Anglican Communion Institute (ACI)

Clarification Needed On Bede Parry

We are pleased that the Presiding Bishop and Bishop Dan Edwards of Nevada have issued further statements on Bede Parry.

Following The Canons To Bede Parry

In 2004 the Bishop of Nevada, Katharine Jefferts Schori, received a former Roman Catholic priest, Bede Parry, as a priest in TEC.

South Carolina: The Church Needs Transparency

by The Reverend Dr. Philip Turner Mark McCall, Esq. We have considered carefully the available information related to the allegations against Bishop Mark Lawrence that are currently under review by the Disciplinary Board for Bishops. That information discloses an extended and troubling sequence of events that raises serious questions about transparency in the church. We note the following: In January 2010, Thomas Tisdale sent nine letters to the Diocese of South Carolina requesting voluminous documents from the diocese and its parishes.

South Carolina: Upholding The Church's Discipline By Upholding The Constitution

One of the allegations now being made against Bishop Lawrence is that the decision by the Diocese of South Carolina to continue to adhere to the prior Title IV canons rather than adopt the controversial new revisions constitutes abandonment by being an open renunciation of the discipline of TEC. Last March Alan Runyan and I published an article that undertook a careful examination of the history of TEC’s Constitution as it relates to clergy discipline.

Title IV: Abandonment Without Offense?

Bishop Dorsey Henderson, President of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops, has responded to questions concerning the canonical process underway involving Bishop Mark Lawrence. We appreciate his clarification on a matter of great interest to the church. Many in the church had assumed that the Lawrence matter was being processed by the normal intake procedures specified under the new Title IV.

Title IV In Action

The Reverend Canon Professor Christopher Seitz "¨The Reverend Dr. Philip Turner "¨The Reverend Dr. Ephraim Radner "¨Mark McCall, Esq. ACI has long been concerned about the provisions of the new Title IV. We first raised our concerns about the constitutionality of the new canons in a memorandum circulated privately two years ago. This eventually made its way to those responsible for drafting and implementing the new canon, who later replied"”unsatisfactorily from our perspective.

A Response to the reported Title IVdisciplinary process begun against Bishop Mark Lawrence

The recently announced disciplinary process against Bishop Mark Lawrence of the Diocese of South Carolina is deeply disturbing on at least two fronts. First, it sullies the Gospel and the Lord of the Gospel; second, it promises to do serious damage to The Episcopal Church (TEC). In the first place, the allegations against Bishop Lawrence, and the claim that they may amount to "abandonment" of TEC are so absurd as to cross the line into deceit and malice.

The Covenant: What Is It All About?

Introduction

Title IV and The Constitution: Dioceses' Exclusive Authority for Clergy Discipline

In our previous papers we have shown that the new Title IV is unconstitutional in two key respects: it usurps the exclusive constitutional authority given to dioceses for the trial of priests and deacons and it gives the Presiding Bishop unprecedented and unconstitutional authority over diocesan bishops. These conclusions continue to be disputed, both publicly and privately, by those primarily responsible for drafting the revised Title IV even as these issues are under review by others throughout the church.