News for Week Ending 3/26/2012

Anglican Covenant adoption derailed in England

Although voting continues by diocesan synods of the Church of England on whether adoption of the proposed Anglican Covenant should be returned to General Synod for final approval, the results of voting on March 24, 2012, assure that this General Synod (which continues through July 2015) will not consider the matter further. To date, 23 dioceses have voted against further consideration of the Covenant, whereas only 15 have voted in favor. A majority of the church’s 44 dioceses (that is, 23 dioceses) would have had to vote in favor of the Covenant for adoption to be voted on by this General Synod.

Episcopal News Service reported on the recent votes March 26. That story refers to a dispatch from Anglican Communion News Service dated March 24. In it, Anglican Consultative Council Secretary General Kenneth Kearon alludes to the defeat of the Covenant in the Church of England without actually admitting what happened. Instead, he emphasizes the churches that have adopted the Covenant.

Defeat of the Covenant in England has provoked a good deal of comment. A sampling is available in a post from Thinking Anglicans. Paul Bagshaw, with the help of Alan Perry, has analyzed the overall voting in English diocesan synods. Bishops voted overwhelming in favor of the Covenant. Clergy and laity were split about 50–50.

Episcopal election procedures explained

Judge of Election Jon Delano has written an explanation of the procedures that will be used next month to elect the next Bishop of Pittsburgh. “Electing the 8th Bishop of Pittsburgh: Some Frequently Asked Questions” can be found on the diocesan Web site.

St. David’s property to be returned

A March 26, 2012, press release from the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh announced that the congregation of the Peters Twp. church recently known as St. David’s Anglican Church will be returning the property to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh “by the end of May.” The congregation will meet temporarily in the former St. Genevieve Roman Catholic Church building at 120 East College Avenue in Canonsburg, Pa., and will change its name to The Anglican Parish of Christ the Redeemer. A permanent church plant is intended for Canonsburg, and the congregation, led by the Rev. David Wilson, plans to meet again in Peters Twp. when a suitable location can be found.

Later on March 26, the Episcopal diocese posted a story about St. David’s and anticipating an “amicable process.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted this story on the Web on March 26 as well. According to the newspaper, St. David’s could no longer afford to handle its debt, which will become a liability for the Episcopal diocese. (The $20,000/month mortgage payment cited by the Post-Gazette seems excessive, however.)

Video of nominees added to Web site

As promised, video of the nominees vying to become the next Bishop of Pittsburgh has been added to the diocesan Web site. The nominees were recorded answering the questions asked in the plenary session of the walkabout held March 20, 2012, at St. Brendan’s, Franklin Park. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) To view the video of a particular candidate, go to the Bishop Search page and click on the candidate’s name on the left. The video will be appear below the picture of the nominee.