[Editor's Note: Bp. James M. Stanton of Dallas, has long stated that the House of Bishops is waiting and 'prepared' to declare a seat vacant in a diocese that opposes the liberal trends of the Episcopal Church. If declared vacant, they can elect soomeone to fill that seat and move him/her into the diocese. Perhaps we were wrong to be skeptical that this could be reality.]
http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=2762
11/16/2006
The House of Bishops’ Task Force on Property Disputes has identified eight “problem dioceses” and will maintain contact persons within those dioceses who wish to “remain loyal to The Episcopal Church,” according to a report presented to The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council. The Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, Bishop of Lexington, presented the written report to the council on Nov. 15.
The eight dioceses that will be monitored are Dallas, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy, Rio Grande, San Diego, San Joaquin, and Springfield.
The task force began its work in fall 2005. To date the committee has developed a bank of court filings and research memoranda to aid dioceses with litigation, and identified potential expert witnesses. It also introduced General Convention Resolution B032 stating that none of the Windsor Report-related responses established or contemplated by various dioceses “is intended to affect either the historic separate and independent status of the churches of the Anglican Communion or the legal identity of The Episcopal Church.”
The report said the task force is now developing a position paper “setting forth possible common grounds which could be sought so that the split in The Episcopal Church which is feared by the task force might be avoided.” It also is preparing filings to be used “in certain very limited situations” to institute presentments or lawsuits against any “entity which has affirmatively undertaken conduct to separate from The Episcopal Church.”
Episcopal News Service contributed to this report.
