Pittsburgh Bishop Is Ousted

[struggle4progress]

Source: Associated Press

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 19, 2008

An Episcopal bishop, whose diocese is moving toward splitting from the national church, was ousted from ministry. The House of Bishops voted 88 to 35 to remove the bishop, Robert W. Duncan of Pittsburgh, on a charge of “abandonment of the communion of this church.” ... The Pittsburgh diocese said it would move ahead with the Oct. 4 secession vote.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/us/19brfs-005.html?ref=us

---

Episcopal church defrocks dissident bishop
Reuters

... Over the years Duncan has been a leading orthodox dissident and an organizer of those who have been at odds with the U.S. church since 2003 when the Episcopal Church consecrated Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the first bishop in more than four centuries of church history known to be in an openly gay relationship ...

The action came just weeks before Duncan's diocese was to vote on whether to bolt from the U.S. church and place itself under the jurisdiction of a conservative South American Anglican primate. A diocese in California earlier became the first Episcopal diocese to defect and others are considering the same action ...

The Episcopal bishops, in the middle of a three-day meeting in Salt Lake City, said their vote to depose Duncan was "based on the evidence of Bishop Duncan's record of actions and statements, and was the culmination of a process that began in 2007." ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1840646820080919

[MasonJar]

1. Good decision by the bishops of my church. The Episcopal Church is in

general open-minded. We do not need bigots running congregations in one of the world's most enlightened communions.

[madamesilverspurs]

2. Gotta love that

they're convening in Salt Lake City, though. Old Henry VIII would heartily approve!

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

3. Thank fuck.

This idiot has spewed bile from the pulpit for far, far too long.

[Newsjock]

4. Oh, "ousted"

Not "outed." Never mind.

[mitchum]

5. Remember, they are "almost like Catholics",but not completely

that's what made all the difference between "ousted" and "outed"

[Efilroft Sul]

6. I have a grudge against Duncan.

Long story short, my fraternity brother led an Episcopal church in Ohio and we wanted him to officiate our 2002 marriage here in the Pittsburgh area. So my fraternity brother sought a dispensation from Duncan to officiate the marriage in the Pittsburgh diocese, but the bishop denied him and us; church politics, you see. Six years later, it's nice to see Duncan got what was coming to him.

Who says there isn't a God?

[davidinalameda]

13. you're kidding?

he wouldn't let him officiate at your wedding?

what a douche bag!

[kwassa]

7. This ousting may have no lasting effect

Duncan is planning to take the Pittsburgh Diocese out of the Episcopal Church at the next meeting on October 4, when it comes up for a second vote.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_589185.html

The diocese will vote to break away from the national church at its convention next Saturday. It will be the second vote on the proposal. Under church law, two votes are required.

During the first vote taken last year, clergy and lay people representing churches in the diocese voted 345 to 82 to withdraw from the national church.

Should the diocese ratify that vote, Duncan will be invited back as bishop of the new diocese.

Of course, this will end up in a lawsuit over church property, which belongs to the national church, not the local diocese. Also, Duncan is seen as the leader of the conservative homophobic church movment that are attempting to leave the Episcopal church and align with Anglican provinces in other countries.

[TechBear_Seattle]

8. I thought Schofield was the leader of the conservative homophobic movement

Former bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, the first bishop to lead a whole diocese into schism and formally dethroned by the House of Bishops on January 13th, 2008. He is so conservative that he has not only refused to ordain women clergy, he has consistently refused to allow women clergy to excercise their priesthood within his diocese. He refused to attend the ordination of his own daughter and would not let her serve as a priest within his jurisdiction; she now serves as auxilliary bishop of the Diocese of Olympia.

[kwassa]

9. Schofield is a major figure, but not the leader.

although how much leadership really exists is anyone's guess; Duncan is the head of the Anglican Communion Network as moderator, and is trying to create a whole Anglican province within the United States, which violates church canons and will never be recognized by Canterbury. Duncan, like Schofield, is also about to lead his diocese out of the Episcopal Church, though a much greater percentage of churchs in the Pittsburg diocese have voted to stay Episcopal. Schofield is more the hardhead.

Jack Iker of the Fort Worth diocese is also going to try the same thing. These are the only three trying to pull out entire diocese, though. Also no ordination of women or gays.

Most of these conservatives are very loose cannons, as much of the dissent derives from large egos, in my opinion. They are aligning with different Anglican provinces around the world, which in itself gives little unity to their cause. Both Schofield and Duncan are going to the Southern Cone, which is South America. Expect major property lawsuits.

The big split in the worldwide Anglican communion might not be that far away.

[JerseygirlCT]

12. He jumped first. But Duncan's been tailing along, waiting his turn.

Same deal, different diocese.

[JerseygirlCT]

11. And whatever language he wants to use, the diocese cannot

secede. Individuals can leave, and I assume a fair number will. They're free to go.

As you say, the property, and the entity called "diocese of Pittsburgh" remains in the Episcopal Church.

Good riddance.

[davidinalameda]

14. he has no diocese to take out of TEC

an interim bishop will be appointed and will take over

I'm sure that a good number of people will leave their parishes but they're abandoning the church and they have no claim on any of the property

[JerseygirlCT]

10. Yes! Great news!

This has been a very, very long time coming.

And just a note - the diocese can't secede. *People* can leave the church; the diocese of Pittsburgh remains - with new leadership soon, I assume.

[xchrom]

15. good. nt