10/02/2006

That's That: Bishop Lee writes the Diocese re Bishop Minns

Well... that's that. While Bishop Minns has not yet signed off on the matter, it appears that an agreement has been reached with Bishop Lee regarding license. See the letter HERE.

Bishop Lee said, "I have licensed Martyn to serve as priest-in-charge of Truro church through January 1, 2007. The details of the license also establish that Martyn will perform no episcopal acts in the Diocese of Virginia through January 1, 2007 and that Martyn will exercise his ministry in compliance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and The Diocese of Virginia. The license I issued requires Martyn’s signature. While I have not yet received the executed license, and had not intended to write to you until I had received it, I write to you now in light of the wide publicity being given to Martyn’s letter to the Truro congregation issued late last Friday."

I suppose that explains the appearance and then disappearance of the letter on Friday. Just a matter of premature posting.

Ah.

Oh yes... there is the reference to the 40 Days of Discernment program, about which I have posted a comment recently. Bishop Lee says, "As you read this, some in the Diocese are in the midst of an organized program of discernment to examine the future of their relationship with The Episcopal Church and The Diocese of Virginia."

7 comments:

  1. The Diocese's announcement is subtlely different from the one available briefly last week. This one affirms that Minns agrees to conform to the C&C of TEC. Since the C&C do not permit Minns to perform episcopsl acts anywhere in TEC without permission from the local diocesan, I don;t believe that Minns can or will sign this license.

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  2. ruidh...thanks for the remark. Very helpful. Let's see. It may be that for what is now a very few months - 3 - Bishop Minns can simply get things in order for rapid movement in January.

    Good eye.

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  3. I wonder if Bp. Lee heard the concerns here and elsewher that only restricting what Bp. Mimms can do in Virginia left the rest of the communion in a bit of a bind?

    FWIW
    jimB

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  4. I think Mark is reading the situation better than you Ruidh, at this particular moment, grateful as I am for your insights in other parts of blogland. Both sides have compromised in this agreement which as Mark points out runs only for a few months.
    By then we will know if Truro remains in TEC. Any ideas about that? Babyblue would be the one to ask i guess.

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  5. I know all this is terribly confusing, but surely lieencing the retired Rector of Truro as Priest-in-charge untill 1/1 means that +Minns needs get a licence in every diocese?

    And that CANA is back to what it was originally:

    Convocation of Anglican Nigerians in America.

    So no, I don't think he will sign.

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  6. Well, Bishop Lee has no jurisdiction outside of the Diocese of Virginia, so he really can't prevent Nigerian Bishop Minns from doing whatever he likes.

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  7. The license only grants that Bishop Minns can serve as priest in Truro Church, so he wouldn't need to get a license from anywhere else unless he wished to serve in those dioceses. Ditto for authorization to perform any episcopal functions anywhere in TEC. Course, since Minns boss is Archbishop Akinola, getting satisfaction will be impossible if he starts misbehaving elsewhere in TEC.

    Jon

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