A house divided?
<font size="2" lang="0" face="Arial" ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF">St. George's Episcopal Church in Macomb could soon find itself caught in a legal battle between the Quincy Diocese, to which it belongs, and The
Episcopal Church over ownership of diocesan property. If delegates of the 23
member churches meeting at the annual Quincy Diocese Synod in Moline Friday
and Saturday express their intent to affiliate with another Anglican
organization, TEC will almost certainly claim ownership of St. George's -
and every other piece property in the diocese - in court.
The Quincy Diocese spans most of Western Illinois, from Moline and Rock
Island down to Quincy and across Peoria to the Illinois River. The Synod is
an annual gathering of bishops, clerical delegates and lay delegates elected
by church parishioners in the Diocese.
This weekend, those attending will be voting on a resolution to withdraw all
parish churches and missions from any legal relationship or oversight of the
Protstant Episcopal Church USA, and affiliate instead with a foreign
province of the Anglican Church, most likely one of several conservative
African provinces.
Delegates and clergy will be looking closely at a recent response made by
the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops at their September meeting in New
Orleans. At that time, they responded to a request from the worldwide
Anglican Communion to place a moritorium on the ordination of homosexual
bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions.
"Our bishop said we're still awaiting a wider response from the global
Anglican community to our house of bishops New Orleans resolution, and we
await that response," said Father Ron Drummond, of St. George's Macomb.
A review conducted by a standing committee appointed by the Archbishop of
Canterbury gave approval to the moratorium declared by the House of Bishops,
but more conservative elements of TEC have claimed the resolution does not
go far enough.
The liberal direction of TEC has already caused rifts within the church,
with a few churches in Virginia pulling away from TEC. If the Quincy Diocese
does the same and affiliates with a presumable more conservative
organization, it will be the first time an entire diocese has attempted to
do the same.
"I don't want to comment on any impending property dispute, I don't know the
law that well, and there is no precedent," Drummond said. "Those in Virginia
were parishes, not entire dioceses."
TEC officials maintain that a diocese only holds its churches in trust. The
differing statements of TEC spokeswoman Neva Rae Fox and Wicks Stephens,
legal adviser for the Anglican Communion Network in Pittsburgh, of which the
Diocese of Quincy is a part, neatly outline the dispute.
Fox said a Quincy vote to leave would have to go through the church's
General Convention in 2009 in order to be recognized. Dioceses can't leave
The Episcopal Church on their own say-so because the church's General
Convention created them, Fox said.
"They're dead wrong on that," Stephens said. "If you read the constitution
and canons of The Episcopal Church, in order for a diocese to come into
union with other dioceses of the Episcopal Church through the General
Convention, that diocese has to meet certain standards, including forming
itself, becoming financially sustainable and other things, including
allegiance to The Episcopal Church."
The ideological differences between the Quincy Diocese and TEC are no
secret. Quincy is one of the most orthodox dioceses in the country -- one
of only three out 111 that does not ordain female ministers. Drummond
declined to speculate on any outcome from this weekend's synod.
"Nothing like this has ever come onto the synod floor before; we don't have
much to look back on," Drummond said. "I will say that in years past our
synod has voted overwhelmingly in favor of orthodox Anglicanism."
Drummond said there was a "wide variety" of opinions held by his
parishioners, from those who agree with the socially liberal TEC to those
who feel that organization no longer represents their views.
If that feeling of disconnect is strong enough on the Synod floor that the
Quincy Diocese pulls away from the TEC, then the issue could find its way
onto the floor of a courtroom.
Terry Chasteen, professor of music at Western Illinois University, has been
attending St. George's since moving to Macomb in 2000. He said his views are
such that he hopes the diocese becomes more inclusive, not exclusive. In
regard to issues of homosexuality and promotion of women to positions of
authority. But whatever the outcome, he doubts that the basic day-to-day
operation of St. George's will be much affected.
" I would hope that (withdrawing) wouldn't be the outcome of the synod,"
Chasteen said. "But, as a parishioner at St. George's, I feel like our
church family will not change much, that our Father will do his best to keep
the church in line with policy."
Contact Craig Finlay at craig@MacombJournal.com or call 309-833-2114.</font>