CP:Rectors' Declaration of Support for the Bishops' Statement on the Polity of the Episcopal Church

Originally posted at CommunionPartners.org. A group of Bishops of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion have issued a statement on the polity of the Episcopal Church with which we as Rectors of churches in the Episcopal Church are in full agreement. Our understanding of the seat of authority in the Episcopal Church, as elaborated by the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, is consistent with that elaborated in the Bishops' statement. We also find the arguments supporting the statement to be compelling and worthy of intentional study by the sundry dioceses, bishops, deputies, clergy and laity of the Episcopal Church. The authority of the Episcopal Church resides at the diocesan level. This is witnessed to by the structure of the church as "that of a voluntary association of equal dioceses." Also, the Constitution and Canons of the Church make no provision for either a central hierarchy or a Presiding Bishop with metropolitan authority. Furthermore, our General Convention representation is as dioceses and not as communicants, with only an administrative role for the convention leadership, the voting members of the leadership themselves drawn from the diocesan deputations. In addition, the ordinal does not contain any language acknowledging or committing to submit to any metropolitan or central hierarchal authority. We agree with the statement by the Bishops that the "traditional doctrine and worship and the historic polity of the Church are in grave peril." In the matter of utmost importance to the catholic nature of the Church, we stand with the signing Bishops who "intend to exercise [their] episcopal authority to remain constituent members of the Anglican Communion." For those of us who faithfully serve in dioceses that choose to reject or ignore the covenant, we ask our Diocesans not to impede the adoption of the Covenant by parishes in our dioceses. Such grace will allow these parishes and clergy to obey their consciences and calling to be members of the Anglican Communion and the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. April 22nd, 2009 The Rev. Dr. Charles Alley Rector, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church Richmond, Virginia The Rev. John D. Badders, Jr. Rector, St. John's Episcopal Church McAllen, Texas The Rev. Phyllis Bartle Rector, St. Jude's Episcopal Church Orange City, Florida The Rev. Milton E. Black, Jr. Rector, Church of the Good Shepherd Corpus Christi, Texas The Rev. Christopher Andrew Bowhay Rector, St. Thomas' Episcopal Church Houston, Texas The Rev. William J. Cavanaugh Rector, Church of the Epiphany Richardson, Texas The Very Reverend Anthony Clark Dean, St. Luke's Cathedral Orlando, Florida The Rev. Joseph N. Davis Rector, Church of the Resurrection Franklin, Tennessee The Very Rev. Canon Richard C. Doscher, Sr. Rector, St. Alfred's Episcopal Church Palm Harbor, Florida The Rev. Mifflin Dove, Jr. Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Katy, Texas The Rev. Robert G. Eaton Rector, St. John Episcopal Church Tulare, California The Rev. Theodore W. Edwards, Jr. Rector, St. George's Episcopal Church Bradenton, Florida The Rev. Richard H. Elwood Rector, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Fredericksburg, Texas The Rev. Frank E. Fuller Rector, St. Mark's Episcopal Church Beaumont, Texas The Rev. Ronald E. Greiser, Jr. Rector, St. John's Episcopal Church Portsmouth, Virginia The Rev. Laurens A. Hall Rector, St. John the Divine Houston, Texas The Rev. John F. Hardie Rector, St. Mark's Episcopal Church Corpus Christi, Texas The Rev. Theodore E. Hervey, Jr. Rector, Epiphany Episcopal Church Bertram, Texas The Rev. John M. Himes, OSF Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church Marshall, Texas The Rev. Charles L. Holt Rector, St. Peter's Episcopal Church Lake Mary, Florida The Rev. Robert Horowitz Rector, Church of the Redeemer Greenville, South Carolina The Rev. Thomas S. Hotchkiss Rector, Church of The Advent Nashville, Tennessee The Rev. Robert T. Jennings Rector, St. Francis in the Fields Harrods Creek, South Carolina The Rev. Bennett G. Jones, II Rector, St. Paul Episcopal Church Munster, Indiana The Rev. Timothy Jones Senior Associate Rector, St. George's Episcopal Church Nashville, Tennessee The Rev. Jerome A. Kramer Rector, Church of the Annunciation New Orleans, Louisiana The Rev. Gerald W. Krumenacker, Jr. Rector, Christ Church Dallas, Texas The Rev. Ronald James LeBlanc Priest-in-Charge, Church of the Incarnation Lafayette, Louisiana The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr. Rector, St. Martin's Episcopal Church Houston, Texas The Rev. John S. Liebler Rector, St. Andrew's Church and Academy Fort Pierce, Florida The Rev. Ramiro E. Lopez, Jr. Rector, St. George Episcopal Church San Antonio, Texas The Rev. Daniel H. Martins Rector, St. Anne's Episcopal Church Warsaw, Indiana The Very Rev. Dr. Jean McCurdy Meade Rector, Mount Olivet Episcopal Church New Orleans, Louisiana The Rev. Mark A. Michael Rector, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church Sharpsburg, Maryland The Rev. Ian Montgomery Retired Rector, St. Thomas Church Menasha, Wisconsin The Rev. Joel J. Morsch Rector, Christ Church Bradenton, Florida The Rev. Elizabeth L. Myers Rector, St. Francis of Assisi Lake Placid, Florida The Rev. David G. Newhart Rector, St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church Sebastian, Florida The Rev. John Newton Rector, Messiah Episcopal Church Saint Paul, Minnesota The Very Rev. Timothy C. Nunez Rector, St. Mary's Episcopal Church Belleview, Florida The Rev. Robert P. Price Rector, St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church Houston, Texas The Rev. Dr. Darrel D. Proffitt Rector, Church of the Holy Apostles Katy, Texas The Rev. Fredrick Arthur Robinson Rector, The Church of the Redeemer Sarasota, Florida The Rev. Mark Seitz Rector, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church Wheeling, West Virginia The Rev. John Thomas Sheehan Rector, The Church of Our Redeemer Aldie, Virginia The Rev. Dr. Jerry Smith Rector, St. Bartholomew's Parish Nashville, Tennessee The Rev. Leigh Spruill Rector, St. George's Episcopal Church Nashville, Tennessee The Very Rev. Canon Harold L. Trott, SSC Vicar, Church of Our Saviour Albuquerque, New Mexico The Rev. Eric W. Turner, Sr. Rector, St. John's Episcopal Church Melbourne, Florida The Rev. Guido Verbeck Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Shreveport, Louisiana The Very Rev. Dr. Edward A. Weiss, OSB, APC Rector, Church of Our Saviour Okeechobee, Florida The Rev. John T. Wells Rector, Episcopal Church Of The Holy Spirit Waco, Texas The Rev. Ted Welty Interim Rector, Christ Episcopal Church Tyler, Texas The Rev. Stockton Williams, Jr. Rector, St. Peter's Episcopal Church Kerrville, Texas The Rev. Dr. Kenneth A. Wolfe Rector, The Parish of Christ Church Fitchburg, Massachusetts The Rev. Michael Wyckoff Rector, St. Luke's on the Lake Austin, Texas