A Capsule History of Recent Events in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Marjorie W. Avery, Peggy Bruce and Cris Fouse, Forward in Faith NA (c)1997

Introduction
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not be led away by
diverse and strange teachings… (Hebrews 13:8-9)

It is the hope of Forward in Faith, North America, that this booklet will shed light on
the events and attitudes which have led to the situation in which we now find our-
selves in the Episcopal Church of the USA. Changes which might have seemed
insignificant at the time have proven to be important steps in the revision of the
“faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

We challenge faithful Christians to think very seriously about the consequences of
compromising Christian teaching for the values of “the world, the flesh, and the
devil.”

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing
from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with
the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for re-
proof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living
and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, by urgent in
season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and
in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but
having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own
likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for
you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry. (2 Timothy 3:14—4:5)

NOTE: The “small steps down the slippery slope” are interspersed with notations
(in italics) of what faithful Anglicans did, and continue to do, to try to prevent the
slide into apostasy.

Lay Canon Carolyn C. (Cris) Fouse, MA
April, 2007

1943 - Present Bureaucratic centralization gave new administrative powers to the national Church.

1955 James Pike, later to become bishop, is quoted as saying, “I have abandoned ship on the doctrine of the Trinity.”“I have jettisoned the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.” (“Christian Beacon,” March 17, 1955) In 1958, the Rt. Rev. James A. Pike became the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of California, at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. (The
Episcopal Church Annual)

1960’s Liberation theology committed the Church to a program of human rights which became the basis for radical changes in the moral and social positions of the Church as they
related to family, sexual relations, and social causes. Social activism became an increasing emphasis. Evangelism and outreach became less important.

1965 - 1974 The Rt. Rev. John Hines served as the Presiding Bishop. It was a time of tremendous social change, both in the world and the church. The 60’s marked a new era of “sexual liberation.” Birth control changed attitudes and practices. The Vietnam War divided the country politically.

1965 - Present The Liturgical Movement with its trial liturgies, culminating in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, is seen by some as having enriched the worship of the Church. Others felt that the new prayer book had the effect of blurring the understanding of doctrine.

Subsequent continued experimentation with “inclusive” language and the removal of “patriarchal” language is seen by some as liberating and by others as further distortion of doctrine.

1966 Membership of the Episcopal Church stood at its all-time high of 3.6 million baptized members. Approximately 2% of the American population were Episcopalians. (Encompass, Jan. 1998)

1966 The signers of a presentment against Bishop Pike met in Presiding Bishop Hines’ office in New York City. “The Presiding Bishop reported on a survey he had had taken among the leaders in the mass media to the probable effects of a heresy trial on the image of the Episcopal Church. It was their unanimous opinion, he said, that the consequences would be
disastrous.” (The Bishop Pike Affair by William Stringfellow and Anthony Towne, Harper & Row, 1967)

1966 The Foundation for Christian Theology was established to “defend the Christian Faith as embodied in traditional Anglicanism, defined in Holy Scripture and enshrined in the
historic Book of Common Prayer”.

1967 Bishop James Pike, continuing with what many believed to be
heretical statements and actions, attempted to contact his dead son on national television with the help of a Disciples of Christ minister and spiritualist, Arthur Ford. Ford claimed
to function as a medium for a spirit named “Fletcher.” (The Death and Life of Bishop Pike, by William Stringfellow and Anthony Towne)

1969 Bishop Pike dies in the deserts of the Holy Land. (The Death and
Life of Bishop Pike, by William Stringfellow and Anthony Towne)

1971 The Coalition for the Apostolic Ministry (CAM) was formed by a group of traditionalist bishops to educate ECUSA on the essential differences between Priesthood and ministry, and became the leading defender of the apostolic ministry.

1971 The Society for the Preservation of the Book of Common Prayer (name later changed to The Prayer Book Society) was begun by some clergy and scholars concerned about the proposed revision of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and to witness to the Anglican Way and Christian
orthodoxy.

1972 saw the founding of the Episcopal Women’s Caucus, which actively promotes feminist causes in the Church.

1973 At the General Convention in Louisville, a canonical change to
allow the remarriage of divorced persons in the church was approved.

1973 A Call to “Abolish the evil of permissive abortion from our society” was made by some 15 ECUSA prelates, in the wake of the U. S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision. The groups which asked all faithful Anglicans/Episcopalians to join in the declaration, included Hillspeak (The Anglican Digest); the Church Union, publisher of the American Church
News; the Society for the Preservation of the Book of Common Prayer, The Certain Trumpet, published by some lay Episcopalians; and the Foundation for Christian Theology, sponsor of TCC.

1973 A proposal to permit women priests and bishops was turned back by the House of Deputies, which also terminated further study of the subject.

The outcome evoked a blistering response from the Episcopal Women’s Caucus, composed of
female deacons—conspicuously present in clerical collars at the convention—women seminarians and others. Bishop Allin then gained the House of Bishops’ okay for an ad hoc
committee to prepare two study papers on the subject. Notably, 52 bishops had signed a statement supporting the innovation, and a claim by female deacons that five prelates
were ready to ordain women priests in any case prompted an HOB resolution of condemnation.

1973 In a resolution on another big issue, the convention confirmed that the 1928 Prayer Book remained ECUSA’s official liturgy, but kept ECUSA on the path toward prayer book revision.

It authorized continued use of Services for Trial Use (the “Green Book”) as an alternative for the triennium, as well as some new materials for trial use. Also approved was a controversial new Initiation Rite, under which baptism was considered full initiation into the Church and confirmation was a voluntary commitment.

1973 The Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen began as a coordinating agent for lay people and clergy concerned about the breakdown of faith and order within ECUSA.

1974 The organization Integrity was founded to promote issues of concern to the homosexual community within the Episcopal Church. Integrity has been actively involved in influencing
the actions of General Convention. (from an article “Compulsions & Affirmations” by Louie Crew, published in Christianity and Crisis, March 17, 1986 , available through Louie Crew’s Home Page on the Internet.)

1974 Four retired bishops ordained 11 women to the priesthood, in violation of canon law.

1976 By a redefinition of terminology, General Convention made the ordination of women legal in the Episcopal Church. Only six changed votes at Convention would have blocked the measure.

1976 The Chicago Conference of CAM issued “An Evangelical and Catholic Covenant” which affirmed the tradition of male priesthood.

1977 The House of Bishops adopted a “Statement Of Conscience” (not presented to General Convention) which acknowledged opposition to women’s ordination as a recognized theological position in the Episcopal Church. (“Harris to Traditionalists” by Duin & LeBlanc in United Voice 1994)

1977 The ordination of women was seen by orthodox Episcopalians as being a departure from the historic faith, and some felt that they could no longer remain in the Episcopal Church. The “Affirmation of St. Louis” was drawn up by the St. Louis Congress, a group of about 2,000 Anglicans from the US and Canada. It became a confessional statement for the continuing churches. (The Christian Challenge, Nov. 1997) After the use of the 1979 Prayer Book became mandatory, others left for the “continuing churches” and elsewhere. The exodus continues.

1977 (Port St. Lucie, FL) At a special meeting of the House of Bishops, outside of General Convention, the bishops approved a statement, which read, in part: “The ordination of an
advocating and/or practicing homosexual would require the Church’s sanction of such a life style, not only as acceptable, but worthy of emulation. Our present understanding of biblical and theological truth would make this impossible.”

1977 The Coalition for the Apostolic Ministry (CAM) became The Evangelical and Catholic Mission (ECM), continuing to operate as a positive witness to the fulness of the Evangelical and Catholic Order of the church, a true mission of witness to ECUSA, a mission of teaching, of spirituality, of worship and of commitment. Over 1,800 laity and clergy, and 25 bishops met for their first Congress in Dallas, New York and Minneapolis.

1979 The survey, Episcopalians - Profile 1979, revealed that only 56.9% of Episcopalians believed in the divinity of Jesus Christ.

1979 The new Prayer Book was adopted by the Episcopal Church.

1979 General Convention reaffirms “the traditional teaching of the Church on marriage, marital fidelity, and sexual chastity as the standard of Christian sexual morality. Candidates for ordination are expected to conform to this standard. Therefore, we believe it not appropriate for this Church to ordain a practicing homosexual, or any person who is
engaged in heterosexual relations outside of marriage.” (Resolution of 1979 General Convention)

1979 The General Convention also passed the Dennis Canon, which effectually put all church property in trust for ECUSA and the dioceses. Therefore, no individual parish could sell their property, or leave ECUSA taking their property with them.

1979Bishop Edmond Browning, later to become the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, was among the bishops who issued a statement in opposition to the resolution that declared “...it is not appropriate for this Church to ordain a practicing homosexual ....” which passed at the 1979 General Convention. (The Living Church, Oct. 5, 1986, p. 9)

1986 At a March meeting of the primates of the Anglican Communion, in Toronto, Canada, concerns were expressed in an official statement, “Women in the Episcopate,” relating
to the ordination of women to the episcopate. Among those concerns were: ecumenical perspectives, the thought that decisions affecting the whole episcopate ought not to be
made by one part of the Anglican Communion alone, and the suggestion that collegiality required restraint until the whole episcopate could discuss the question at the 1988
Lambeth Conference. The document urged caution, warning that the unifying nature of the episcopacy was at stake. (The Living Church, April 13, 1986, p. 7)

1986 “...a majority of the members of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church refused to allow the house to debate a motion affirming the virtue of chastity. Subsequent conversations revealed that some had opposed the debate for fear the motion would not pass, others joined in their opposition for fear that it would.” (The Living Church,, April 17, 1988, p.8)

1986 A resolution of the House of Bishops at the 1986 General Convention in September, stated that the majority of the bishops “do not intend to withhold consent to the election of bishop[s] of this church on grounds of gender....” . (The Living Church,, June 1, 1986, p. 7)

1986 In an open letter to The Witness, Presiding Bishop Edmund Browning states, “I encourage the Episcopal Church to gain greater perspective on homosexuality and to explode and transcend the myths and phobias which impede our common life.” (The Living Church, Oct. 5, 1986, p. 9)

1986 A special committee was appointed by Presiding Bishop Edmund Browning to study the
ecumenical and ecclesial implications of the ordination of women to the episcopate. (The Living Church, Dec. 7, 1987, p. 6)

1986 “A Statement of Witness” was presented to the House of Bishops by The Rt. Rev. Clarence Pope and the Rt. Rev. William Stevens, on behalf of a number of bishops, expressing
serious concerns relating to the ordination of women to the episcopate and asking what accommodations could be made for those who could not accept women bishops. (The Living
Church, Dec. 7, 1987, p. 6 and June 7, 1987 p. 6)

1987 In a report presented to the annual convention of the Diocese of Newark, the church is urged to acknowledge and affirm non-marital sexual relationships between homosexuals and between single, divorced and widowed adults. The report urges that homosexuals be allowed full participation in the ordained ministry. (The Living Church, March 1, 1987, p. 8-9)

1987 “In 1987 the Standing Liturgical Commission of the Episcopal Church published a compilation of Liturgical Texts for Evaluation. In an alternative Eucharist for ‘The Nurturing God’ … Trinitarian language has been dropped wherever possible, except in the Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.” (“Worldview, Language, and Radical Feminism: an Evangelical Approach” by Stephen M. Smith, professor of Theology and Ethics at Trinity Episcopal school for Ministry.)

1987 In the April issue of The Voice, newspaper of the Diocese of Newark, The Rt. Rev. John Spong wrote, “I covet for all people the joy of being sustained in the fullness of a
relationship that unites two persons in mind, body and spirit, even when that relationship has not been blessed with a service called holy matrimony.” Charges brought against Bishop
Spong, focusing on this statement, were unanimously dropped by a review committee which suggested that the canons of the church may “need some revision to forestall other such harassment.” (The Living Church, Feb. 19, 1989, p.7)

1987 The Committee on Women in the Episcopate met to “explore avenues of consensus between those favoring and those in opposition to the ordination of women to the episcopate....” The Rt. Rev. Edward Jones, chairman of the committee reported that “...reaching consensus
was difficult....” “Such conversations may need to go on for some time to come.” (The Living Church, June 7, 1987, p. 6)

1987 The House of Bishops, meeting in St. Charles, Ill. in September, heard a major presentation, led by Bishop George N. Hunt of Rhode Island. The presentation was based on a
committee report on sexual morality, in which traditional moral standards were upheld, but homosexuality was viewed as probably determined even before birth and was considered outside the scope of moral judgment. (The Living Church, Oct. 25, 1987, p. 14)

1987 At the House of Bishops meeting in September, the committee reporting on the prospect of women bishops had been called upon to make suitable provision for opponents, so that they
would not leave the church. The committee, consisting entirely of advocates for women in the
episcopate, came up with no such proposals. “They voiced slight sympathy for those who might
disagree with them, saying, ‘there is bound to be some pain.’” (The Living Church, April 17, 1988, p. 11)

1988 At a conference on women in the episcopate, held at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., the Rt. Rev. H. Coleman McGehee, Jr., Bishop of Michigan, invited
advocates of women bishops to organize an election campaign in his diocese, as the diocese prepares to elect his successor. At the conference, participants declared their intent to
campaign for women bishops prior to the Lambeth Conference, which was to be held that summer. (The Living Church, Feb. 14, 1988, p. 9)

1988 The annual convention of the Diocese of Newark passed a resolution on the recommendation of the Task Force on Human Sexuality and Family Life, endorsing “persons
living out alternate patterns of sexuality and family life,” which has been interpreted to include homosexual couples and unmarried heterosexual couples. After the vote, the Rt. Rev. John Spong, diocesan bishop, was reported to have said, “The church is behind the times... I
think we need to be more embracing of the pluralism of our times.” (The Living Church, March 6, 1988, p.6)

1988 “Fifty-four Anglican bishops from around the world, including 10 from the U.S., have issued a ‘Declaration of Unity, Witness and Mission,’ saying that the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopacy threatens the future of the worldwide Anglican Communion.” (The Living Church, March 13, 1988, p. 10)

The House of Bishops approved, almost unanimously, two resolutions that would allow “visiting bishops” for congregations that could not accept women bishops. The measures were also accepted by a narrow margin in the House of Deputies.(The Living Church, July 24, 1988, p. 6)

1988 Episcopalians United was founded to “Tell the Truth, alerting concerned Episcopalians across the country to what is happening in their Church” and to hold up a positive model of what the Church can and must become. 1988 Lambeth Conference issued a statement on women in the episcopate, intended to hold the Anglican Communion together while allowing individual provinces to act on their own regarding women in the episcopate. The statement was reported as calling for “mutual respect and courtesy between differing provinces and bishops, without
requiring acceptance of the principles involved, and for continued communication with each other and with women bishops, despite impaired communion.” [Is not impaired communion a wedge in the unity of the Anglican Communion?] (The Living Church, Aug. 21, 1988, p. 8)

1988 The Rev. Barbara C. Harris was elected Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts. She was consecrated Feb. 11, 1989. Harris became the first woman bishop in the church. (The Living Church, Oct. 16, 1988, p. 16)

1989 The Rt. Rev. John Spong, Bishop of Newark, ordained, first to the diaconate and then to the priesthood, an Australian churchwoman, Caroline Pearce, who had been studying at General Theological Seminary in New York. At the time, Pearce expressed her intention to return to Australia to serve as a deacon, as Australia did not then allow women priests. Pearce’s ordination to the priesthood took place in spite of an understanding, which came out of Lambeth, that bishops of one church would not interfere with the jurisdictions of other bishops who followed different rules. (The Living Church, Jan 15, 1989, p. 7, 10)

1989 The “Eames Commission,” a panel appointed by the Most Rev. Robert Runcie, Archbishop of
Canterbury and given the task of outlining ways for opponents to respect each other’s opinions on women’s ordination without acceding to the other’s point of view, made its
report to a meeting of Anglican primates. The report called for, among other things, proponents and opponents to view the ordination of women in a “provisional” context until a consensus emerges within the Anglican Communion and in the broader Christian community. (The
Living Church, May 28, 1989, p. 6)

1989 The Evangelical and Catholic Mission bishops convened a Synod at which 2,000 people gathered in Fort Worth, Texas. The occasion which precipitated the event was the consecration of the first woman bishop in ECUSA and which signaled the accelerating pace of ECUSA’s descent into theological and moral decadence. From this meeting came The Episcopal Synod of America (ESA) which sought to be “the Church within the Episcopal Church”.

1989 The House of Bishops, meeting in Philadelphia, Sept. 23-28, issued a statement which clearly and pastorally directed how the church will work together to overcome dissent over the issue of the ordination of women. Included in the statement were these words: “With in the Anglican Communion and indeed even within our own church, there is not a common theological mind or agreed practice on the matter of the ordination of women.” “We acknowledge that within Anglicanism those who believe that women should not be ordained hold a recognized theological position... and we affirm them as loyal members of the family.” (The Living Church, Oct. 29, 1989, p. 7)

1989 The Rt. Rev. John Spong ordained a non-celibate gay man, the Rev. Robert Williams, to the priesthood. Williams was the founding director of The Oasis, a diocesan ministry for gays and lesbians in the Diocese of Newark. (The Living Church, Jan 14, 1990, p. 9)

1990 The Rev. Robert Williams of Newark resigned from his position as director of The Oasis, after the tasteless remarks he made at a Detroit conference were made public. Williams had asserted that monogamy and celibacy are unnatural and indicated that the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta would be substantially enriched if she took a lesbian lover. (The Living Church, Feb. 18, 1990, p. 6) In 1991, Williams renounced his ministry in the Episcopal Church. (The Living Church, Oct. 13, 1991, p. 10)

1990 “Council of Advice,” made up of nine bishops representing each province and the Most Rev. Edmond Browning, Presiding Bishop, issued a statement disassociating themselves from the ordination of a non-celibate homosexual in the Diocese of Newark and expressing regret for the hurt and confusion that the incident caused for many members of the church. (The Living Church, March 18, 1990, p. 6) A week later, Bishop Browning, speaking at a news conference, was reported to have said, “I don’t think a person’s sexuality should be determinant about whether that person can or should not be ordained.” (The Living Church, April 22, 1990, p.3)

1990 The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, after much discussion centering on the Newark ordination of a non-celibate homosexual and the issues of sexuality and ministry, issued a statement acknowledging the division and hurt caused by the ordination but asserting that judicial remedies would do nothing to solve the problem. Instead the Council “...invites our church to continue to explore the issues of sexuality, ...listening to one another with compassion and openness, mindful that God is in our midst calling us to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to respect the dignity of every human being.” (The Living Church, April 1, 1990, p. 6)

1990 Against the warning of the Rt. Rev. David E. Johnson, diocesan bishop, a covenanted lesbian relationship was blessed during a service of Evening Prayer at St. John the Evangelist Church in Boston. Bishop Johnson indicated that while he did not see any violation in the church’s canon law, the blessing “was not an act of the Episcopal Church, nor has the church officially sanctioned or blessed the relationship in question.” (The Living Church, March 18, 1990, p. 7)

1990 A major focus of the annual convention of the Diocese of Washington was the report of the task force on human sexuality. The report stated that “when we looked for guidelines about homosexual behavior [in the scriptures] they simply weren’t there.” The report contends that modern exegetical scholarship reveals a different meaning on passages in the
Bible previously thought to condemn homosexuality. The Genesis story of Sodom involved a breach of hospitality, the Leviticus holiness code is not binding on Christians, Jesus’ remarks in Matthew did not specifically condemn homosexual activity, and Paul’s real concern in the first chapter of Romans was with “unnatural behavior,” (homosexuals
participating in heterosexual relationships or vice versa). (The Living Church, March 11, 1990 p. 8- 9)

1990 Bishop Walter Righter ordained a non-celibate homosexual man to the diaconate. A presentment was later filed against him by ten of his fellow bishops, charging him with teaching a doctrine contrary to that of the Episcopal Church and violating his ordination vows to conform to the doctrine of the Episcopal Church. (“Court Exonerates Bishop Righter in Ordination of Non-celibate Gay Man,” by Doug LeBlanc, in June 1996 issue of United Voice.)

1990 The Decade of Evangelism was launched. In 1994 all funding for overseas mission work was virtually eliminated.

1990 An Anglican bishop from Kenya, the Rt. Rev. Alexander ’Muge of the Diocese of Eldoret, was turned away from the pulpit of St. Luke’s Church in Walnut Creek [near San Francisco] after telling the church’s homosexual rector that in his sermon he would say that the Episcopal Church is losing members due to “the secularization of the gospel and the lack of self-discipline among the clergy in the church, those who should set a good example but fail to.” The bishop stated, “... that homosexuals and lesbians have taken over the church leadership in the U.S.A. and there is no way God is going to bless this church with growth.” (Living Church, June 24, 1990, p. 6) Bishop ’Muge was killed a few months later
in a car accident in the Busia district of Kenya, just two days after he was warned that he might be killed if he entered the area. (The Living Church, Sept. 9, 1990, p. 10)

1990 The Rt. Rev. John Spong, Bishop of Newark, decided not to ordain an acknowledged homosexual, Barry Stopfel, to the diaconate, at the urging of Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning. According to the Ven. Leslie Smith, communications officer for the diocese, “...Bishop Browning had let it be known to the diocese that if the ordination were postponed he could comfortably support a move to open the ministry to practicing homosexuals if such a move came up at the 1991 General Convention. But if the ordination occurred, Bishop Browning is reported to have said, it would be harder to act forcefully on behalf of homosexual advancement.” (The Living Church, July 15, 1990, p. 6)

1990 According to Integrity, an organization for gay and lesbian Episcopalians, there are “50 priests who have been ordained since 1979 who are willing to state publicly that when they were ordained, the ordaining bishop knew they were homosexual and not celibate.” This was revealed in a statement made by the Rt. Rev. John Spong in an address to the House of Bishops, at an interim meeting in September. (The Living Church, Oct. 14, 1990, p. 8, 15)

1990 By a narrow margin, 78-74, the House of Bishops, at an interim meeting in September, voted to disassociate from the “Newark ordination” of a non-celibate homosexual and to affirm the statement issued in February by the “Council of Advice.” That statement read, in part, “We believe that good order is not served when bishops, dioceses, or parishes act unilaterally.” (Living Church, Oct. 14, 1990, p. 8) Speaking in opposition to the statement, the Rt. Rev. Frederick Borsch, Bishop of Los Angeles, said, “ It’s an issue of
diocesan rights. We feel we are competent to decide who is fit for ordination.” (The Living Church, Oct. 14, 1990, p. 8)

1990 Twelve days after the House of Bishops “disassociated” itself from the December, 1998 ordination of the Rev. Robert Williams to the priesthood, the Rt. Rev. Walter Righter, Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, ordained a practicing homosexual, Barry Stopfel to the diaconate.

1990 The Rt. Rev. Frederick Borsch, of the Diocese of Los Angeles, in addressing the homosexual issue at the interim meeting of the House of Bishops, said that the Bible does not provide a definitive answer to the question of homosexual orientation, but that the church continues to seek understanding from scripture. (The Living Church, Oct. 14, 1990, p. 8)

1990 The statement issued by the bishops at the interim meeting indicates the diversity of thought within the church. In part, the statement reads, “Two issues in particular rise to the surface - the affirmation of those living in faithful same-sex relationships and the ordination to holy orders of avowed and sexually active homosexual men and women. We are not of a single mind in our understanding of the demands of holy scripture, of faithful obedience to tradition or informed awareness of the actual lives and choices faced by homosexual men and women. Yet, our discussion of this vexing issue was characterized by mutual respect and a common search for the truth.” (The Living Church, Oct. 28, 1990, p. 7)

1991 The Rt. Rev. Ronald Haines, Bishop of Washington, ordained to the priesthood the Rev. Elizabeth Carl, an avowed lesbian living in an intimate relationship with another woman. The ordination took place only 36 days before the opening of the General Convention, which had on its agenda two pieces of legislation addressing the issue of the ordination of practicing homosexuals. (The Living Church, June 30, 1991, p. 7)

1991 Before the General Convention in Phoenix, a group of six priests from Maryland issued The Baltimore Declaration and thousands signed onto the document which stated “that a revision of our Faith inconsistent with Holy Scripture and the Creeds has been gaining ascendancy in our Church, and that a bold stand against such teaching must be taken”. Said document was presented to the convention with little notice.

1991 General Convention refuses to require that clergy maintain sexual abstinence outside of marriage, but “affirms that the teaching of the Episcopal Church is that physical sexual expression is appropriate only within the lifelong monogamous union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind ...[and] that this Church continue to work to reconcile the discontinuity between this teaching and the experience of many members of this body.”

1991 The Rt. Rev. Edward Jones, Bishop of Indianapolis, and the Rt. Rev. Stewart Wood, Bishop of Michigan, both stated that they had ordained non-celibate homosexuals. This admission was made when the House of Bishops, at General Convention, discussed censure of Bishops Righter and Haines for ordaining non-celibate homosexuals. (The Living Church, Aug. 11, 1991, p. 7)

1991 The Rt. Rev. John Spong, Bishop of Newark, ordained the Rev. Barry Stopfel, a non-celibate homosexual, to the priesthood. Bishop Spong said that he had postponed Stopfel’s ordination four months at the request of the Presiding Bishop. Spong said that during that period four other gay or lesbian people had been ordained by other bishops “with full knowledge of what they were doing and with no media attention at all.” (The Living Church, Oct. 6, 1991, p. 7)

1992 Two homosexual men took vows to love, honor, and comfort each other in a service performed in violation of a 1977 House of Bishops statement which condemned such blessings. The service took place at All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena, California. The Rt. Rev. Frederick Borsch, Bishop of Los Angeles, said of the proceedings, “While I personally believe the church should move forward to affirm the covenants of all persons seeking a lifelong relationship of commitment and fidelity - and believe this would be beneficial for them and for society - this understanding has not been accepted by the Episcopal Church at this time.” (The Living Church, March 1, 1992, p. 8)

1992 A service affirming the relationship of a lesbian couple took place in Detroit with the support of the Rt. Rev. R. Stewart Wood, Bishop of Michigan. A similar service had taken place earlier in East Lansing, Michigan, affirming the relationship of two homosexual men. That event also was reported to have taken place with the support of Bishop Wood. (The Living Church, Nov. 1, 1992, p. 7-8)

1992 Following a service to bless two lesbians in a Baltimore parish, the Rt. Rev. A. Theodore Eastman, Bishop of Maryland, issued a directive to the clergy of his diocese, asking that they refrain from such blessing. Calling for further discussion on the subject, Bishop Eastman noted that “What is happening here, of course, is being repeated in other dioceses of this church and other denominations as well.” (The Living Church, Nov. 22, 1992, p. 6)

1992 The Rt. Rev. John Spong, Bishop of Newark, in a public address in London, denounced the Most Rev. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, for his criticism of “single
issue bishops” during a tour in the United States. Archbishop Carey had identified several examples of “single issues, including homosexuality, feminism and biblical fundamentalism, three subjects on which Spong has written extensively.” (The Living Church, Nov. 22, 1992, p. 7)

1992 “Authority! And being able to make decisions” is the prized aspect of the episcopacy for women, the Rt. Rev. Jane Dixon, newly-consecrated Suffragan Bishop of Washington was reported to have said. Bishop Dixon, with the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts, and the Rt. Rev. Penelope Jamieson, Bishop of Dunedin, New Zealand, appeared together on a radio call-in program. “The key issue is power and the operating of power,” agreed the moderator. (The Living Church, Dec. 27, 1992, p. 7)

1993 Elements of pagan worship began to appear at services held at some of our prominent cathedrals and churches. An example of this was the celebration by the Rt. Rev. Richard F. Grein at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, on October 3, 1993, of a Mass at which skeptic/atheist Carl Sagan preached, in which an Offertory chant praised “...Obatala, ruler of the Heavens...Yemenja, ruler of the waters of life... Ra and Ausar, rulers of the light and the resurrected soul...” and containing a final procession composed of “...an elephant, a camel, a vulture, a swarm of bees in a glass frame, a bowl of blue-green algae and an elegantly decorated banana.” (“Liturgical Dances with Wolves” article by Terry Mattingly, dated July, 1995)

1993 The Rt. Rev. Steven T. Plummer, Bishop of Navajoland, was given a one year leave of absence after admitting that, for a period of two years ending about four years ago, and while still a priest, he had engaged in sexual activity with a male minor. Presiding Bishop Browning placed Plummer on medical leave with full pay and benefits. Bishop Plummer received therapy in the form of “Christian prayer, modern psychology, and traditional Navajo ways.” Bishop Browning said that medical and psychological evaluations indicated Bishop Plummer was no longer at risk for repeating the behavior. He resumed his duties as bishop June 1, 1994. (The Living Church, June 13, 1993, p. 8 & May 22, 1994. p. 6)

1993 Bishop-elect of Minnesota, the Rev. James L. Jelinek said that he will ordain practicing homosexuals if they meet the other requirements for ordination. Fr. Jelinek stated that the ordination of homosexuals is “probably the emerging view in the national church” and that “Jesus was not troubled by this, and it is hard to believe that some of his followers weren’t gay. Based on statistics, probably at least one of the 12 apostles was gay.” (The Living Church, July 4, 1993, p. 6)

1993 Pamela Chinnis, president of the House of Deputies of General Convention, in an address to the annual convention of Integrity, the organization of gay and lesbian Episcopalians, said that “More members of Integrity have been elected to the next General Convention, and I shall certainly appoint them to legislative committees of the 1994 convention, but I need your help. I need you to tell me about the persons I don’t know.” Chinnis revealed that her son is gay. (The Living Church, July 15, 1993, p. 7)

1993 The Rt. Rev. Allen L. Bartlett, Bishop of Pennsylvania, ordained an openly gay man, James B. Robertson, to the vocational diaconate. At the point in the service where objections may be raised, a priest of the diocese warned, “You will hurt the Diocese ... if you do this.” Bishop Bartlett responded, “There is no impediment to what we are about to do.” (The Living Church, Nov. 21, 1993, p. 7)

1993 The Rt. Rev. Frank Griswold, Bishop of Chicago, was informed by the rector and vestry of the 700 member Church of the Resurrection in West Chicago, Illinois, that the church could no longer be a part of the diocese. They were “scandalized by the diocese’s abandonment of scriptures,” and the perception that “priests practicing homosexual behavior are given influential positions.” The communications officer for the diocese is quoted as saying, “The bishop’s policy on gays in inclusive. He is willing to ordain, with conditions.” (The Living Church, Dec. 12, 1993, p. 7)

1993 At the annual convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts, two resolutions affecting homosexual persons were approved by large majorities. The diocese asked General Convention to “remove the obstacles to ordination for qualified candidates who are living in committed same-sex relationships,” and to “prepare supplementary rites and ceremonies... celebrating the commitment of gay and lesbian members of this church to life together.” (The Living Church, Dec. 19, 1993, p. 7)

1993 The housing policy at General Theological Seminary in New York City has been challenged by Prof. Deidre Good. Prof. Good, an avowed lesbian, lived on campus with her lover until told that she was in violation of the seminary’s housing policy. A committee has been formed to study the possibility of changing the policy. (The Living Church, Dec. 26, 1993, p. 13)

1994 A new housing policy, approved by the board of trustees of General Theological Seminary in New York City on Jan. 10, states, in part: “In recognition of the discontinuity which exists between the teaching of the Episcopal Church and the experience of many of its members in the area of human sexuality, the seminary is willing to make apartments available to committed same-sex couples.” (The Living Church, Feb. 6, 1994, p. 6)

1994 “The number of appointed missionaries of the Episcopal Church and other listed missionaries have been reduced two-thirds from 77 in ‘The Episcopal Church Annual: 1985’ to 24 in ‘The Episcopal Church Annual: 1994.’” (The Living Church, p. 11, March 13, 1994)

1994 Presiding Bishop Edmund L. Browning and Sally Bucklee, president of the Episcopal Women’s Caucus, were among a number of interfaith religious leaders who called for the inclusion of abortion in any health care reform proposal adopted by Congress. (The Living Church, April 10, 1994, p. 8)

1994 Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, was the setting of a four day “Renaissance of the Divine Feminine” conference, drawing more than 800 people. “Participants honored the Divine Feminine under some of her ancient names - Kali Durga, a Hindu goddess of transformation; Mary, the mother of Jesus; the Black Madonna, an evolution of the Egyptian goddess Isis; and Tara, the Tibetan goddess of compassion.” (The Living Church, July 3, 1994, p. 6)

1994 A group of bishops and clergy meeting in Atlanta formed “A Place to Stand: A Call to Mission”. They saw themselves as not an organization but primarily a voluntary association of parishes who had signed the Confession of Faith and Morality, and to try to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

1994 (CCLEC) Concerned Clergy and Laity in the Episcopal Church came into being when a group of bishops, priests and laity met to discuss the problems in ECUSA. The organization published tracts and became an internet information network to alert churchmen about what was happening in ECUSA and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

1994 The Rt. Rev. R. Stewart Wood, Bishop of Michigan, ordained an openly lesbian woman, the Rev. Jennifer Walters, a priest, only a week before General Convention met to consider the question of ordaining practicing homosexuals. Ms. Walters was quoted as saying “...my sexuality makes my experience and the church’s experience richer.” (The Living Church, Sept. 11, 1994, p. 13)

1994 The Rt. Rev. William Burrill, Bishop of Rochester, traveled to Portland, Oregon, to ordain the Rev. Roderick Thompson, a homosexual from the Diocese of Rochester. Fr. Thompson had served as a deacon for several months in a church in Portland. The police were called to the ordination because a group had threatened to protest. (The Living Church, Sept. 11, 1994, p. 13)

1994 Feminists, seeking to be liberated from what they perceive to be the patriarchal oppression of the Church, have introduced women’s liturgies into the seminaries. From Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts: “The Community was invited to a celebration of ‘The Sophia Liturgy,’ a Eucharist based on the ‘Wisdom Tradition,’ by Alison Cheek. Carter Heyward was the Celebrant. The service was held Monday, October 2, 1994, at St. John’s Chapel.” (Evangelical Catholic, p. 14, September/October 1996)

1994 The Rt. Rev. Allen L. Bartlett, Jr., Bishop of Pennsylvania, ordained David John Morse, an avowed non-celibate homosexual, to the diaconate. (The Living Church, June 18, 1995, p. 6)

1994 General Convention acknowledged opposition to women’s ordination as a recognized theological position in the Episcopal Church. (“Harris to Traditionalists” by Duin & LeBlanc in United Voice 1994)

1994 The House of Bishops declared itself unable to reach agreement on a pastoral teaching concerning human sexuality and issued a study document instead. The bishops reaffirmed the 1979 resolution and established a set of “Guidelines While We Continue the Dialogue,” which included: “We continue in study and dialogue, seeking to reconcile, to the extent possible, discontinuities which may exist in the area of human sexuality between Scripture, tradition, and informed reason on the one hand, and our human experience on the other....” “We believe sexual relationships reach their fullest potential for good and minimize their capacity for ill when in the context of chaste, faithful, and committed lifelong unions between husband and wife. There are those who believe this is as true of homosexual relationships and that such relationships need and should receive the pastoral care of the Church.” (General Convention, 1994, Statement from the House of Bishops)

1994 The bishops of Province VII considered the study document concerning human sexuality to be contrary to scriptural morality. Therefore, they issued an Affirmation of scriptural moral standards. The statement was signed by approximately 120 ECUSA bishops.

1994 The Statement of Koinonia, written by Bishop Spong and signed by about 75 bishops was written in reaction to the Affirmation. It asserted that “those who know themselves to be gay or lesbian persons, and who do not choose to live alone, but forge relationships with partners of their choice that are faithful, monogamous, committed, life giving and holy are to be honored.” Additionally, the statement supports the ordination of homosexuals, both those who are single and those living with partners.

1994 The Rt. Rev. Vincent W. Warner, Jr., Bishop of Olympia, canceled the blessing and commitment of a same-sex couple scheduled to take place at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle. The bishop is quoted as saying, “It really is painful for me to be in a place where I can’t be more supportive. But the fact is, as a church, we haven’t found a way to do that.” (The Living Church, Jan. 8, 1995, p. 6) The couple, describing themselves as “...two ordinary guys out of millions who have been excluded from full and equal membership in the church,” began a 10-day fast “...in witness to the church’s injustice to the gay community.” (The Living Church, March 19, 1995, p. 7) In May, 1996, this couple exchanged vows and rings and had their relationship blessed by the Very Rev. Frederick Northup, dean of the cathedral. (The Living Church, June 16, 1996, p. 13)

1995 The Rt. Rev. John Shelby Spong, Bishop of Newark, stated: “I believe that the burial and empty tomb stories (of the Resurrection) are pure legend. Every detail is confused; yet on that basis the Christian Church was born.” (Convention address, 1995)

1995 A statement issued by the Diocese of Massachusetts revealed the suicide of the bishop of that diocese. “It is clear that Bishop ... was involved in several extra-marital relationships at different times throughout his years of ministry, both as a priest and bishop. At least some of these relationships appear to have been of the character of sexual exploitation,” the statement acknowledged. (The Living Church, Feb. 12, 1995, p. 6)

1995 “According to Canon Thomas Prichard, director of SAMS (the South American Missionary Society), the Episcopal Church had 457 appointed missionaries in 1968, 132 in 1976, and has now eliminated the few left as part of the restructuring of the Episcopal Church Center. Founded in 1976, SAMS/USA is the largest voluntary missionary society in the Episcopal Church, with 48 people serving as or training to be missionaries.” (Evangelical Catholic, p. 13 Jan./Feb. 1995)

1995 The Diocese of Washington, by a wide margin, adopted a resolution affirming the Statement of Koinonia, authored by Bishop John Spong of Newark and endorsed by more than 70 bishops, which says, in effect, that committed homosexual relationships may be blessed and that practicing homosexuals may be ordained. Washington is not the first diocese to go on record as opposing the current teaching of the Episcopal Church. (The Living Church, March 5, 1995, p. 10)

1995 The Jesus Seminar, a group of about 70 New Testament scholars, has concluded at a recent meeting, that there is no evidence of the Resurrection of Jesus, that Jesus’ life ended on the cross, that there probably was no tomb and that his body was likely disposed of by those who crucified him. (The Living Church, April 9, 1995, p. 7)

1995 National Church treasurer, Ellen Cooke, embezzled $2.2 million from church funds, for which she was convicted and is now in prison. “The 15 page report from auditing firm Coopers & Lybrand documents that Cooke obtained the Presiding Bishop’s permission for some of the very charges that enabled her embezzlement.” (United Voice, Sept. 1995, p. 1-2.)

1995 Episcopalians United called upon Presiding Bishop Browning to resign in the wake of the financial scandal in the national church. “We believe that actions taken during your leadership have shattered the trust that many faithful Episcopalians placed in the Episcopal Church Center.” (Quote is from EU letter to the PB, dated Sept. 11, 1995, available on the Internet from EU.) The Presiding Bishop declined to resign and responded, in a letter dated Sept. 13, 1995, “Surely you are aware that you set a mean-spirited and destructive context for the moral discourse in which our church is engaged.” (The Bishop’s letter is available on the Internet from EU.)

1995 From the notes in a service booklet of a recent blessing of a same-sex couple in Trinity Cathedral, San Jose (Diocese of El Camino Real): “This particular service you are about to experience is a liturgy created by a sub-committee of the Standing Liturgical Commission of the Episcopal Church.... While it is not the official rite of the Episcopal Church, it is the document the church is considering for all non-procreative unions - homosexual and heterosexual.” (The Living Church, Jan. 28, 1996, p. 2)

1996 The Rt. Rev. Ronald Haines, of the Diocese of Washington, imposed enforced visits to traditional parishes in the diocese, despite protests and pleas from the clergy, wardens, vestries and lay people of the parishes concerned, and in spite of the church’s regulation, then in effect, that “no Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or Lay Person should be coerced or penalized in any manner as a result of his or her conscientious objection to or support of ... the ordination of women.” The priest-in-charge at the Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes had been ordered to be present in the nave for the visit of Suffragan Bishop Jane Dixon or risk losing his license to function as a priest. (The Living Church, Feb. 25, 1996, p. 4,6)

1996 The American Anglican Council (AAC) formed as a network of individuals, parishes, and specialized ministries who affirm biblical authority and Anglican orthodoxy within ECUSA and to work to reform and renew the Church from within.

1996 Pagan worship has been introduced at some of seminaries. From Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 22, 1996: “All members of the Community were invited to the Monday Noon Chapel Worship, which was entitled, “A Conversation About Wicca And A Short Beltane Ritual.” The service was led by a ‘transgendered wiccan clergyman/woman Laurie.’” (Evangelical Catholic, p. 9, September/October 1996)

1996 Bishop Walter Righter was exonerated for ordaining a non-celibate homosexual man as a deacon. The court ruled that no doctrine of the Episcopal Church - including its doctrine of marriage- prohibited Righter’s action. The concept of “Core Doctrine” was introduced. (United Voice, June 1996)

1996 Pamela Chinnis, president of General Convention’s House of Deputies, was the keynote speaker as the Episcopal Women’s Caucus observed its 25th anniversary. Mrs. Chinnis is quoted as saying, “The church has lurched painfully forward toward diversity and wholeness.” Speaking of progress in achieving what she called the use of non-sexist “God-language” in authorized liturgies, she describes an ambiance in the church, in which women have been “devalued, dismissed and denied ... and were discouraged, refused and reviled.” (The Living Church, Oct. 20, 1996, p. 6)

1996 The Ekklesia Society was incorporated to “foster fellowship among provinces, dioceses, and congregations, as well as among bishops, priests, and others across the Anglican Communion and “to link those who seek to maintain a faithful witness to the living faith in an ever-increasing pluralistic world”. They coordinate outreach to Anglican bishops around the world.

1996 Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning issued a statement of support for President Clinton for vetoing a ban on partial birth abortion, a procedure performed in the last months of pregnancy, when the child is almost fully developed and is capable of living outside the mother’s body. The Presiding Bishop gave his support, and the implied support of the Episcopal Church, to this procedure in which a baby is delivered “breech,” and when only the head remains in the uterus, the skull is crushed, the brain fluid sucked out, and the child is born dead. (The Living Church, Oct. 20, 1996, p. 12)

1996 Bishop William Swing of the Diocese of California created a “venture in religious syncretism”, titled “United Religious Initiative” (URI) It is a kind of parliament, where the world’s religions and spiritual communities, by dialogue and cooperative action attempt to make peace among religions and among nations.

1997 Bishop John S. Spong announced his plans to attack the historic creeds. “But where do we go from here as a Church? I, for one, plan to go to the creeds.” “Can we continue to say the pre-modern words of the creeds with integrity and still live on this side of the intellectual revolution ...?” “Can one still articulate our credal beliefs in 4th and 5th century words and concepts without having to close our minds to the contemporary work of ... [modern science]?” “So on my agenda for the immediate future is the commitment to revisit and reargue the issues of Nicea that produced our creeds... and rethink the concept of salvation which hinges upon the nature of the Christ.” (From Address to the 123rd Convention of the Diocese of Newark, Jan. 24, 1997).

1997 General Convention was one vote short of adopting approved services to bless homosexual unions.

1997 General Convention voted to amend Canon III.8.I, thus giving women access to ordination and the right to exercise their ordained ministry in every diocese of the Episcopal Church. Referring to those who, in conscience, cannot accept ordained women, the explanation of the amendment states that “...individuals are free to disagree on matters of theology....However church leaders are not free to disregard the canons of the church in pursuit of their own theological visions.” (Explanation which appears following the amended canon in the report of the work of General Convention ‘97.) With the passage of this legislation, clergy and laity who do not accept the ordination of women, no longer hold a position that is tolerated by the General Convention of the church.

1997 Despite declaring the 1990’s a “Decade of Evangelism,” baptized membership is now down to 2.4 million, which represents approximately 1% of the population. (Compared with 3.6 million representing 2% of the population in 1966.) Median age of active clergy is 54, and the median age at which clergy are being ordained is 46.5. (Encompass, Jan. 1998)

1997 The Kuala Lumpur Statement was issued by the province of South East Asia and endorsed the Statement on Human Sexuality which affirms biblical teachings concerning sexual morality and condemns the ordination of practicing homosexuals and the blessing of same-sex unions. It also states “that this province supports and (is) in communion with that part of the Anglican Communion which accepts and endorses the principles aforesaid and not otherwise”.

1997 The board of trustees of Virginia Theological Seminary issued a policy statement on the norms of sexual behavior, indicating that sexual orientation or identity need not bar a person from admission. The statement was signed by the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, Bishop of Virginia, and the Very Rev. Martha Horne, dean and president of the seminary. (The Living Church, Feb. 16,1997, p. 7)

1997 The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. George Carey, stirred up controversy on this subject at Virginia Theological Seminary, by stating that sex outside of marriage defies Christian teaching. (The Living Church, March 23, 1997, p. 7) “Practicing homosexuality is not to be condoned in the priesthood,” said the archbishop. “We recognize two lifestyles. One is marriage and the other is celibacy, and there can’t be anything in between. (The Living Church, June 8, 1997, p. 2)

1997 The Rt. Rev. Ronald Haines, Bishop of Washington, ordained the Rev. Albert Scariato, a non-celibate homosexual, to the priesthood in a service that took place at St. John’s Church, Georgetown. Bishop Haines had been notified in advance that four conservative parishes would voice a formal protest. At the appropriate point in the service, Bishop Haines departed from normal procedure and directed that the objections be voiced in the
parish hall. Bishop Haines assured the congregation that he was acting in accordance with the canons, which do not specify where objections must be heard. . (The Living Church, May 4, 1997, p. 9)

1997 General Convention, meeting in Philadelphia, defeated by more than 2 to 1, Resolution B-032 which would have affirmed the Kuala Lumpur Statement. The gay organization, Integrity, actively worked to defeat it.

1997 The Rt. Rev. Frank T. Griswold was elected 25th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Bishop Griswold is a signer of the Statement of Koinonia, which advocates blessing same-sex relations and ordaining non-celibate homosexual persons. The Statement of Koinonia asserts that “those who know themselves to be gay or lesbian persons, and who do not choose to live alone, but forge relationships with partners of their choice that are faithful, monogamous, committed, life giving and holy are to be honored.” (The Living Church, Aug. 3, 1997, p. 9)

1997 In his final address to General Convention, Presiding Bishop Edmund L. Browning spoke of the division in the church. “...We have,” he said, “ been diverted by fear, and, let me name it, hate. It is time to move past using literalistic readings of the Bible to create prejudices against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Biblical literalism may be someone’s tradition, but it’s not our tradition, and it’s time we came home to our Anglican roots.” (The Living Church, Aug. 3, 1997, p. 14)

1997 The Good Shepherd Statement was issued by the annual assembly of The Episcopal Synod of America held immediately after the General Convention at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, PA. The statement expresses ESA’s intention to continue its mission to “be the Church” while waiting for the “emergence of an orthodox Province of the Anglican Communion in America.”

1997 The Anglican Life and Witness Conference, co-sponsored by Ekklesia and The Oxford Centre for Mission Study, was held in Dallas, Texas to prepare for the Lambeth Conference. Some 45 bishops and 4 primates from around the world attended and issued what became known as The Dallas Statement, which affirms biblical teaching on sexuality. “It is not acceptable for a pro-gay agenda to be smuggled into the church’s programme or foisted upon our people and we will not permit it.”

1997 The group First Promise formed in Pawley’s Island, SC, to reaffirm the Church’s historic teaching on marriage and sexual practices. The name refers to the pledge made by
Episcopal priests in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, to instruct their people and “to banish and drive away from the Church all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God’s Word.”

1997 A small group of Episcopalians in Little Rock, Arkansas was refused permission from their diocesan, Bishop Larry Maze, to begin a new mission, whereupon they began meeting in homes and then asked First Promise to help them. Bishop Salmon of South Carolina transferred The Rev. T.J. Johnston to the jurisdiction of Bishop John Rucyahana of the Province of Rwanda, marking a first in the global realignment of Anglicanism.

1997 North American Missionary Society (later changed to the New Anglican Missionary Society), headed by the Rev. Dr. Jon Shuler, began to plant new churches in North America,
later expanding globally. NAMS members were to be missionaries to the U.S.

1997 From a mandate given by the 1988 Lambeth Conference, the Inter Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission issued the “Virginia Report”, which identifies and explores important questions about unity, interdependence and mutual accountability in the Anglican Communion.

1997 The Archbishop of Canterbury responds strongly to Bishop Spong’s attacks on the Archbishop and the signers of the Kuala Lumpur Statement. Bishop Spong had accused the Archbishop of the Southern Cone and the signers of the Kuala Lumpur Statement of “incredible and ill-informed diatribe …and hostile and threatening statements.” He had then attacked the Archbishop of Canterbury for his statement: “The discipline of the Church is that we recognize two life-styles. One is marriage and the other is celibacy, and there can’t be anything in between, and we don’t recognize same sex marriages.”

1998 The battle begun in 1996 continued between St. Paul’s in Brockton, Mass. and Bishop Shaw. That parish wished to withdraw from the Diocese because of their bishop’s ordination of non-celibate gays. The Rev. James Hiles was deposed by Bishop Shaw and the parish declared itself independent of the Diocese and asked for alternative Episcopal oversight. The parish was evicted from their church building and promptly began having services on the sidewalk outside. During this time, retired bishops Edward MacBurney and A. Donald Davies ministered to the congregation.

1998 The Association of Anglican Congregations on Mission (AACOM) formed in Chicago as an association of biblically orthodox Anglican congregations, not all in ECUSA, fulfilling the Great Commission. They prepared documents and petitions for the Primates’ meeting in Singapore in 1999.

1998 The 13th. Lambeth Conference, held in Canterbury, was probably the most defining event in modern times within the Anglican Communion. More than 800 bishops and primates from the entire Communion gathered and for the first time the 2/3s world bishops, who are generally traditional/conservative, were well prepared and organized, and determined to be heard. This new assertiveness produced the overwhelming vote on Resolution 1.10, which deals with human sexuality and in view of scripture upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union; cannot advise the legitimizing or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender union. The bishops passed Resolution IV.2 which
reaffirms the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral as a statement of Anglican unity and identity. They also reaffirmed in Resolution V.13 the Lambeth Conference of 1958 which theoretically bars uninvited bishops from ministering to congregations in other bishop’s dioceses. Also, in Resolution 111.8 requests the primates to initiate and monitor a decade of study in each province on this report which identifies and explores important questions about unity, interdependence and mutual accountability in the Anglican Communion. They also accepted the Virginia Report of 1997 which stated our Trinitarian faith as the basis of our koinonia and interdependence, calling the report a helpful statement of the characteristics of our Communion.

1999 A number of Primates, archbishops and bishops met with representatives of an alliance of voluntary associations in ECUSA (First Promise, AACOM, AAC, CCLEC, EU, EKK, ESA & NAMS) in Singapore. They issued a letter to all primates of the Anglican Communion in which they spoke of a monitoring process called for in Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, largely due to public refutations of this resolution on homosexual practice.They recognized the “damaging results of unilaterally committing the Church to a course of action with no sure basis in Scripture, Anglican tradition or even medical science.”

1999 On the 10th Anniversary of their founding, the Episcopal Synod of America, meeting in their Annual Assembly, changed its name to Forward in Faith, North America (FIF/NA) to show their alignment with FIF in both the United Kingdom and Australia.

1999 In answer to a February letter from eight overseas primates/archbishops, which called for ECUSA to start upholding “the moral teaching and Christian Faith the Anglican Communion has received”, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold invited them to “Come and See” the American
church. The five prelates attending issued a summation of the visit by stating “We were struck by the degree to which people had embraced and dogmatically propounded the notion
of innate, irreversible, and therefore acceptable behaviour” regarding the gay agenda. Alternative Episcopal Oversight was also recommended for those faithful people who could not accept this innovation.

1999 Continuing the Singapore meeting in April, seven archbishops/primates and two bishops met in Kampala with leaders of the alliance from the earlier meeting. There they discussed the issues identified in Singapore such as specific and urgent situations in ECUSA. They pledged to take these issues and concerns to the forthcoming Primates’ meeting where they would be “seeking agreement on and the progressive implementations of effective measures to ensure a return to historic standards for moral and marriage discipline where in our Communion these have been notoriously breached” and to be in accord with Lambeth Resolution 1.10.

1999 In a meeting held at the Benedictine Abbey in Bartonville, Illinois, a group of traditionalist ECUSA bishops and bishops from “Continuing” churches and The Reformed Episcopal Church met to discuss the matters of the Faith which they can agree upon. The participates agreed upon some “Articles of Ecclesiastical Fellowship” as an “interim” step toward the short term goal of a confederation, in which bishops of the different jurisdictions deliberate, speak and act together on matters of concern to all.

1999 In November a number of archbishops and bishops from other provinces came to the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, PA, where Bishop Bennison had been refused to be allowed to minister in his official capacity. The service of Confirmation was a challenge to ECUSA’s leadership and Bishop Bennison reluctantly attended the service as a spectator rather than try to forbid it to happen.

2000 In a surprise move in late January, two American ECUSA priests, the Rev. Dr. Chuck Murphy III of Pawley’s Island, SC, and the Very Rev. Dr. John H. Rodgers, Dean Emeritus of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, were consecrated at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore. The move by Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and Archbishop Moses Tay of South East Asia, was deemed an “interim” step by which the two would be missionary or flying bishops under the respective dioceses of the consecrators.

2000 In March at the annual meeting of all Primates of the Anglican Communion held in Oporto, Portugal, a communiqué was issued in which a warning was aimed at American Episcopalians who make “clear and public repudiation” of the 1998 Lambeth statement on sexuality. They urged bishops worldwide to recognize that “such provocations strain the reality of mutual accountability.” The issue of alternative oversight in the U.S. was mentioned as being needed, but no explicit way for implementation was made.

2000 At the spring meeting of the House of Bishops, participates agreed to only discuss things they could agree on and not those things which divide them and recommended that this “spirit” be taken to the upcoming General Convention.

2000 In July the General Convention was held in Denver, Colorado and Resolution A-045 was passed as expected. It mandates enforcement procedures for women’s ordination in all dioceses and as such it constitutes a repudiation of the consensus of Anglicanism as expressed at the 1998 Lambeth Conference. They also passed D-039 which gives recognition and support to gay relationships and places such relationships alongside Christian marriage. It also disregards a Lambeth Conference resolution (1.10) and showed no respect for the warning against divisive teaching and practice as issued by the Primates at their March meeting. The convention accepted the document “Called to Common Mission” which calls for full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. This document calls for the Lutherans to accept Apostolic Succession for their Bishops and ECUSA must agree to suspend the Preface to the Ordinal for a period of years until all Lutheran clergy and bishops have been Apostolically ordained.

2000 Immediately after General Convention, a broad based coalition of bishops, primates and scholars met in Nassau, the Bahamas, due to their mutual recognition of the growing state of pastoral emergency in ECUSA. They sent a letter to the other Primates and Archbishop George Carey to show their commitment to address those issues which are viewed as serious departures from traditional Church teaching.

2000 In late August at a meeting in Amsterdam, The Anglican Mission in America (AMIA) was approved by the Archbishops of South East Asia and Rwanda, opening the way for Bishops Rodgers and Murphy to establish a Gospel centered Anglican witness in the U.S. that is connected to the larger Anglican Communion through their recognized provinces.

2000 The New Commandment Taskforce was begun to promote reconciliation in ECUSA by teaching members of the Church “to be more loving in their words and actions toward each other as they deal with their disagreements.” They seek to find reconciling ways to deal with the Church’s internal disagreements over issues related to homosexuality. One of the founders was Dr. Louis Crew, a leader of Integrity.

2000 Late in the year a group of leaders from most of the orthodox/traditional organizations, seminaries and missionary groups formed the U.S. Anglican Congress, to be sponsored by a consortium of these groups. It is envisioned that it be the place where “a dynamic and missionary strategy will be affirmed in the Anglican tradition.” They have called for an actual “congress” to be held in December, 2002.

2001 The small, traditional parish of Christ Church in Accokeek, Maryland, duly called The Rev. Samuel Edwards as their rector, thus setting off a highly visible conflict noticed by the rest of the Anglican Communion. The revisionist Suffragan Bishop of Washington, Jane Dixon, acting as interim bishop, tried to block the legitimate call of a duly qualified priest after she missed the 30 days period in which to object. This began an ugly and prolonged power struggle to remove him because of his traditional teaching of the Faith. There have been lawsuits filed in various courts and promises to be a test case for the improper attempts to overrule the power of vestries in the diocese. Two presentments have been filed against Bishop Dixon and one filed against Fr. Edwards.

2001 At the yearly meeting of Anglican Primates held at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC, a proposal called “To Mend the Net” was presented by several orthodox primates which would call the Archbishops/Primates to assume responsibility for theological disruption in the Communion, and to begin steps toward correction of the apostasy in ECUSA. After only an hour of debate, the proposal was sent to committee for review and consideration at a later meeting.

2001 Meeting immediately after the Primates’ meeting, the House of Bishops met and Archbishop George Carey, speaking to the bishops, acknowledged that ECUSA is “out of step” with the rest of the Anglican Communion on issues of human sexuality and urged orthodox Episcopalians to stand up and bravely face the conflict “in the Church from within”. The Archbishop made it quite clear that he would not support any group that has decided to work outside the system and he was opposed to the formation of a new province. The HOB issued a pastoral letter in which they said they would “respond faithfully to the sustained pastoral care” for those alienated because of changes in theology or practice to which the Primates of our Communion (meeting in Kanuga) called us.

2001 In May the Rt. Rev. Jack Iker of Fort Worth agreed to a request by the vestry of Christ Church, Accokeek, to assume Episcopal oversight and protection of the parish. “The move appears to mark the first time a sitting bishop has crossed boundaries within a single church jurisdiction since the early centuries of Christianity”, according to the Rev. Samuel Edwards. Bishop Iker cited the Lambeth Conference and also the Kanuga Primates’ meeting regarding sustained pastoral care.

2001 The Primates/Archbishops Council of Ekklesia Society met in Nassau, the Bahamas, to address the challenges which assault the Faith after “To Mend the Net”. Invited to participate were representatives of the various traditionalist groups in ECUSA. The Ekklesia primates promised to keep pushing for sustained pastoral care, to implement “To Mend the Net”, and to deepen their commitment to orthodoxy.

2001 In a sudden move in late June, four new AMIA bishops were consecrated in Denver, Colorado, at a service attended by more than l,100 people. The new bishops are The Revs. Thaddeus Barnum, Alexander Greene, Thomas Johnston, Jr., and Douglas Weiss. Besides Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and Archbishop Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia, others taking part were two other Rwandan bishops, two retired ECUSA bishops (Alex Dickson
and C. FitzSimons Allison) and the two other AMIA bishops, Rodgers and Murphy. The event was condemned by Archbishop Carey for defying normal procedures and boundaries to consecrate four more “irregular” bishops. Archbishop Yong stated that he had told fellow primates about his plans in March, but none who objected to them could tell him how he could otherwise protect those who held traditional views.

2001 Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York, denied a grant to the Province of Rwanda because of their part in the Denver consecrations. It is long suspected that such blackmail has been done before but this is the first public acknowledgement of it.

2001 On September 5, the Review Committee of ECUSA rules that Jane Dixon’s actions in waiting 59 days past the 30-day deadline to object to the call of the Rev’d Samuel L. Edwards to St. John’s Parish, Accokeek, were based on a “reasonable interpretation of the canons”.In essence, this decision gives bishops absolute power to interpret or ignore the Canons of the Church.

2002 In June, the Synod of New Westminster Diocese voted in favor of blessing same-sex unions, despite criticism by Archbishop George Carey and other world-wide Anglican leaders. Bishop Michael Ingham indicated that he would press ahead and approve such blessings.

2002 Soon after the decision of the Synod, the coalition of eight traditionalist parishes was formed. Called the Anglican Communion in New Westminster (ACiNW), the coalition refused the authority of Bishop Ingham.

2002 In June “The Essentials” conference was held in British Columbia, Canada. Sponsored by the Anglican Renewal Ministries, Barnabas Anglican Ministries and the Prayer Book Society of Canada, the meeting focused on the basics of gospel-driven Christianity and was meant to counteract the aggressive liberalism of parts of the Anglican Church in Canada,particularly the blessing of same-sex unions. Speakers urged the Essentials movement to go fully international to declare the basic essentials of our faith.

2002 In July, the Future of Anglicanism conference was held in Oxford, U.K. and brought together Anglican clergy, bishops, archbishops, theologians, and laity from around the world who were united by orthodox faith and a commitment to mission and evangelism. A paper, “The Oxford Declaration: A Statement on an Issue of Faith and Order,” was issued which asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to intercede for threatened parishes and clergy and urged the adoption of the proposals in the book To Mend the Net as a way of ordering the shared life of the communion.

2002 After a prolonged period, the Appeals Court ruled against The Rev’d Samuel Edwards in favor of the Diocese of Washington. In August, St. John’s Parish in Accokeek decided not to submit a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, thus bringing the litigation to conclusion. The parish submitted to the authority of newly consecrated Bishop Chane, who appointed an interim priest for the parish. Fr. Edwards subsequently left ECUSA for the APCK.

2002 On the 25th Anniversary of the 1977 Affirmation of St. Louis, which sparked most of the Continuing Anglican Movement, a gathering was again held in St. Louis. Sponsored by The Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, the event showed the expansion of the Continuing Churches in other parts of the world.

2002 The House of Bishops, meeting in Cleveland in September, focused on “respecting one another’s urgencies.” Bishops Bennison and Duncan were “called on the carpet” to speak to the facts regarding Bennison’s deposition of a traditional priest, Fr. David Moyer, whom Duncan then invited to take up canonical residence in his diocese. The theme of the meeting, according to Presiding Bishop Griswold, was to“ practice reconciliation and repentance that anticipates the conflicts of the future”. Fr. Moyer subsequently was received under the authority of Archbishop Bernard Malango of Central Africa.

2002 After two previous planning sessions of conservative Episcopalians and members of the
continuing Anglican jurisdictions, a U.S. Anglican Congress was called in Atlanta in December. Participants included bishops of more than 10 jurisdictions and 2 primates of the Anglican Communion, plus clergy and laity. The “Atlanta Covenant” emerged, which petitions Anglican primates to “review, endorse, and implement” the proposals presented in To Mend the Net, which sets forth a measured process for disciplining parts of the communion which violate the global Anglican consensus.

2003 In February, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Wales was enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury upon the retirement of ABC George Carey.

2003 In March, the Bishop of the Yukon offered Episcopal and pastoral oversight to the parishes of the ACiNW. His action was encouraged by a number of Anglican Primates. Bishop Ingham thereby threatened inhibition and possible disciplinary action against Bishop Terry Buckle.

2003 Five years after Lambeth 1998, the Primates’ Meeting in Brazil debated the paper “True Union in the Body” by Archbishop Drexel Gomez. The paper argues that recent steps in Canada and the U.S. towards the blessing of same-sex unions are an “innovation” beyond scripture that could tear the church apart. The participants declared that they take seriously the duty laid upon them by the Lambeth conference to monitor ongoing discussion of human sexuality.

2003 - In July, the long-awaited study on the ordination of women by the AMIA was made available. The report clearly shows the Biblical reasons for upholding the traditional stance that the priesthood and episcopate are ministries of men. However, the committee did not study the ordination of women to the diaconate.

2003 The 74th General Convention of ECUSA, meeting in Minneapolis in July and August, overshadowed all other legislation when they confirmed by a margin of 60% to 40% the Rev. Canon Gene Robinson to be the first-ever openly homosexual Anglican bishop. Robinson left his wife and two young children and took up a relationship with another man. The Convention acted despite the admonitions of the world-wide Anglican Communion, including the Archbishop of Canterbury. Undeterred, the Convention went even further by adopting a resolution permitting “local option” for dioceses to bless homosexual unions. The Convention seemed to signal the breaking up of ECUSA.

2003 The American Anglican Council swiftly arranged a meeting in Plano, Texas for October 7-9, 2003 to respond to the decisions of General Convention. The registration rapidly grew so that the meeting had to be held in Dallas. Over 2,700 were in attendance, including 20 bishops and two archbishops. The opening night Eucharist was attended by 4,000 people. The recurrent theme was the commonality of Catholic and Evangelical concerns while recognizing the problematic issue of women’s ordination. The conference’s “Call to Action” was an appeal to overseas Anglican primates for censure of the Episcopal Church’s errors. Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sent a letter on behalf on Pope John Paul II stating the support of the Vatican for the meeting and stressing the unity which is found in truth. At the conclusion, more than 2,000 individually signed a petition for this call to action to be hand-delivered to the primates meeting several days later at Lambeth. Thus the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes (NACDP) began to take shape. Immediately following the formation of the Network, fourteen Primates expressed their support.

2003 Immediately after General Convention, an emergency meeting was called by the Archbishop of Canterbury for October 15-16, 2003 in which the primates were to address the situation which rocked the Anglican world. The primates reaffirmed the Lambeth 1998 resolutions on human sexuality which said that homosexual practice is incompatible with scripture and affirmed that orthodox Episcopalians represent the mainstream of theology and practice in the Anglican Communion.The primates also accepted a role of enhanced oversight. A commission to be headed by Bishop Eames was established to work through legal and other issues and report back in September of 2004.

2003 Structure for The Network began to take shape at a gathering of mainstream Anglican leaders in London, at which the U.S. bishops in attendance drafted a Memorandum of Agreement that outlines the process for establishing the Network. The Memorandum pledges to “uphold and propagate the historic faith and order, fulfilling the Church’s apostolic mission.”

2003 In November, the Rev’d Canon Gene Robinson was consecrated Bishop of New Hampshire.

2003 In December, a team from Anglican Mainstream, on behalf of over 13 million supporters across the Anglican Communion, delivered an electronic copy of the online petition in support of the Network (NACDP) to Lambeth Palace. The group petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury to give the new Network his public backing.

2003 Also, in December, a meeting resulting from the Anglican Congress of 2002 formed a new Federation for Anglican Ministry in America. This group, consisting of Episcopal and Continuing Churches, is looking for ways to share the commitment to, and understanding of, Anglican identity. It seeks to respond to Jesus Christ’s call to unity. This meeting was sponsored by Anglicans United, formerly Episcopalians United.

2003 Late in the year and continuing into the new year, the ramifications of the actions of General Convention continued. Various churches, i.e. The Roman Catholic Church, Russian Orthodox Church, Coptic Orthodox Church, Syrian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Orthodox Church postponed or suspended dialogue with ECUSA. Interfaith dialogue between the Anglican Communion and one of the most authoritative centers of the Islamic World was also cancelled. 14 provinces within the Anglican Communion (representing over 45 million Anglicans—a majority) have announced they are in some form of impaired or broken communion with ECUSA: South East Asia, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Central Africa, Congo, Southern Cone (South America) South India, Pakistan, Sudan, Philippines, and West Indies.

2004 In January, a meeting of the 12 bishops initially signing the call for the Network (and their representatives) was held in Plano, Texas for writing the Charter of NACDP. The Charter stated that those participating would stay within the constitution of ECUSA with the hopes of being recognized as the legitimate Anglican expression in this country.

2004 – In March, the House of Bishops issued a plan for Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO). It was immediately deemed “woefully inadequate” since it required permission of the diocesan bishop.

2004 – Also in March, the Anglican Global Mission Partners was formed to be the “mission arm” of the Anglican Communion Network. Some of these mission agencies were formerly part of the Episcopal Partnership for Global Mission (EPGM) and others had operated independently of ECUSA.

2004 – In the Diocese of Ohio in March, five American bishops (known as “The Ohio Five”) and one South American bishop confirmed 110 persons without the local bishop’s permission. The Americans were Bishops William Wantland (Celebrant), Fitzsimons Allison, Maurice Benitez, William Cox, and Alex Dickson. The Brazilian was Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti of Recife. The bishops were rebuked for “crossing boundaries” but maintained that they were responding to the Primates in their call for Episcopal oversight.

2004 – During March and April, the “Connecticut Six” parishes and clergy are involved in a dispute with their bishop who threatens deposition for “abandonment of communion.”

2004 – During the FIFNA Annual Assembly in June, various orthodox Anglican jurisdictions and
organizations in North America created an informal group in “Common Cause” in order to work
together and support one another. They are: American Anglican Council, Anglican Coalition in Canada, Anglican Communion Network, Anglican Essentials Canada, Anglican Mission in America, Anglican Network in Canada, Anglican Province of America, Convocation of Anglicans in North America, Forward in Faith North America, and the Reformed Episcopal Church. This was a step beyond what was accomplished at the U.S. Anglican Congress which met in 2002. The group later expanded and became known as Common Cause.

2004 – In August, three parishes which left the Diocese of Los Angeles filed suit to retain their property.

2004 – The Windsor Report was issued in October by a committee formed by the Primates. The report affirmed the authority of Holy Scripture as central to the life of the Anglican Communion, reaffirmed Lambeth 1.10, and called for a moratorium in rites of same-sex blessings. The Windsor Report soon became the standard for being a faithful Anglican.

2004 – In September, former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey confirmed, received, and heard reaffirmation of vows of more than 300 persons at Truro Church, Fairfax, Virginia. Having long been prepared and waiting, they came from at least ten parishes who are estranged from their bishop, Peter Lee.

2004 – At the first African Anglican Bishop’ Conference at Lagos, Nigeria, in October, the Convocation of Anglican Primates in Africa (CAPA) was formed.

2004 – Also in October, Archbishop Peter Akinola established a Convocation of the Anglican Church of Nigeria to serve expatriate Nigerian Anglicans in the USA. It is estimated that there are more than 250,000 Nigerians in America. Non-Nigerians in America are welcome to join the churches in the Nigerian Convocation.

2005 – February 20 – 25. Thirty-eight Anglican Primates met at Dromantine, Northern Ireland, to discuss the Windsor Report. They issued a unanimous communique’ that strongly upheld Lambeth 1.10 and reaffirmed traditional Christian teaching on human sexuality. The Primates asked the Provinces of the USA and Canada to voluntarily withdraw their representatives from the ACC until at least 2008, and to account for their actions at the June meeting of the ACC. The challenge to “walk together or walk apart” was issued.

2005 - The House of Bishops of ECUSA meeting in March in Navasota, Texas, issued a moratorium on consent to the consecration of ANY person elected to the episcopate until General Convention 2006. They had been asked by the Primates not to consecrate any person living in a same-sex relationship.

2005 – In April, the ECUSA Executive Council announced after a special meeting that they planned to send a delegation to the meeting of the ACC in June. The delegation would be “observers” but not participants.

2005 – In May, the Panel of Reference was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury in response to the concerns expressed by the Primates in 2004 and 2005. The Panel was to consider requests for Episcopal oversight and make recommendations to the Archbishop. The Panel met for the first time in July 2005.

2005 – In July, the Diocese of Fort Worth appealed to the Panel of Reference for assistance in the dispute caused by the General Convention’s decision to make the ordination of women mandatory. The Diocese asked for “a way to remain a full member of the Anglican Communion while maintaining the historic practice of the church catholic of a male priesthood.”

2005 – The Church of Nigeria meeting in Synod in September redefined the Anglican Communion around a common faith rather than the See of Canterbury.

2005 – In August, St. James’ Church, Newport Beach, CA, wins in the dispute over their property. In December, the other Los Angeles parishes are granted their property by a Superior Court judge.

2005 – The Third Anglican South to South Encounter was held in Egypt in October. The 103 delegates from the Global South, representing two-thirds of the Anglican Communion, issued a harsh indictment of ECUSA and the church in Canada, and challenged the Panel of Reference for its “slow and inadequate response” which has allowed “disorder to multiply unnecessarily.” They also called for an “Anglican Covenant (rooted in the Windsor Report)… that provides a biblical foundation for our life, ministry, and mission as a Communion. It is envisaged that once the Covenant is approved by the Communion, provinces that enter into the Covenant will be mutually accountable, thereby providing an authentic fellowship within the Communion.”

2005 – Six congregations departed in October from the Diocese of Florida and formed the Anglican Alliance of Northern Florida.

2005 – November 10 – 12. The “Hope and A Future” Conference was hosted by the ACN in Pittsburgh. More than 2000 attended from 71 dioceses, including 20 ECUSA bishops. Seven Primates were present, as well as many from the Common Cause entities.

2006 – The Global South Primates’ Steering Committee issued a communiqué in February which re-emphasized the seriousness of the crisis in the Communion and the need for ECUSA to repent and to comply with the Windsor Report.

2006 – In March, the ACN accepted the Affirmation of St. Louis in order to recognize the Continuing Churches and to strengthen and unify Anglican witness in the USA.

2006 – Also in March, at a meeting of the House of Bishops, the Special Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion filed a report on maintaining the “highest degree of communion.” The report included eleven resolutions to be submitted to the General Convention. The report stressed the diversity of opinion about the place of homosexual people in the Church, and declined to exclude gay candidates from election as bishops, thus rejecting the request of the Primates.

2006 – June – The 75th General Convention met in Columbus, Ohio. The name of ECUSA was changed to “The Episcopal Church (TEC)” in order to stress that TEC is really an international body. GC elected Katharine Jefferts-Schori as the first female Presiding Bishop or Primate. Refusing to affirm that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, Jefferts-Schori stressed social issues as the essence of Christianity. In response to the requests of the Windsor Report, GC expressed “regret” rather than the “repentance” regarding the election and consecration of V. Gene Robinson; indicated a difference between “authorization” of same-sex blessings and the continuation of them as a “pastoral provision; and insisted that if there were to be a moratorium on the consecration of bishops living in relationships outside the bounds of marriage, that there would, at the same time, have to be a moratorium on interventions in the USA by other Primates.

At GC, the Diocese of Fort Worth requested “Alternative Primatial Oversight.”

2006 – June – Following GC, Christ Church, Plano, TX, the Episcopal Church with the largest attendance in ECUSA/TEC, left the Diocese of Dallas and TEC.

2006 – In June, the Rev. Martyn Minns of Truro Church, Fairfax, VA was consecrated “Missionary Bishop” by Archbishop Peter Akinola. Minns is to provide episcopal oversight for CANA, the missionary arm of the Church of Nigeria in the USA.

2006 – In July, eight more dioceses of TEC joined Fort Worth in asking the Archbishop of Canterbury for alternative primatial oversight. They were: Pittsburgh, San Joaquin, South Carolina, Springfield, Central Florida, Albany, Dallas, and Quincy.

2006 – In August, CANA joined Common Cause, bringing the number of members to nine. At this same meeting, the alliance took the name of the Common Cause Federation, approved a draft theological statement for referral to its members in 2006, and affirmed their Covenant Declaration. FIFNA’s Annual Assembly approved both the draft theological statement and the Mission Statement.

2006 – In August, a Connecticut court ruled that the court has no jurisdiction over church matters, thus dismissing the suit of the “Connecticut Six” against the bishop

2006 – Bishop of Arkansas Larry Maze performed a blessing of a same-sex union only one month after the GC rejected the Primates’ request for a moratorium.

2006 – The Global South Steering Committee led by the Primates of Nigeria and South East Asia and the Bishop of Egypt met in Kigali, Rwanda, in September, and pledged their intervention to address the crisis in the Communion. A plan was drawn to present to the Primates’ Meeting in February 2007, outlining plans for alternative primatial oversight and the formation of a new ecclesiastical structure in North America.

2006 – Also in September, twenty-one “Windsor Compliant” bishops met at Camp Allen, Texas, to reaffirm their commitment to the Windsor Report.

2006 – In September, The Anglican Covenant Committee was formed by the Archbishop of Canterbury in response to the 2005 request of the Third South to South Encounter meeting in Egypt. Archbishop of the West Indies, Drexel Gomez, was appointed Chairman.

2006 – In October, the Diocese of Fort Worth meeting in Diocesan Convention withdrew their participation in Province VII of TEC, a move permitted by the Constitution and Canons of TEC.

2006 – Liberal members of TEC founded “The Episcopal Majority” in order to “sustain and build up The Episcopal Church.”

2006 – In October, the Diocese of Dallas “quietly” withdrew its name from the request for a “direct primatial relationship with the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

2006 – Four of the five bishops in California moved against the fifth, Bishop John-David Schofield of San Joaquin, accusing him of “abandonment of communion.” The Review Committee of TEC exonerated him, ruling that Canon IV.9 had been used inappropriately.

2006 – In December, the Province of Tanzania broke relationship with TEC and declared that they would not “knowingly accept financial and material aid from dioceses, parishes, bishops, priests, individuals and institutions in the Episcopal Church, USA, that condone homosexual practice or bless same-sex unions.”

2006 – December – The Bishop of Colorado inhibited the Rev’d Don Armstrong, rector of the 2400 member Grace and St. Stephens Church, which is the home of the Anglican Communion Institute.

2007 – At their annual Winter Conference in January, the AMIA became the Anglican Mission in the Americas, now including Anglican Coalition in Canada and the Anglican Coalition in America. Since the two additional groups ordain women, the move created concern amongst some AMIA members. The meeting was attended by more than 1600, including eight Primates. The AMIA now claims 108 congregations with an additional 64 “in the pipeline.” Their goal is “to reach 130 million unchurched Americans.” Shortly after the meeting, Christ Church Plano joined the AMIA.

2007 – In January, the Archbishop of Canterbury invited Jefferts-Schori to attend the Primates Meeting to be held in February, stating that she should be allowed to explain her views and be heard.

2007 – The Covenant Design Group (formerly the Anglican Covenant Committee) met in Nassau in January under the leadership of Chairman Archbishop Drexel Gomez.

2007 – In January, the Diocese of Fort Worth received a favorable ruling from the Panel of Reference, which stated that the Dallas Plan provides adequate access to women seeking
ordination.

2007 – The Primates of the Anglican Communion, meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, February14-19, issued a Communique’ after working hours past the intended conclusion of the meeting. Still trying to hold the Communion together, the Primates nevertheless made it clear that TEC must comply by September 30, 2007, with the intent of the Windsor Report and Lambeth 1.10. TEC was also asked to suspend litigations for the property of departed parishes. The interventions by faithful Primates and Bishops were deemed unacceptable except for the short term, and the expectation is that TEC will provide for such oversight.
They also heard the report of the Covenant Design Group and received a draft of the proposed Covenant, to be studied, amended, and then received by the bishops at Lambeth 2008.