NORTHERN MICHIGAN: Diocese forms bishop search committee

From Episcopal Life Online-

The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan has chosen an 11-member committee to guide the search for its next bishop, and laid out a timeline for the search.

"The Standing Committee was committed to having a search committee that is representative of our diocese's geography and diversity," said Linda Piper, chair of the Standing Committee. "With this committee, we have achieved that goal. We are grateful to all of its members for agreeing to serve."

The diocese's previous search for a bishop ended in July 2009, when the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester, a priest of the diocese, did not receive the necessary consents from the wider church. The diocese has been without a bishop since Bishop James Kelsey died in an automobile accident in June 2007. Bishop Tom Ray, who preceded Kelsey, now serves as assisting bishop.

Diocesan Convention met in October 2009 and set out the framework for conducting a second search for the diocese's next bishop.

The Search Committee's regional representatives were chosen after each congregation discussed potential candidates with their congregational representatives, and identified up to two candidates per congregation. Congregational representatives then met by region to discuss and vote on the names brought forth.

The Diocesan Council and Standing Committee followed a similar process, discussing potential candidates at an initial meeting and then later electing a representative. Diocesan Convention gave the Standing Committee the authority to appoint additional members to the committee to insure that it was representative of the diocese.

The members of the search committee are: Mary Sullivan and Gladys Dompierre from the North Central region; Carol Clark and Kim Moote from the South Central region; Warren Maki and Leonard DeWitt from the Western region; Pam Finkel and Phil Schaffer from the Eastern region; Pat Micklow, representing the Diocesan Council; Arlene Gordanier, representing the Standing Committee; and the Rev. Charlie Piper, representing the diocese's ministry developers, or its five seminary-trained priests.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_119574_ENG_HTM.htm

Losing Forrester

From Get Religion-

So — why did the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester not get the required consents from Episcopal bishops and diocesan standing committees to become bishop of the Diocese of Northern Michigan?

Answer — it’s not exactly clear.

Covering news in the Anglican Communion — and I, obviously, speak as an ordained member of that body (even that statement isn’t so “obvious” to those, including many Anglicans who don’t believe that women can be priests) — can make you crazy.

See? I’m in trouble already. It’s little wonder that you find some reporters, like the rest of us, striving to get a grip on terra firma, like comedians balancing on a banana peel.

Polity? Subject to debate, interpretation and extreme hyperbole. Theology? Depends who you ask. Who’s on first? Ask a bishop — or a judge.

We return to the latest episode from the just-cancelled miniseries featuring bishop-elect Kevin Thew Forrester, a Buddhist practitioner as well as an Episcopal priest. Actually, this isn’t quite the latest episode (see gay bishop nominees.). I’m reasonably sure we’ll get around to that.

Over at Bible Belt Blogger, religion editor Frank Lockwood posted the official Episcopal News Service statement and his own unofficial vote tally. The large number either voting against or taking some kind of evasive action indicates…well, it indicates something. The problem is, it’s not clear what. Lockwood has lots of links that will help readers who for some reason haven’t been keeping up with the Forrester saga.

More here-

http://www.getreligion.org/?p=15892

Fr. Thew Forrester Reflects on Consent Process

From The Living Church-

The Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester emphasized hope as he reflected on the just-completed consent process to his election as Bishop of Northern Michigan. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori informed Linda Piper, president of the diocese’s standing committee, on July 28 that Fr. Thew Forrester failed to gain the required number of consents from the standing committees or bishops of The Episcopal Church.

“I have been extraordinarily blessed and honored to walk with my friends from the Diocese of Northern Michigan over these past months as their bishop-elect,” Fr. Thew Forrester said. “I treasure the support they have extended me and my family, as well as that I have received from Hong Kong to Holland and from Great Britain to New Zealand, and indeed from so many throughout The Episcopal Church.

“As we live and move and have our being in Christ, there is truly a holy wisdom in all that is unfolding, and as St. John of the Cross affirms, a grace in ‘all that happens,’” he said.

The diocese's seven-member standing committee released a statement through Ms. Piper.

“We are disappointed and saddened by the outcome of the consent process,” the statement said. “We invite the wider church to reflect with us on what this experience can teach us about the episcopal search and consent process. Among the issues ripe for discussion are how bishops and standing committees can best be made aware of the particular needs of individual dioceses, and how new communications technologies affect the consent process. We hope that out of our disappointment can come a deeper understanding of the ways in which we can all be accountable to one another as members of the body of Christ.”

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/7/28/fr-thew-forrester-reflects-on-consent-process

Northern Michigan episcopal election fails to receive required consents

From Episcopal Life-

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on July 27 notified the standing committee of the Diocese of Northern Michigan that the necessary consents to the ordination and consecration of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester as bishop were not received within the prescribed time period and therefore his election was "null and void."
In Thew Forrester's case, standing committees had until July 19 and bishops with jurisdiction had until July 25.

"I have been extraordinarily blessed and honored to walk with my friends from the Diocese of Northern Michigan over these past months as their bishop-elect. I treasure the support they have extended me and my family, as well as that I have received from Hong Kong to Holland and from Great Britain to New Zealand, and indeed from so many throughout The Episcopal Church. As we live and move and have our being in Christ, there is truly a Holy Wisdom in all that is unfolding, and as St. John of the Cross affirms, a grace in 'all that happens,'" said Thew Forrester in a statement.

Members of the standing committee couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Thew Forrester, chosen during a special convention on February 21 to succeed James Kelsey who died in June, 2007, had come under intense scrutiny since his election.

Initially, concern centered on Thew Forrester's status as the only candidate at the convention and the question of whether his practice of Zen Buddhist meditation diluted his commitment to the Christian faith, making him unsuitable to serve as a bishop. That attention led to the internet publication of some of Thew Forrester's sermons and writings along with a revision he made to the Episcopal Church's baptismal liturgy, raising further concern among some about his theology.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_112903_ENG_HTM.htm

Too Unorthodox Even for the Episcopal Church?

From Christianity Today-

Barring a last minute change of heart by opponents, it appears certain that Episcopal Church leaders have rejected the consecration of a bishop-elect who denies traditional Christian teachings about sin, salvation, and Christ's atoning death at Calvary.

Evangelicals inside and outside the Episcopal Church say they would have been concerned if Kevin Thew Forrester had been given a ceremonial shepherd's staff and a sacred charge to "feed and tend the flock of Christ" in the Diocese of Northern Michigan, where he was elected on February 21. But few are seeing the rejection as a cause to celebrate.

According to church rules, elections of bishops must be confirmed by a majority of the church's House of Bishops (though not all members are allowed to vote) and a majority of its 111 diocesan governing boards, known as standing committees. While the results will not be official until mid-July, a majority of standing committees have voted to withhold consent, according to a survey by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Unofficial surveys show the bishop-elect trailing badly among bishops as well.

The rest is here-

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/juneweb-only/123-11.0.html

Episcopal bishop appears headed for defeat

The election of an Episcopal bishop in Michigan who has practiced Buddhist meditation and changed traditional church prayers appears headed for defeat, according to an unofficial tally kept by a newspaper reporter.

The Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester was elected bishop of the sparsely populated Diocese of Northern Michigan in February. Under Episcopal Church rules, a majority of bishops and 111 regional standing committees must vote to ratify his election before it is valid.

On Friday (June 5), the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which has kept an unofficial running tally of the voting, reported that 56 standing committees—a majority—have voted to withhold their “consents.”

The official tally will not be known until at least late July, when all of the ballots are due.

Linda Piper, president of the Diocese of Northern Michigan’s standing committee, which keeps the official tally, would not confirm the report. But, she said, “Do I think this is probably the way it’s going to go? Unfortunately, I would not be surprised.”

Piper acknowledged it would be an “uphill climb,” for Thew Forrester to get the consents he needs.

Thew Forrester said, “My understanding is that the standing committees and diocesan bishops have 120 days to give consent, which means the process continues to unfold until the third week of July. Along with the Diocese of Northern Michigan, I recognize the integrity and wisdom of the consent process and wait until its conclusion.”

Thew Forrester is rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Marquette, Mich. Soon after his election by the diocese, conservative church bloggers from across the country discovered that he practices Zen meditation and received “lay ordination” from a Buddhist community.

The rest is here-

http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/the_election_of_an_episcopal_bishop_who_has_practiced_zen_buddhism060509/

Majority of standing committees oppose bishop-elect

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Bethlehem decided today to withhold consent to the election of the Rev. Kevin G. Thew Forrester as bishop-elect of Northern Michigan.

The vote was confirmed this evening (June 4, 2009) by committee president Canon Robert Wilkins. The committee is preparing a statement explaining the vote and hopes to have it ready tomorrow.

Fifty-six standing committees have now decided to withhold consent, while 29 have given consent, according to a survey by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock. Roughly 16 committees, including seven based outside the United States, are still in the discernment process. Another 10 or so committees have voted, but are currently declining to reveal their vote.

Barring last-minute vote-switching by dioceses across the country, Thew Forrester will not be seated by the House of Bishops. He would be the first bishop-elect to be vetoed by a majority of the Episcopal Church’s 111 standing committees since at least the 1930s.

(The election of the bishop-elect of South Carolina, the Rev. Mark Lawrence, was declared “null-and void” in 2007 because of paperwork-related “canonical deficiencies” after Lawrence reportedly had received consent from a very narrow majority of the standing committees. Lawrence was elected on the second go-round.)

Thew Forrester, the rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Marquette, Mich., was overwhelmingly elected bishop by representatives of the Diocese of Northern Michigan on Feb. 21. Since then, he has been heavily criticized on theological and liturgical grounds. Critics said Thew Forrester altered the denomination’s baptismal covenant to make it more closely reflect his own personal theological views. He likewise rewrote the church’s Easter Vigil and reworked the Apostles’ Creed. Critics said the changes removed or obscured key Christian teachings about the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross, the problem of sin, the will of God and the identity of Jesus as the eternally divine and only-begotten Son of God.

More here-

http://biblebeltblogger.com/index.php/religion/majority-of-standing-committees-oppose-bishop-elect

Northern Michigan diocese, bishop-elect will 'respect' consent process

While some unofficial tallies show that Kevin Thew Forrester will not receive the canonically required consents to his ordination as bishop of the Diocese of Northern Michigan, he said June 5 that he and the diocese will "respect" the entire 120-day consent period.

"I continue to respect that 120 days," Thew Forrester told ENS. "The process has a wisdom and integrity of its own. The diocese and I have respected that all the way through and will continue to do that. When the process concludes, I will have something more to say."

Thew Forrester, chosen during a special convention on February 21 to succeed James Kelsey who died in June, 2007, has come under intense scrutiny since his election.

Initially, concern centered on Thew Forrester's status as the only candidate at the convention and the question of whether his practice of Zen Buddhist meditation has diluted his commitment to the Christian faith, making him unsuitable to serve as a bishop. That attention led to the internet publication of some of Thew Forrester's sermons and writings along with a revision he made to the Episcopal Church's baptismal liturgy, raising further concern among some about his theology.

Under the canons of the Episcopal Church (III.11.4 (a)) that apply for all episcopal elections, a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan standing committees must consent to Thew Forrester's ordination as bishop within 120 days from the day after notice of his election was sent to them. In Thew Forrester's case, standing committees have until July 19 and bishops with jurisdiction have until July 25.

The Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, canon to the Presiding Bishop, told ENS that the consent process for a bishop-elect lasts the full 120 days as prescribed by the canons of the church, unless that person receives the required majority of consents before the period is over, at which time an announcement can be made. Until the required number of consents is received, or the 120 day period ends, bishops and standing committees are able to change their vote, he said.

Fifty-six diocesan standing committees and 52 bishops with jurisdiction must give their consents for Thew Forrester to be ordained. The lesser number of bishops is due to the fact that some diocesan sees are vacant or currently filled by assisting bishops who are not eligible to vote.

There are at least three unofficial running tallies of consent votes being updated on the internet. One is being compiled by Frank Lockwood, the religion editor of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, on his BibleBeltBlogger website. Another is on the Stand Firm in Faith website. Another, tallied by writer David Virtue is here.

more here-

http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_109244_ENG_HTM.htm

Forrester vote count

If you're wondering how the vote by Bishops and Standing Committees is going on the Kevin Thew Forrester election in Northern Michigan, Stand Firm is keeping a tally which you can find here-

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/22575/

A statement by The Rt. Rev. Barry Beisner, Bishop of Northern California

Regarding Consent to the Election of Kevin Thew Forrester
as Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Michigan:

I have waited until very late in the consent process to finalize my decision. In part this is because it has been a complex and challenging matter, with many questions –procedural, canonical, theological, ecclesiastical, etc.— involved, and with many layers to each question. In addition, there has been considerable confusion as to just what the facts are; Kevin’s actual views and actions weighed heavily in the decision before me. And so I have utilized all of the time available to me to complete this decision, reading the relevant documents, consulting with fellow bishops, and discussing the matter with our Standing Committee –who, after our discussion on April 17, voted to withhold consent.

I sympathized with that decision but took additional time to speak with Kevin personally, to read some further material from him that he did not publish until the following week. Throughout this time, my constant prayer has been for right discernment for all involved.

I have great respect for Kevin, and great regard for the Diocese of Northern Michigan. It saddens me greatly, therefore, to tell you that I am unable to consent to this election. As I have said, many issues have been raised; I will name only one: Kevin’s revision of our liturgy of Holy Baptism.

More here-

http://www.dncweb.org/403856.ihtml

Pittsburgh: Episcopal diocese rejects Buddhist bishop

Leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh have unanimously voted against permitting a diocese in Michigan to consecrate a bishop who is also a practicing Zen Buddhist.

A spokesman for the diocese said the decision was not based on Bishop-elect Kevin Thew Forrester's Zen practices, but on changes he had made to the liturgy in his parish. It came from the Diocese of Pittsburgh that remains part of the Episcopal Church, not the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican) that left the Episcopal Church in October because it believed the Episcopal Church no longer upheld biblical teaching.

In order to be consecrated by the Diocese of Northern Michigan, the bishop-elect must receive "consent" from the bishops and standing committees of a majority of 110 dioceses.

According to an unofficial count kept by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, as of Friday the standing committee vote was 39-15 against the bishop-elect.

The Pittsburgh vote was 8-0. Members said he had stripped the baptismal liturgy of references to divine redemption, emphasizing human action over God's grace.

"To change such a fundamental understanding of the sacrament, in which we share by water in the saving death of Jesus Christ ... makes Father Forrester unacceptable as a bishop," said the Rev. James Simons, president of the standing committee.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09139/971103-455.stm

Pittsburgh: Consent Withheld On Northern Michigan Bishop-Elect

The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh has unanimously withheld its consent of a candidate for Bishop in Michigan because of his questionable theology.

The Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester is Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Northern Michigan. But before he can be installed, a majority of Standing Committees and diocesan Bishops in the Episcopal Church must consent.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Standing Committee found fault primarily with Forrester’s liturgical innovations which deviate from the Book of Common Prayer.

Especially troubling were changes in the language for baptisms performed at Forrester’s parish. The prayers used at those services removed references to the sacrament as being a cleansing from sin and renunciation of evil. Throughout, the service appears to put an emphasis on human actions as opposed to divine redemption.

“To change such a fundamental understanding of the sacrament, in which we share by water in the saving death of Jesus Christ and confess our belief in a Triune God, makes Father Forrester unacceptable as a Bishop in the Episcopal Church,” said the Rev. Dr. James Simons, reflecting the Standing Committee’s position.

The Committee’s decision will be the only vote on record for the Pittsburgh Diocese, since it currently does not have a Diocesan Bishop in office. Assisting Bishop Robert H. Johnson, who retired as Bishop of Western North Carolina in 2004, cannot vote. Still, Forrester’s case gives him pause.

”Generally I believe a diocesan election of a bishop should be honored unless there are serious obstacles,” said Bishop Johnson.

Pittsburgh joins a number of other dioceses who have withheld consent on Forrester, although an official tally has not been made public. Dioceses have until late in June to weigh in. If a major of Bishops and Standing Committees consent, the new Bishop of Northern Michigan is scheduled to be installed on October 17 of this year.

http://www.episcopalpgh.org/consent-withheld-northern-michigan/

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina Withholds Consent in Forrester Election

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina is unable to consent to the election of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester as Bishop of Northern Michigan for the following reasons:

1. Writings and sermons of Fr. Thew Forrester and liturgies composed by him call into serious question his understanding of and commitment to Nicene orthodoxy regarding the nature of the Trinity 1, the unique revelation of God in Christ 2, the nature and necessity of the Atonement 3, and the Virgin Birth 4.

2. An unauthorized Baptismal rite composed and used by Fr. Thew Forrester calls into serious question his sacramental understanding and judgment. Within the rite itself, the lack of the renunciations – in any remotely recognizable Christian form- represent a cutting loose from the historic moorings of Anglicanism in the catholic Tradition of the Church 5. We see this as a grave error.

3. The Episcopal office is the teaching office of the Church, therefore the consecration of a bishop is, in effect, a public teaching on behalf of the whole church. Consenting to Fr. Thew Forrester’s election would then be an endorsement of heterodox views with regard to core elements of the Faith, causing confusion and scandal among the flock, and also exacerbating rather than healing divisions within and between the Anglican Communion and the wider Body of Christ.


We recognize the Fr. Thew Forrester is the choice of the people of the Diocese of Northern Michigan and appreciate the esteem in which he is held. His election is a testimony to this esteem and his character. Further, this Diocese is keenly aware of the pain and difficulty, to say nothing of the expense, incurred by a Diocese when a Bishop–elect is denied consent. As a Standing Committee we pledge to hold Fr. Thew Forrester and Diocese of Northern Michigan in our prayers.

Unanimously Resolved – April 21, 2009

http://www.dioceseofsc.org/mt/archives/000405.html/

The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt: Statement on the Consent Process in the Episcopal Election in the Diocese of Northern Michigan

The process of consent to an episcopal election does not always generate a great deal of interest in the Episcopal Church, but it has done so in the case of the Rev’d Kevin Thew Forrester, bishop-elect in the Diocese of Northern Michigan. The process for election of a bishop in this case requires consents from a majority of bishops and Standing Committees in the various dioceses of the Episcopal Church before a bishop is consecrated. This is one of the many ways in which we are reminded that our obligations to each other go beyond the local Church.

I voted against consent to his election. Hesitations have been expressed in many quarters on a number of grounds. Decisive for me has been the fact that the Rev’d Thew Forrester has used liturgies not authorized for use in the Episcopal Church, on a regular and ongoing basis. The permission of one’s bishop is beside the point. No bishop of the Episcopal Church is able to authorize liturgies for use in our Church, as alternatives to the regularly appointed services, that have not been approved by the General Convention as supplements to our Prayer Book liturgies. Certainly no individual priest or vestry is able to do so. The clergy of the Episcopal Church are not free to use in church other Anglican liturgical formularies, including those authorized in other provinces of the Communion, or liturgical resources from other traditions, except within the limits set forth in our own Prayer Book. These limits have not been observed by Thew Forrester.

This discipline of the Church may be thought too narrow or unsuitable to our own age. Yet it is the order we have. The theologically inadequate baptismal rite used at St Paul’s Church, Marquette, under the aegis of Thew Forrester, is a reminder of why individuals are not allowed to write their own liturgies. Liturgies which are formulated around idiosyncratic statements of what we are renouncing and exactly what we are embracing beg the question of what community we are being initiated into, and whose disciples we have become. If there is a moment for liturgical and theological clarity, Holy Baptism is it.

More here-

http://episcopaldiocese-tn.org/bishops-forum/the-rt-rev-john-c-bauerschmidt-statement-on-the-consent-process-in-the-episcopal-election-in-the-diocese-of-northern-michigan

"Buddhist" Bishop-Elect Revises Liturgy for Baptism

Holy Revisionist Batman !

Presider: The Candidate for Holy Baptism will now be presented.

Parents and Godparents: I present N. to receive the Sacrament of Baptism

Presider: Will you be responsible for seeing that N. is brought up in the Christian faith and life?

Parents and Godparents: I will, with God’s help.

Presider: Will you, by your prayers and witness, help N. to grow into the full stature of Christ?

Parents and Godparents: I will, with God’s help.

Presider: Do you seek to awaken to the eternal presence of God, who is your very heart and soul?

Parents and Godparents: I do.

The Renunciations

Presider: God forever invites you to let go of self deceit to dwell in the house of honesty, where eternal Hope reigns. Will you accept this invitation?

Parents and Godparents: I will, with God’s help.

Presider: God forever invites you to let go of all fear to dwell in the house of courage, where eternal Faith reigns. Will you accept this invitation?

Parents and Godparents: I will, with God’s help.

Presider: God forever invites you to let go of all anger to dwell in the house of serenity, where Love reigns. Will you accept this invitation?

Parents and Godparents: I will, with God’s help.

The Act of Adherence
Presider: Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as the way of Life and Hope?

Parents and Godparents: I do.

Presider: Do you put your whole trust in Christ’s grace and love?

Parents and Godparents: I do.

Presider: Do you promise to follow Christ as the way of life?

Parents and Godparents: I do.

We stand as we are able.

Presider: Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support N. in her life in Christ?

Assembly: We will.

More (much more)-

http://creedalchristian.blogspot.com/2009/04/buddhist-bishop-elect-revises-liturgy.html

Faith and the Zen bishop-elect (updated)

If you search the World Wide Web for the name of Father Kevin G. Thew Forrester and the word “bishop,” you will find that an ocean of digital ink has been spilled in coverage of the bishop-elect of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan. However, once again, you will find that this is apparently a “conservative” news story, with most of the “news” reports running in alternative, conservative publications and stirring up responses in advocacy media on the left.

Alas, if you look for the story in the mainstream press, you will find next to nothing. This is strange, because there are several interesting and newsworthy angles to this election in a tiny liberal diocese, which has a total membership about the size, or smaller, of a single evangelical megachurch.

The headline grabber is that Thew Forrester is both an Episcopal priest and an ordained — whatever that means — teacher of Zen Buddhism. However, it is also interesting that, when he was elected, Thew Forrester was the only nominee. In an attempt to derail the election, conservatives are asking, “Who anointed him in this manner and why?”

The bishop-elect has avoided mainstream coverage, in part, by declining interviews from publications such as the respected Anglican periodical The Living Church. The lack of info has allowed his supporters to simply say he is being attacked by people who have no interest in understand the complex nature of his approach to these faiths.

However, Frank “Bible Belt Blogger” Lockwood of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has marched into the gap, landing an interview that may be just as hot as his famous — on the record, nicely recorded — interview with former President Carter in which he called the George W. Bush administration the “worst in history.”

More here-

http://www.getreligion.org/?p=10940

Ark. bishop questions possible Episcopal bishop

A candidate to become the Episcopal Church's bishop in northern Michigan has unconventional beliefs that are causing some to question his possible appointment.

The Rev. Kevin G. Thew Forrester denies that Satan exists, doesn't believe God sent Jesus Christ to die for the world's sins and teaches that many paths lead to spiritual salvation. Thew Forrester also altered the denomination's prayer book, which include its baptismal vows and the words of the Apostles' Creed.

Now, as Thew Forrester awaits potential appointment to the Diocese of Northern Michigan, Arkansas bishop Larry Benfield says he and others hope the 51-year-old priest doesn't get the position. Benfield voted against Thew Forrester receiving the position.

Bishops and diocesan governing committees have until mid-July to cast their ballots on confirming Thew Forrester.

"The Book of Common Prayer, for us, is deeply steeped in the tradition of the church and in holy scripture," Benfield told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in a copyright story published Friday. "Changes in the prayer book are very serious matters for us in the Episcopal Church."

The rest is here-

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ar-bishopsbeliefs,0,2453728.story

In an online world, all (church) politics is global

But the controversy has done more than jeopardize Thew Forrester's promotion and stoke already-high tensions in the 2.2 million-member Episcopal Church. It also heralds a new era in church politics that mirrors mainstream culture, when online research and partisan tactics can combine to make or break a career, observers say.

"Thirty years ago, if a person was elected as bishop, it would be almost impossible for the church, broadly speaking, to see his sermons," said Bishop Edward Little of Northern Indiana. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but that's the way it is."

Little himself examined Thew Forrester's sermons after finding them online and decided -- regrettably, he said -- to vote against him.

"They indicate that there may have been some transformation of his Christianity as a result of his embrace of Buddhism," Little said. The Indiana bishop said members of his diocese have repeatedly asked him about Thew Forrester, even though the Michigan priest works in a small, out-of-the-way diocese. "Lots of people in the diocese troll the Internet and know the issues."

Thew Forrester maintains he is not a Buddhist, but has used the techniques of Zen meditation, which he has practiced for nearly a decade, to revive Christianity's own centuries-old contemplative customs.

"It seems to me we've lost the memory of the fullness of our tradition," he said in an interview. At the same time, "we must reform our faith, our liturgy and our polity so that we are ever more congruent with the divine will and the Gospel, and that is what we have done here," he said.

Read it all here-

http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=17919

Bishop Kimsey responds to Bishop Breidenthal

From Episcopal Cafe

The Lead earlier this month published the letter from The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal (Southern Ohio) to his diocese regarding his decision not to consent to the consecration of Kevin Thew Forrester as Bishop of Northern Michigan. The Rt. Rev. Rustin R. Kimsey (Assisting Bishop for the Diocese of Alaska, The Fifth Bishop of Eastern Oregon, Retired, Assisting Bishop for the Episcopal Church in Navajoland, Retired) has written an open letter to Breidenthal. Kimsey writes,

Are you attempting to say that the Augustinian view of Original Sin is the only game in town? You and I could cite theologian after theologian who disagreed with one another over this pivotal issue of our nature--and the corresponding issue of the nature of God’s grace--and what occurred on Good Friday--and what was consummated on Easter morning, but the primary point of my entreaty to you is that we should welcome the debate. I find it reprehensible to even think of denying you access to the floor of the House of Bishops because of your theological belief about atonement.
...
If you prevail and Kevin’s election is not agreed to, what is the next litmus test to be? And perhaps the telling question is: if you prevail and Kevin’s election is not agreed to, what word do you have for the people of Northern Michigan? I would suggest you cut us all some slack and withdraw your opposition to Kevin’s election. In so doing you would add a moment of grace to a Communion that, I believe, is in search of openness and transparency, not inquisitional standards employed through the consent process.

The rest is here-

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/bishops/bishop_kimsey_responds_to_bish_1.html

Bishop Marshall declines consent

Paul Marshall says "no" to the candidate from Northern Michigan on theological grounds.

The Church, as it ponders scripture, tradition, in the light to the best reason it can muster, is itself the judge of the Church’s latitude in doctrine and practice. It defines that latitude from time to time, seeking to welcome the broadest possible expression of the basics of the faith. Core doctrines are maintained most notably by unambiguous reference in liturgy and catechism.

Thus when Bishop Righter was tried for allegedly violating the Church’s doctrine in accepting certain persons for ordination, the court was able to say that while the question was a theological question, it was not a matter of core doctrine and was not addressed in our central documents. Unpublished documents from the right wing opine that they subsequently think they would have more likely gotten a conviction if they had charged Righter with violating the discipline (operating rules) rather than the doctrine of the Church.

When Bishop Robinson was elected, there was again a question of doctrine, but no core doctrine in prayer book and canon to which appeal could made. (Attempts to apply to documents from the UK still cause me to wonder.) When a multiply-divorced man was elected in Northern California, at least a majority in both houses believed that the New Testament teaches about divorce, and particularly its prohibition of remarried bishops did not form an absolute barrier. Although I did not agree, this made a kind of sense, the question of moral modeling aside, because the Church is in fact now more open to remarriage. Beyond that, both Bishops Pike and Righter had contracted serial marriages, not to mention many priests.

In the case of the bishop-elect of Northern Michigan, perhaps we can get our ducks in the correct rows. His Buddhist practices are sensational but not the point. In sermons and other writings (including eucharistic prayers which I fear were used outside Rite III settings, giving us a question of discipline as well as doctrine), the bishop-elect makes it clear that the doctrine of the Trinity as confessed in the Creed and explained in the Catechism is not what he holds.

He will use base-three theological language, but never in service to the proposition that in Jesus of Nazareth God became fully human. Similarly, his understanding of the atonement is not conformable with the liturgy or catechism, but appears to be something like gnostic enlightenment. His writings represent a very shaky understanding of the Second Person of the Trinity, God incarnate, severely weakening his gospel.

More here-

http://covenant-communion.net/index.php/news_items/bishop_marshall_declines_consent/