity.
There’s “room” for them as long as they bend over and stay quiet.
These bishops are just mendacious. The first paragraph, on Bp. Love, is just throat-clearing for the rest of the letter — “Let’s get this one point out of the way…” You were “disturbed” by the disciplinary process at the time? I don’t recall that you said anything then. And if you are “disturbed” by that, why are you so keen on continuing to support TEC?
How can you bishops, at least those in dioceses in the United States, possibly bear witness to the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage when (1) your have no authority to prevent same-sex rites in your dioceses and (2) you don’t say anything at appropriate times anyway, such as to stand up for Bp. Love when he was on trial? Again, mendacity all around. Just shut up with your useless statements. Way too little, way too late.
There is no room for those who don’t submit. Think Borg!
One notes that the numbers of Communion Partners bishops in the USA are dwindling faster than the membership of the Diocese of Northern Michigan. 14 years ago, there were something like 14 US diocesans and a total of 27 bishops (my numbers might be off a bit- working from memory, but something like that) that self-identified as “Windsor” bishops. Now down to 4 diocesans, one who will retire shortly, and an assistant. At least, as far as being willing to put a signature to this letter. And judging from the content, it took a lot of compromising to get 4 US diocesans to sign.
While I will pray for the Rev. Garno and the standing committee, I am not sanguine that his assessment of the situation will hold up. Bishop Love was the last TEC diocesan bishop (maybe the last non-retired bishop) to actually hold the orthodox doctrine (and even that is a stretch, given his recognition of the authority of TEC hierarchy) and TEC has made it abundantly clear that NO one need apply if they hold the orthodox position. The current position of the US Communion Partners is that they will not personally perform a gay marriage, but it is OK for their clergy to do so as long as some “approved” heretical bishop signs off, and on paper, at least, they recognize all same sex marriages performed in TEC as legitimate marriages in the sight of God.
I do hope that +Love is the last ex-TEC bishop given authority within ACNA.
Good points tj, as usual.
It does appear that the reason for giving +Love and +Herzog posts as assistant bishops is so they can help some of their former flock to move to ACNA. For example, the Anglican nuns who recently made the move – ACNA has made +Love their inspector, just as he was before TEC effectively deposed him.
The Communion Partner Bishops have morphed into Communion Pension Protectors…deeply pathetic decline in character from the groups original membership.