PROGRESSIVE EPISCOPALIANS OF PITTSBURGH
6393 Penn Avenue, PMB 207
Pittsburgh, PA 15206-4010
 

Contact:
Joan R. Gundersen, President
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh
Telephone: +1 (412) 799-0440
E-mail: jrgunder@hotmail.com
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
PEP: Bishops’ Response Adequate, if Inconsistent
 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — September 28, 2007 — Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (PEP) commends the church’s bishops for their “response” to the communiqué of February 19 from the Anglican primates. The bishops reaffirmed the commitments made to the Anglican Communion at the 2006 General Convention and acted in accord with the church’s conviction that Christ calls us to respect the dignity of every human being. We pray that the Anglican Communion will see this answer as a conscientious attempt to address concerns raised by our sister churches in the Communion.
 
“Overall, the bishops resisted the temptation to assume more authority or power than granted by the constitution and canons of our church,” observed Dr. Joan Gundersen, PEP president. “Not only did they affirm General Convention’s expressed position in resolution B033, but their statements on same-sex blessings and affirmations of inclusion and rights for all people are consonant with the current status of these matters in General Convention,” Gundersen added.
 
Of particular concern to PEP, however, is the fact that the episcopal visitors plan makes no provision for connecting to the wider Episcopal Church loyal Episcopalians in dioceses (such as Pittsburgh) that have requested “alternative primatial oversight.” “Many of us celebrated the election of Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori,” explained PEP board member and blogger Dr. Lionel Deimel. “Should our bishop accept an episcopal visitor, those of us who have been most vocal in support of our church would be isolated from it and subject to even less respect within our diocese than we are now.”
 
PEP believes that the episcopal visitor plan is not pastorally adequate. In the unlikely event that any diocese chooses to avail itself of the scheme, we would hope that the implementation plans would make provision for those who wished to remain in direct connection to the duly elected officials of the church.
 
 
Contact:
Joan R. Gundersen, President
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh
Telephone: +1 (412) 799-0440
E-mail: jrgunder@hotmail.com
 
 
On the Web:
This document:

http://progressiveepiscopalians.org/html/2007-09-28adequate.html
 
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh:
http://progressiveepiscopalians.org
 
Bishop’ statement:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_90457_ENG_HTM.htm
 
The Episcopal Church:
http://episcopalchurch.org
 
 
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh is an organization of clergy and laypeople committed to the unity and diversity of The Episcopal Church, and of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. It is a member of the Via Media USA alliance.
 

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