The report of the parish in the Diocese of Texas which wants to find its own bishop [p. 6] is unfortunate, but as the 20th century winds down, it may not be all that uncommon. We have a priest and a parish challenging the diocesan bishop. Because the rector and the vestry believe the bishop is not being bold enough in upholding the resolution of the Lambeth Conference on sexuality, they have decided to find another bishop more to their liking.

This topic was addressed when Anglican bishops gathered for the Lambeth Conference last summer. At that time, the bishops reaffirmed a 1988 Lambeth declaration which prevents bishops or priests from exercising episcopal or pastoral ministry in another diocese without the permission of the local bishop. Like other resolutions of Lambeth, this one cannot be imposed on any Anglican province. Instead, it can urge a province to abide by the resolution. Another Lambeth resolution authorizes the primates of the Anglican Communion to intervene in dioceses or provinces in crisis. That would include a conflict between the diocesan bishop and a congregation.

If a congregation wants to invoke a Lambeth resolution, as the Texas parish did in disagreeing with its bishop, it also should acknowledge another Lambeth resolution which deals with the conflict which has been created. Asking for another bishop to cross diocesan boundaries and to become the ecclesiastical authority is not the answer