Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin Leaves The Episcopal Church

"Saddle up your horses."

....Bonnie Anderson, President of the Episcopal House of Deputies to Fort Worth Episcopalians.

Stars of Brokeback Mountain who saddled up their horses.

Bishop John-David Schofield, was Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin until last weekend when he decided to take his marbles and run to join up with the Southern Cone. He says he's not an Episcopalian anymore, but an Anglican.

Cynic that I am, the first though to come to mind when I heard that the Diocese of San Joaquin, (CA) had voted to withdraw from The Episcopal Church and join up with some Anglican group in South America, my first thought was, "is Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies, going to tell those Episcopalians in San Joaquin to "saddle up your horses?"  which is what she told the folks in Fort Worth a couple of months ago?  And the first thought to come to mind when she said that, was BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

The answer to that question is a resounding, "NO!"  For those who don't understand Anglican politics,  our Presiding Bishop, the House of Bishops and our President of House of Deputies must follow canon law. It takes two meetings, each held yearly, to vote.  Pittsburgh and Fort Worth had their first votes in recent weeks so they won't be in the same position that the Diocese of San Joaquin is in until next fall.

During the year in between is where Episcopalians are in the lurch. Outside Bishops can't go into another territory and the diocese hasn't officially declared they are leaving the denomination yet. Therefore, their leadership can take no action during that period.

Here is the press release by the Episcopal News Service.  Below that is the press release by the Remain Episcopal, Diocese of San Joaquin. 

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Episcopal News Service] 

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has written to Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield saying that she assumes his declaration that he is now under the authority of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone "means you understand yourself to have departed the Episcopal Church and are no longer functioning as a member of the clergy in this Church."

In a December 14 letter which was emailed to Schofield, Jefferts Schori wrote that she was "deeply saddened" to hear of the San Joaquin convention's actions. "I would like to have confirmation from you of this understanding of your status," she wrote. "Many interrelated matters depend on that status -- for example, your membership in the House of Bishops and the acceptability of pension contributions on your behalf." read more: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_92860_ENG_HTM.htm

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News Release 

For Immediate Release 

Nov. 8, 2007 

San Joaquin Diocese Will Continue With or Without Bishop Schofield 

FRESNO, CA -- There's no such thing as squatter's rights in the Episcopal Church.  

That's the lesson Bishop John David Schofield will learn if he follows through with his 

threat to quit the Episcopal Church and take as many members of the San Joaquin 

Diocese with him as he can, according to national church officials.

  

Schofield claims that he will still be the diocesan bishop after the Dec. 7-8 convention in Fresno in which a majority of delegates are expected to vote to leave the church with him. But national 

church officials point out that, ecclesiastically speaking, he will be a bishop without a 

diocese. He can go, but the diocese remains. 

The national church's Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, has publicly notified 

Schofield, along with the handful of other bishops who are actively seeking to 

withdraw their dioceses from the Episcopal Church (TEC), of the theological, canonical 

and legal issues involved, as well as the ramifications of voting to leave the church. [Full 

text of this warning from TEC can be found at 

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_91480_ENG_HTM.htm]  

If Bishop Schofield does quit the church, the 14-county Episcopal diocese in central 

California will continue. It will have the support of the national church, surrounding 

dioceses and those individuals, parishes and groups that remain with the church. 

Many of the latter are members of Remain Episcopal, a group of clergy and lay people formed 

in 2003 for the sole purpose of assuring that the Episcopal Church remains alive and 

well in this diocese. Speaking on behalf of the Remain Episcopal Board, President Cindy 

Smith said: 

We in Remain Episcopal choose to continue the long-established 

relationship and affiliation we have with the Episcopal Church in the United 

States. We are deeply troubled that Bishop John-David Schofield is aggressively 

pursuing leaving the church. Remain Episcopal admits that it does not 

know what his exact plans are, whether to set up his own denomination, 

affiliate with one or more American splinter groups, or even align with a 

group in Africa or South America. Even more troubling is his desire to take 

as many Episcopalians with him as he can. 

If Bishop Schofield and the majority of the delegates do vote in December 

to leave, the Episcopal Church will still be alive and well in San Joaquin, 

although somewhat smaller. The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin existed 

long before Bishop Schofield was elected and will continue to exist after 

he leaves. While he is a bishop, he is not the church, he is not the diocese, 

nor, by leaving, can he define whether or not the Episcopal Church will 

continue in this diocese.  

Episcopalians in San Joaquin will still gather to pray and worship and 

celebrate the Eucharist together as part of the Episcopal Church and the 

Anglican Communion.  

To get involved in assuring the continuance of the Episcopal Church in this area, contact Remain Episcopal at www.remainepiscopal.org or email contact@remainepiscopal.org 

Media Contact: Stef Donev, (661) 599-2871; email media@remainepiscopal.org 

Remain Episcopal Co-Founder: Nancy Key,  daytime (559) 244-0262; evening 559-269-9013; 

email nkey@keywritingconcepts.com