An article in the Sunday Telegraph has made a number of allegations about the response of Reform to statement from the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church and a letter that has gone to the Archbishop of Canterbury. These include that Reform "says it will bring in foreign archbishops to ordain priests in dioceses where incumbent bishops refuse to disassociate themselves from the American church".
However, Rod Thomas, Chairman-elect of Reform, denies that any such 'ultimatum' has gone to the Archbishop, or that anything has been said in a letter to him other than to seek clarification about the Communion service he is apparently to conduct, being organized by the 'Clergy Consultation'.
Meanwhile, the only response Reform has made to TEC's statement is here.
Rod Thomas has stated that there are "other innaccuracies" in the report, and that he made no reference to last year's Southwark ordinations..
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Sunday, 30 September 2007
REFORM refutes Telegraph article
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2 comments:
(Chelmsford)
What does "seeking alternative forms of spiritual oversight" (quoting from the Reform statement) mean if not "bring in foreign archbishops [or at least bishops] to ordain priests", in each case where dioceses are unwilling to suspend links with TEC?
Hi Peter. Well, it could mean, for example, seeking oversight from another bishop within England who is prepared to provide it. That, I know, is what some people mean by the same sort of expression.
As far as I am aware, though, where Reform is concerned there are specific plans neither to do this nor to seek overseas oversight. I may be wrong. I am not on the Reform Council, so I can't know if this is being discussed, but with what I do know I am fairly confident it is not being discussed.
The fulminations on Fulcrum in this regard are based entirely on speculation as far as I can see. The best one is the idea that this is a decoy to take attention away from the Wycliffe situation.
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