Loading ...DIO-CENTRAL NEW YORK votes no on bishop-elect
flockwoodThe Standing Committee of the Diocese of Central New York voted yesterday (June 17, 2009) to withhold consent to the election of the Rev. Kevin G. Thew Forrester as bishop of Northern Michigan. The would-be bishop, who altered the church’s liturgy and theology as contained in the Book of Common Prayer, is losing two-to-one, with most of the votes already cast. The deadline to cast votes is July 19.
A survey by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette of the church’s 111 dioceses and convocations finds:
Dioceses supporting Thew Forrester’s election: 30
Dioceses and convocations opposing Thew Forrester’s election: 60*
U.S. dioceses still undecided: 3
International dioceses still undecided: 7
U.S. dioceses declining to reveal their vote: 11
*Includes dioceses that are abstaining. Abstentions are counted as ‘no’ votes under canon law.
June 18th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
This count really makes me wonder why the eleven dioceses and bishops won’t reveal their votes. I mean, the count is going two to one against the guy, so it’s not like eleven votes is going to make a difference either way. And it doesn’t make me any happier that the Diocese of Lexington is one of those not being transparent.
June 18th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Perhaps giving them more of the benefit of the doubt than is due, they probably just don’t think it matters or haven’t gotten around to it. Those reasons don’t make me feel better about it, but it may not be out of duplicity so much as sloppiness.
June 20th, 2009 at 3:18 am
I think the problem that 815 has with Pittsburgh is that there was a viable standing committee that, unlike SJ, 815 could not come up with an excuse to replace.
Ron+- every paid cleric (except maybe the rector in Houghton) in this diocese is signatory to the “affirmations” that were included in the Dar Statement and make each of us “an only begotten child of God” and “incarnation of God.” You can make an argument that the older parishioners- and some of the Title IX clergy- brought up on the Catechism and Offices of Instruction of the 28 BCP are better disciplined and instructed than most of the paid clergy.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:54 am
Madge, when these dioceses refuse to answer direct questions put to them by Frank and perhaps others in the press about how they voted, that goes beyond sloppy; someone has made a deliberate decision not to report these results. I don’t know who made the decision, or why, but I can’t imagine that it’s an accident.