Recant and steer off course

Episcopal Church moves to discipline seceding California bishop

Episcopal Church leaders have taken disciplinary action against Bishop John-David Schofield, the California bishop whose diocese voted last month to split with the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Both lay representatives and clergy of the San Joaquin diocese decided to cease affiliation with the U.S. church and join a South American Anglican jurisdiction on account of the Episcopal Church’s toleration and promotion of homosexuality and other issues which, says the California diocese, depart from biblical orthodoxy.

In response to December’s vote, Episcopal presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts-Schori said, “the Episcopal Church will continue in the Diocese of San Joaquin, albeit with new leadership.” Earlier in the month, before the vote, she wrote Bishop Schofield that a split with the Episcopal Church "would implicitly reject the Church's property and other canons."

On Jan. 11, Jefferts-Schori placed an “inhibition” on Schofield, meaning he may not perform religious rites, confirm, or give sermons until Episcopal Church leaders meet on March 13 to decide what do about him, the Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, canon to Jefferts-Schori, told Associated Press. Schofield, said Robertson, "was aware of the consequences of his action, warned repeatedly, and there comes a time when it is important for the church to hold its own leadership accountable. This allows him time to recant and to steer off this course."

Schofield, however, does not seem to see a need for recantation. Reuters reported Jan. 16 that Schofield and his associates have not ceased their ecclesial activities. A Jan. 14 posting on the diocesan web site states that the Episcopal Church’s claims to “oversight and jurisdiction” over the San Joaquin diocese “are not correct.”

“The fact is that neither the Diocese nor Bishop John-David Schofield are part of The Episcopal Church,” said the posting. “The Bishop is a member of the House of Bishops of the Southern Cone as of December 8th, 2007. The Diocese is a part of the Southern Cone.” The posting included a statement from the Southern Cone’s archbishop, Gregory Venables: "As of December the 8th, 2007 Bishop John-David Schofield is not under the authority or jurisdiction of The Episcopal Church or the Presiding Bishop.”

“The Episcopal Church's assertion that Bishop Schofield has abandoned the communion of this Church is an admission that The Episcopal Church rejects the historical Anglican faith,” said the diocese’s posting. “The Episcopal Church's own identity is dependent upon its relationship with the whole Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church should consider whether it is imperiling that relationship by taking such punitive actions.”

On Jan. 2, 34 active and retired Anglican bishops from around the world wrote to Schofield “to salute you on the courageous decision of the Diocesan Convention of San Joaquin to take leave of The Episcopal Church and to align with the Province of the Southern Cone.” Among the signers was Robert Duncan, Episcopal bishop of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, whose diocese last year took an initial vote to separate from the Episcopal Church and join a foreign jurisdiction. Jefferts-Schori has threatened Duncan with an inhibition, according to Reuters.

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