Alice Has Left the Building
... and Stepped through the Looking Glass
A story posted at The Living Church today bears the headline, "Dissident Groups Organize to Oppose Diocesan Departures." Steve Waring observes that groups like Remain Episcopal and Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh are stepping up their efforts to communicate with Episcopalians and maintain an Episcopal Church presence within their geographic areas. Apparently, in the view of The Living Church, Episcopalians who want to remain Episcopalian are now "dissidents."
I think that is pretty funny. Technically true, I suppose, as the Episcopal groups are dissenting from their diocesan majorities. But surely an interesting spin on "dissidents."
A story posted at The Living Church today bears the headline, "Dissident Groups Organize to Oppose Diocesan Departures." Steve Waring observes that groups like Remain Episcopal and Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh are stepping up their efforts to communicate with Episcopalians and maintain an Episcopal Church presence within their geographic areas. Apparently, in the view of The Living Church, Episcopalians who want to remain Episcopalian are now "dissidents."I think that is pretty funny. Technically true, I suppose, as the Episcopal groups are dissenting from their diocesan majorities. But surely an interesting spin on "dissidents."
posted by Lisa Fox at 1/17/2008 08:21:00 PM
4 Comments:
I was interested by the observation at the end of the piece that 'Sam Hulsey, retired Bishop of Northwest Texas, had been host for an organizational meeting at his Fort Worth residence for all clergy “who are committed to keeping this diocese in The Episcopal Church"'.
Also of interest is the mealy-mouthed ending: 'Bishop Iker reported that he was not given a list of those invited, but said “I understand that only two or three rectors attended and that the rest were a handful of retired priests and a couple of deacons"'.
What do you expect when the Gestapo's outside the door (inside it, more like) compiling a list of names?
Agreed! I found that little tidbit quite interesting. A retired bishop is providing some support (and perhaps pastoral care) to clergy in Fort Worth? Thanks be to God!
And, like you, I found it amusing that Iker is whining that he wasn't given a guest list of those invited to bishop Hulsey's home. I do hear from friends in Fort Worth that bishop Iker is quite the control freak. Methinks we're seeing a bit of it here.
The Living Church used to be, while conservative, a reasonable "establishment" voice. That seemed to change about a year ago or so. Now they usually read like a slightly more polite a press release from the AAC.
I haven't been tempted to renew my subscription in several years, and can't imagine changing my mind anytime soon.
The choice of the word dissident for the loyalists is curiouser and curiouser, to say the least. But I'm pleased to see that the Living Church took note that not everyone in the diocese will follow the bishops blindly out of the Episcopal Church and that they are organizing themselves for their future in the Episcopal Church.
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