San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield and TEC ‘depositions’

Posted on May 29, 2009 
Filed under News

Bishop Schofield“It  is with a mixture of sadness and joy that we received today a letter from Bishop Lamb wherein he purports to depose 36 priests and 16 deacons as of May 22, 2009.  It is heartbreaking that The Episcopal Church chooses to take such a punitive action and condemn 52 active clergy with ‘Abandonment of the Communion’ when all of these men and women are recognized around the world as priests and deacons in good standing within the Anglican Communion.  Clearly, the traditional understanding of what it means to be a member of this historic Communion has been tragically altered by this action; and thereby The Episcopal Church needlessly isolates itself from their brothers and sisters around the world.

The Diocese of San Joaquin continues to reach out to the central third of California in active ministry. It will become one of 23 founding Dioceses, along with 5 more in formation, within the new Province of the Anglican Church in North America at its first Provincial Assembly in Bedford, Texas, June 22-25. Despite The Episcopal Church’s disregard for valid Anglican Orders and ongoing legal actions against us, the bold vision to bring all to an ever expanding knowledge and joy of the Lord Jesus Christ remains unchanged within the diocese. We rejoice over the growing number of ministries seeking to join themselves with us in the mission field God has put before us.

We are, however, grieved that the leadership of The Episcopal Church feels compelled to create this unprecedented division between the ministries of The Episcopal Church and their brothers and sisters throughout the rest of the Anglican Communion.  For our part, we continue to recognize the orders of those who are properly ordained according to the Book of Common Prayer and who have chosen to continue to serve Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior within TEC.  May God bless all of us who share a common vision of ministry.

+John-David Schofield, Bishop
The Diocese of San Joaquin.”

– John-David Schofield, Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin in California, whose diocese left the Episcopal Church last year, reponds to actions taken by Bishop Jerry Lamb of the reconstituted TEC diocese. At TitusOneNine.