PROGRESSIVE EPISCOPALIANS OF PITTSBURGH
6393 Penn Avenue, PMB 207
Pittsburgh, PA 15206-4010
Contact:
Kenneth Stiles, Vice President
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh
Telephone: +1 (412) 362-2112
E-mail: krstiles@acba.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pittsburgh Episcopal group disputes
diocese’s defense of schism
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — May 19, 2008 — “Realignment Reconsidered,” a
point-by-point rebuttal to the 8-page handout from the Episcopal Diocese of
Pittsburgh, “Frequently Asked Questions About Realignment,” has been published
by Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (PEP). It is available as a PDF file
on PEP’s Web site.
PEP is a group formed more than five years ago to be a voice for mainstream
Episcopalians in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. PEP has consistently opposed
measures that have brought the diocese to the brink of schism, or, as it is
being marketed, “realignment,” which involves the removal of the diocese from
The Episcopal Church and its affiliation, at least in the near term, with some
Anglican Province in another part of the world.
“Diocesan leaders have been telling parishes that realignment is both proper
and innocuous; we believe it is neither,” explained Lionel Deimel, PEP board
member and principal author of the new document. “Parishes who trust what they
are being told—conveniently packaged by the diocese in “FAQ About
Realignment”—risk losing both their parish property and their status within the
Anglican Communion.”
According to the new document, “It is the position of The Episcopal Church,
supported overwhelmingly by diocesan chancellors and legal scholars, that a
diocese cannot properly remove its accession clause from its constitution, nor
can it remove itself from The Episcopal Church.” PEP cites events in the
Diocese of San Joaquin as evidence that The Episcopal Church will act boldly to
protect its interests.
PEP hopes that “Realignment Reconsidered” will encourage Episcopalians in Pittsburgh to examine the risks and benefits of realignment more critically. “It is
ironic,” suggests PEP secretary Alfred Mann, “that people want to break away
from a church that is so tolerant of different views, but that toleration seems
to be one of the characteristics of The Episcopal Church they most dislike.”
Contact:
Kenneth Stiles, Vice President
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh
Telephone: +1 (412) 362-2112
E-mail: krstiles@acba.org
On the Web:
This document:
http://progressiveepiscopalians.org/html/2008-05-19reconsidered.html
“Realignment Reconsidered”
http://progressiveepiscopalians.org/html/reconsidered.pdf
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh:
http://progressiveepiscopalians.org
The Episcopal Church:
http://episcopalchurch.org
“Frequently Asked Questions About Realignment”
http://parishtoolbox.org./media/RealignmentFAQ.pdf
Diocese of Pittsburgh:
http://www.pghanglican.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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