Bishops Consecrated in New Church
Episcopal News Service. February 2, 1978 [78028]
DENVER, Colo. -- The first bishops of a new church that split from the three million-member Episcopal Church over a wide range of issues -- such as its decision to ordain women to the priesthood, its revision of the Book of Common Prayer, and its so-called liberalized stands on abortion and remarriage of divorced persons -- were consecrated here on January 28.
Consecrated as bishops of the new provisional Anglican Church in North America were James O. Mote of Denver, Diocese of the Holy Trinity; Peter F. Watterson of West Palm Beach, Diocese of the Southeast; Robert S. Morse of Oakland, Diocese of Christ the King, and C. Dale Doren of Pittsburgh, Diocese of the Midwest. The two-hour consecration service, attended by 1,200 persons, was held in Augustana Lutheran Church, selected for its size.
Conducting the consecration were retired Episcopal Bishop Albert J. Chambers of Springfield (Illinois), and Bishop Francisco J. Pagtakhan, Secretary of Missions and Ecumenical Affairs of the Philippine Independent Church.
Later, in a cable to the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Macario Ga, Supreme Bishop of the Philippine Independent Church, said that he "did not authorize" Bishop Pagtakhan to participate in the service. He said he was "shocked and distressed" to hear of Bishop Pagtakhan's action, about which he had no foreknowledge.
Anglican tradition calls for no less than three bishops to perform the consecration rites, but Bishop Chambers defended the use of two bishops as legitimate though unusual.
Bishop Charles F. Boynton, retired Suffragan Bishop of New York, had been scheduled to participate but had to cancel his plans on orders from his doctor.
A Korean Anglican Bishop, Mark Pae of Taejon, had also agreed to be one of the consecrators but was reported to have been dissuaded by Dr. Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, under whose jurisdiction the Korean Anglican bishops are.
A letter from Bishop Pae was read to the congregation in which he gave his consent to the consecration of Bishop Doren who had served in the Korean diocese at one time.
In London, Archbishop Coggan, leader of the 46.7 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion, was reported as saying he will not accord recognition to the new bishops or their church body.
Accurate statistics for the new church are not available at this time. Bishop Mote estimates the number of parishes to be about 100, among them former Episcopal parishes and other newly formed missions composed of individuals and families who left their own Episcopal congregations. He said these congregations have almost 10,000 members About 50 priests among the Episcopal Church's 12,000 have left the Church.