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Pittsburgh Update

Pittsburgh Update publishes weekly summaries of recent developments in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, The Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Communion that affect or could affect Pittsburgh Episcopalians. Emphasis is on reporting, not interpretation. This is a service of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh. This site is in no way affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh or the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.


A Pittsburgh Episcopal Voice          

A Service of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh         

Monday, March 15, 2010

News for Week Ending 3/15/2010

Canadian and African dioceses discuss homosexuality

The Anglican Church of Canada issued a communiqué from London on March 11, 2010, describing an ongoing theological dialogue between Canadian bishops and bishops of various African dioceses. Discussions “on matters relating to human sexuality and to mission” have been going on for more than a year. The dialogue grew out of the Indaba and Bible study pursued at the 2008 Lambeth Conference.

The communiqué reported on discussions held at the Anglican Communion Office in London February 24–26. The discussions are designed to deepen understanding, rather than to change minds. No specific results of the process were reported.

Standing committees approve Glasspool consecration

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles reported March 10, 2010, that the Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool has received the necessary consents from standing committees to be consecrated a suffragan bishop of that diocese. Earlier in the week, Episcopal News Service announced that the Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce, who was also elected a suffragan bishop for Los Angeles, has received the necessary consents both from standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction. Assuming that Glasspool also receives the approval of Episcopal bishops, both she and Bruce will be consecrated on May 15. Glasspool would then become only the second openly gay partnered bishop in the Anglican Communion. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.)

South Carolina resolutions challenge PB authority

As we reported earlier—see Pittsburgh Update story here—Bishop of South Carolina Mark Lawrence postponed his diocese’s convention to March 26, 2010, in order to respond to alleged incursions by the Presiding Bishop into the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. The diocese has now posted five resolutions on its Web site to be considered at the March 26 gathering. South Carolina, in these resolutions, continues its assertion of independence from other institutions of The Episcopal Church. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The Living Church published a story March 10 describing the motions on which the diocese will vote.

San Joaquin continues to seek return of parish property

According to a March 12, 2010, story from Episcopal News Service, the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin has again gone to court to regain control of property taken by congregations that left the diocese for the Southern Cone in 2007. (See earlier Pittsburgh Update story here.) The diocese filed a complaint March 11 seeking return of the property of St. Columba Church in Fresno, California. The Fresno Bee also published a story on the filing.

Forth Worth litigation continues in April

The “Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth”—the diocese led by Bishop Leo Iker that withdraw from The Episcopal Church—has announced that the Texas Second District Court in Fort Worth will hear on April 27, 2010, the diocese’s plea to remove the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth—the Episcopal Church diocese—from property litigation that began in Tarrant County (Fort Worth), Texas. See earlier Pittsburgh Update story here.