Bishop of Arkansas Clarifies Role of Mission Congregation Started by Dissidents
Episcopal News Service. May 8, 1998 [98-2159]
(ENS) In an April 16 letter to his diocese, Bishop Larry Maze of Arkansas traced the development of a mission congregation started by a group "that had become disenchanted with the general direction of the Episcopal Church." As the situation unfolds it is testing the boundaries of diocesan authority and may end up on the agenda of this summer's Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops.
In the early stages of its formation, Maze made it clear that "new congregations in our tradition do not spring up over disagreements" and he urged the group to "stay within the ranks of the larger church in order to be a voice for the changes" they were seeking.
In November of 1996 the North American Missionary Society (NAMS), an independent organization within the Episcopal Church, was invited "to intercede on behalf of this group, now called the Episcopal Church Project," according to the statement by Maze. "We urged that NAMS not get involved with this internal situation and continue to use their resources in dioceses where they had been invited to participate in church growth and development." NAMS decided to proceed and Maze reminded them that the new congregation "was not a work of the diocese and that any congregation growing out of their efforts would simply be an independent unaffiliated congregation."
The Rev. Jon Shuler, executive director of NAMS (chk), said that the majority of members of the congregation had "gradually ceased to worship in the Cathedral Parish because of consistent, sustained and public support of the bishop's action [in signing the Koinonia Statement in 1994], which they believe to be an abandonment of the apostles teaching..." The statement, written by Bishop John Spong of Newark, said that sexual orientation is morally neutral and that it is possible to honor same-sex relationships.
When it became apparent that the congregation intended to call the Rev. Thomas Johnston of South Carolina as rector, Maze told him that he would be violating the canons of the church "by accepting an irregular call in a diocese where he was not canonically resident. He informed me that he knew those canons and had prayerfully decided to take this call in spite of our objections."
Before the diocesan standing committee could take action, "to our utter amazement on April 13 we learned that the bishop of South Carolina had earlier received a request to transfer Mr. Johnston to the Diocese of Shyira, Rwanda, Africa, and on April 6 had complied with the request," effectively removing him from "accountability to the American church. In effect, what had been a national dispute involving the integrity of diocesan boundaries is now an issue transplanted to the larger Anglican Communion, " Maze said in his statement.
At the 1988 Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops, Maze points out, a resolution "reaffirms its unity in the historical position of respect for diocesan boundaries and the authority of bishops within those boundaries." The resolutions said that it would be "inappropriate behavior for any bishop or priest of this Communion to exercise episcopal or pastoral ministry within another diocese without first obtaining the permission and invitation of the ecclesial authority thereof."
Maze dismissed attempts by those who would reduce the disagreement "to a struggle between a 'liberal' bishop and a 'conservative' congregation." He stressed that mission strategy is "an intentional, collaborative effort on the part of the department of mission, the bishop, the executive council, the standing committee, and the annual convention" and that precludes forming any "special interest congregation."
While the church continues to argue about issues "that trouble church and society today," Maze said, he is distrubed by "the total disregard for those boundaries that give us a container for ongoing discussion. Once a group declares that the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church and the commonly held practices of the entire Communion are not binding, can there be a community in which discussion can continue?"
Maze expects the issue of diocesan boundaries to be on the agenda of this summer's Lambeth Conference. In the meantime, he will consult with the bishop in Rwanda and "review this situation as it impacts the larger church." He prayed that the diocese would not be "totally distracted from our work by this development."