FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Christopher I. Wilkins, Ph.D., Facilitator (ciwilkins@viamediausa.org)
Dianne Betts, Ph.D., Secretary (dcbetts@viamediausa.org)

July 29, 2006

To a Church in Transition: a Message from Via Media

USA Via Media USA is grateful for the hope and faith so vividly evident during The Episcopal Church’s 2006 General Convention. Many of its actions show a church that effectively carries forward the work God has given it to do at home and abroad.

We are especially grateful for the new heads of our church, the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop-elect, and Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies. They bring to their roles a great many gifts and several years of experience in, and dedication to, the Episcopal Church. We look forward to their leadership.

We are confident that General Convention’s actions, including the dearly-bought resolutions related to the Windsor Report, will be accepted in the spirit in which they were offered. They show the Episcopal Church reaching out with sincerity, unity, and integrity to a world in need, and not least to its Anglican Communion partners.

We are disappointed, but not surprised, that eight dioceses have leaders who have rejected these efforts, this new leadership, and the Episcopal Church. Whether appealing for alternate primatial oversight, requesting direct oversight by the Archbishop of Canterbury, seeking to withdraw their dioceses into a new province, or highlighting how they think this church has abandoned the gospel, their actions show that they continue to walk apart from the Episcopal Church. As they do so, they make themselves a stumbling-block to the faithful, and a millstone around the church’s neck.

We find it regrettable that their message to our church boils down to, “I have no need of you.” However sweetly they phrase their words, these words are declarations of schism. These individuals seek to separate a part of this church from the rest of it, isolating dioceses and parishes from the church in the process.

That these actions have come so quickly—one might say precipitately—following General Convention shows premeditation. We hope and trust that our leaders will do what is necessary to protect the church and enable it to move forward faithfully in Christ’s mission. We must ensure that those who continue with the Episcopal Church have support so that the church’s ministries may not be diminished. Our website, http://viamediausa.org, and those of our alliance members, will contain updates as events unfold. Via Media USA has not initiated actions against any leadership. Our intent is to find and support the faithful Episcopalians who will rebuild the Episcopal Church in dioceses where it has been broken.

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