[no subject]

[barbara wolf <lupa@biddeford.com>]

Today's Boston Globe carries a story with headline "Church of Advent takes
step to secede".  I'm not sure about copyright regs, so I'll summarize.  (I
hope everyone notices that *this* has nothing to do with ordinations, icons,
women acolytes, or--it seems--tender consciences.)

The corporation voted Tues. night to change the parish's constitution to
allow the church to withdraw from the diocese.  Bp. Thomas Shaw SSJE was on
retreat and di not comment, but a spokeperson sais that he would meet with
the diocesan standing committee to decide how to respond.

The problem (the Globe calls it a long-running "feud") goes back a long time
and has its roots in the parish's constitution, which sets up a
coporporation of 20 members that appoints an 11-member vestry.  In 1993, the
corp passed a "no confidence" vote on its then rector, the Rev. Andrew Mead.
Fr. Mead had agreed with then-Bp. Johnso9n to resign, but was asked to
remain by Bp. Shaw when Bp. Johnson committed suicide last year.

Bp. Shaw told the corp. (Dec. 15) that it must abide by national Church laws
that require election of the vestry by the congregation.  He said the
trnsition to an elected vestry could be done over  several years.  He also
proposed that he and the corp. select Fr. Mead's replacement.  He warned the
parish that if it refused to compromise, he would consider classifying
Advent as a mission church.  This would allow him to appoint a rector
unliaterally.

The congregation, fearing the loss of its independence, rejected Bp. Shaw's
proposal.  In a letter yesterday to the Bp.'s attorney, the corp. accused
Bp. Shaw of "deep-seated hostility" toward the Advent.  It also offered to
allow the congregation to elect 3 members of the vestry.
Barbara Wolf

        "But we've got to be careful not to reduce people by cramming
        them in the limits of our understanding, haven't we?"

                                                Reginald Hill