The Episcopal Church inhibited a breakaway bishop Friday, banning him from practicing all his ministerial duties.
Three senior bishops agreed that Bishop John-David Schofield, who led his entire San Joaquin, Calif., diocese to break from the national church last month, had abandoned the communion of The Episcopal Church and gave their consent to inhibit him.
Schofield is currently banned from giving sermons, doing confirmations and performing any religious rites until March, when Episcopal leaders will meet and vote on a final judgment.
"He 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," said the Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, canon to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, according to The Associated Press.
"This allows him time to recant and to steer off this course," he said.
In December, the San Joaquin diocese overwhelmingly voted to sever ties with The Episcopal Church, becoming the first full diocese to do so. The break came after years of conflict over what the diocese and other conservatives have contended is The Episcopal Church's departure from Scripture and traditional Anglicanism.
The Episcopal presiding bishop had warned the diocesan bishop of consequences if he went ahead with the split.
But discontent with the liberal direction of the national church on Scripture and homosexuality, the diocese finally said "enough," Schofield has said. The diocese realigned with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.
Schofield has indicated no desire to recant and change direction, according to a statement issued Friday by the diocese.
"It is the primary duty of bishops to guard the faith and Bishop Schofield has been continually discriminated against for having done so," the statement read. "How is it that over 60 million Anglicans worldwide can be wrong and a few hundred thousand in the American Church can claim to be right?"
Conservatives across the 77-million member Anglican Communion have called The Episcopal Church to repent, particularly after it consecrated an openly gay bishop in 2003, widening rifts within the third largest Christian denomination in the world.
The Communion holds homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture.
If a majority of the leaders at the March 7-13 Episcopal House of Bishops meeting concur, Schofield will be deposed and the episcopate of the San Joaquin diocese will be declared vacant. Those remaining in The Episcopal Church would then organize a new diocesan convention and a new bishop would be elected and consecrated.
The Diocese of San Joaquin consists of about 8,500 parishioners in 47 congregations.
Comments
Actually, Jude wrote what the Holy Spirit led him to write. We are given the knowledge of what Enoch prophesied, not an endorsement for a book.
Let the Lord reprove and warn all who are violating Pr 30:5-6: “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
In addition, let us be careful not to tread upon the dangerous ground of Rev 22:18, 19: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
maranatha7593, Scripture, Tradition, and Reason are not separate but interrelated. Scripture, for instance, is related to Tradition. The books didn't just fall from heaven. Reason is necessary to understand and interpret both Scripture and Tradition. Views strongly supported by Tradition and/or Scripture have changed over time. Moses allows divorce. Gentiles are allowed into the Church. Eunuchs are welcomed among the community of faith. The Divine Right of Kings is questioned. Usury is allowed. Slavery is abolished. Woman are not longer subjugated. Each of these changes was greatly debated in its time. And if one had only Scripture or Tradition, these changes could never have occurred.
SJ: "And as an Anglican I believe in Scripture, Tradition and Reason as the ultimate authorities for the Church."
I thought 'canon' meant 'scripture' - that's why I asked about that.
Does your statement above mean you hold Tradition and Reason to be equal with Scripture?
wilderness, how about the book of Baruch, the books of the Maccabees and the Wisdom of Solomon? Was II Timothy including those, which are included in every Christian list of Scriptures until the Synod of Dort in 1618 created your 'Protestant Bible'? How about the Book of Mormon if dropping and adding books is allowed?
wilderness, the Epistle of Jude (1:14) explicitly quotes the Book of Enoch and Jesus implicitly alludes to it, so is it part of the Scripture that is referred to in II Timothy 3, and if not, how do you know? How about the Shepherd of Hermas? III Corinthians? The Gospel of Thomas?
2Ti 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
All scripture was given and decided by God. Notice how all scripture is profitable and why. Notice how all scripture is directed towards the man of God and why. Let the Lord rebuke all men who are stepping outside of scripture and who embrace the traditions of men.
Col 2:8-10 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
maranatha7593, the Canon IS the accepted list of Scriptures, decided by various councils of bishops over the years, and not always in agreement with one another. And as an Anglican I believe in Scripture, Tradition and Reason as the ultimate authorities for the Church.
quetzal - As an Anglican, do you believe the Episcopal canon carries a higher authority than the Scriptures, or not?
StJohn\'s - Ditto the question I asked quetzal.
StJohn\'s, is the Episcopal canon not in agreement with the scriptures?
Ps 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Topekan, don't forget that it was councils of bishops that decided which Scriptures would be included in the Canon and which won't, so how can Scripture be the final arbiter? They didn't fall from heaven.
Quetzal,
You strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. A bible-believer should have a problem with a woman Bishop, given the words of the Apostle Paul in his epistle to Timothy. Scripture is the final arbiter, not the decision of councils or canon law. Marantha has it dead on.
Dear Maranatha,
I read a number of different Anglican websites and news sources, including those on both sides of this issue, so the Christian Post is not my only source of information in forming my opinions. I also happen to be an Anglican. Okay?
StJohn\'s, does the Epispocal doctrine/canon go against the clear teachings of the Holy Bible? If so, they need to be challenged. Either way, this bishop has done the right thing to answer to a higher authority than that of man.
quetzal, there is no evidence whatsoever in the article to support your suppositions.