House of Deputies president issues statement following San Joaquin action
Episcopal News Service. December 10, 2007 [121007-02]
In a statement issued December 10 following the decision by the bishop and others in the Diocese of San Joaquin to leave the Episcopal Church and attempt to align with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson said she "deeply regrets" their action and encouraged continuing Episcopalians to work with the church's leadership to move the diocese forward.
"There are continuing Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Joaquin who are anxious to work with the Episcopal Church leadership to do just that," Anderson said. "Those Episcopalians in San Joaquin are committed, faithful and creative leaders. We will all be diligent about creating the safest space possible for the largest number of Episcopalians to remain in our church and continue to use their gifts to further God's mission in our world."
The text of Anderson's statement follows.
I deeply regret that the bishop and others in the Diocese of San Joaquin decided on December 8 to leave the Episcopal Church and to attempt to align with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. I join with the Presiding Bishop in expressing regret that not all of the members of the San Joaquin diocese were willing or able "to live within the historical Anglican understanding of comprehensiveness."
Now we must and will move forward. There are continuing Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Joaquin who are anxious to work with the Episcopal Church leadership to do just that. Those Episcopalians in San Joaquin are committed, faithful and creative leaders. We will all be diligent about creating the safest space possible for the largest number of Episcopalians to remain in our church and continue to use their gifts to further God's mission in our world.
There is some not-unexpected confusion right now in the diocese about episcopal authority in the diocese, but this is an opportunity for the laity and diocesan clergy to address the deep need for pastoral care and strong leadership in the coming months.
There are two things all Episcopalians can do right now. First, pray. Pray for the people who want to remain in the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of San Joaquin. They have faced an unprecedented situation filled with what the Presiding Bishop and I have called "spiritual violence" and they have daunting work ahead of them.
Pray for the people who are leaving, that they will find peace and a way to serve God as they see themselves called to do. They, too, face an unprecedented situation and have not made their decisions lightly.
Pray for the leaders of the Episcopal Church as they work to care for the diocese and continue the church's mission and ministry.
Second, keep worshipping God with your congregation, keep growing in your faith and keep showing the world by your words and deeds what it means to be an Episcopalian. When people ask you about what is happening in the Episcopal Church, use it as a chance to tell them about your congregation, how we continue to growth in love and in relationship to God, how we welcome all in the spirit of God's unconditional love. Invite them to come and see for themselves.
Bonnie Anderson
President, House of Deputies