Oversight Program for orthodox Episcopal parishes

Discussion in 'Questions?' started by Lowly Layman, May 15, 2014.

  1. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    I had almost forgotten about this program but last night I had the great pleasure of visiting a historic, traditional Episcopal church still worshipping with the 1928 BCP and absolutely thriving under the oversight of an orthodox bishop. It has been participating in the DEPO program since 2010 and seems to be doing quite well. Do any of you guys have experience with it? This may well be an alternative to leaving the TEC for traditional Episcopalians that I discounted too quickly.
     
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  2. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    PS: DEPO stands for Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight for those not familiar.
     
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  3. seagull

    seagull Active Member

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    I think that at the moment we have two "flying bishops" for those parishes which remain opposed to women priests, Beverley in the north and Ebbsfleet in the south. However, since the anti-women brigade varies from Anglo Catholic to conservative evangelical, I'm not sure if their services have much in common.

    How this situation will change when we get women bishops, I'm not sure. But I think that there are discussions about "safeguarding" the objectors.
     
  4. Spherelink

    Spherelink Active Member

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    Seagull how did you turn an escape from women bishops into an opportunity to advocate for them? Can't you see that we are trying to flee from the very situation you're happy to ram-rod over in England? If you guys pass it then we'll have to set up our own DEPO for England, and colonize it back to orthodoxy. You are still on the thin peninsula of orthodoxy as of yet; don't let go of the reigns, and embrace the fictive concubine of Modernism. "He who marries the spirit of this age will always find himself a widower in the next." Don't be a widower. Don't let the need for islands of orthodoxy like DEPO arise in England. And if you do we're going to bring it there anyway.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2014
  5. Spherelink

    Spherelink Active Member

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    That is absolutely and unremittingly awesome. I still like to think of myself as episcopalian in the classical sense of the term! Kinda wish I still could share in that corporate body. It makes me wonder why our bishop hasn't availed himself of DEPO if itwere available. Could it be a recent development to forestall even more Christians from fleeing the Modernist (Episcopal) Church over the last 5-10 years?
     
  6. seagull

    seagull Active Member

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    The great majority of members of the Cof E, bishops, clergy and laity, are in favour of women bishops. Those in favour, of course, include the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. As a humble member of a Deanery Synod (no higher) my capacity to ramrod is in any event limited.

    Your attempts to interfere will be in vain, but if you want to do this, you could start with some of our sister Churches, in Australia and New Zealand, not to mention the Church in Wales and the Church of Ireland. Or perhaps you consider these mere small fry and unworthy of your attention?
     
  7. Symphorian

    Symphorian Well-Known Member

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    Yes, in the C of E we've had 'Flying Bishops' or Provincial Episcopal Visitors for around 20 years. (Since the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood.)

    See the Forward in Faith Website and the Society of St Wilfred and St Hilda (or Society of Saints Hinge & Bracket as it's sometimes known - but you have to be a Brit of a certain age to understand that!)

    http://www.forwardinfaith.com/default.htm

    http://www.sswsh.com/

    It tends to be a haven for traditional Anglo-Catholics as you can see from a number of the photos.
     
  8. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    perhaps. it ocurred about the time the diocese ended another property dispute from another historic church's secession and it could be that the bishop was amenable to programs that didnt involve litigators
     
  9. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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  10. The Hackney Hub

    The Hackney Hub Well-Known Member

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    I think most of the orthodox bishops in PECUSA are involved in various DEPO arrangements. I know our assistant bishop, Bishop Herzog, travels to Maryland to perform confirmations and visitations. I don't know if this is a formal arrangement or not.