Diocese of San Joaquin Votes to Disassociate with The Episcopal Church

The Diocese of San Joaquin: December 8, 2007

Diocese of San Joaquin Votes to Disassociate with The Episcopal Church

Convention Accepts the Invitation to Align with the Province of the Southern Cone

FRESNO, CA – Today at its annual convention the Diocese of San Joaquin took an historic step and voted to disassociate from The Episcopal Church. The convention also accepted an invitation from Archbishop Gregory Venables and the bishops of the Province of the Southern Cone of South America to be welcomed into their membership.

According to Bishop John-David Schofield of the Diocese of San Joaquin , “This is the first time in American Anglican history that a diocese has realigned with a like-minded province.” He added, “The vote was a resounding affirmation by our clergy and laity to remain within the worldwide Anglican Communion with its heritage and universally accepted teaching based on the word of God.”

Delegates and clergy attending the 48th Annual Convention of the Diocese of San Joaquin voted overwhelmingly in favor of amendments to the diocesan constitution, which removed references to The Episcopal Church, expressed the intention to maintain fellowship with the greater Anglican Communion accepted the invitation to become a diocesan member of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. The vote reaffirmed a first vote at the December 2, 2006 convention in which a more than two-thirds majority voted in favor of the constitutional amendments.

“For 20 years and more we have watched The Episcopal Church lose its way, straying, at first from Scripture to the point of dismissing the Word of God, in some instances as mere historical documents,” said Bishop Schofield. “In the end, this decision is all about freedom. It is about freedom to remain who we are in Christ. It is freedom to honor the authority of Scripture.”

Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia read a statement from Archbishop Gregory Venables, “Welcome Home. And welcome back into full fellowship in the Anglican Communion.”

The Diocese of San Joaquin was founded as a missionary diocese in 1911 and became a full autonomous diocese in 1961. The Diocese encompasses 47 parish churches and mission churches in the counties of San Joaquin, Alpine, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Mono, Merced, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Inyo.