Statement from Bishop and Standing Committee

Sorry the link in the prior article didn't work. Here is the Bishop's statement:

STATEMENT
Bishop and Standing Committee
25th April, A.D. 2010
IV Easter and St. Mark’s Day
Prepared for a diocesan-wide gathering of clergy, lay leaders and interested laity held at St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

Beloved in the Lord: Christ is Risen! Good Afternoon. Thank you for coming and for your abiding prayers and labors for our Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. Thank you also for your vision and commitment to transforming our world with Jesus Christ – together – as one Church of miraculous expectation and missionary grace.
Your Bishop and Standing Committee are very pleased to be here with you today to give a progress report and update on the defense and the mission of the fifty-five congregations and fellowships that are collectively the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.

We have come to a remarkable clarity and unity about our path forward, both legally and missionally. It is this we want to share with you today.

Appealing to Caesar
We are convinced that appealing the decisions by the Court of Common Pleas in Calvary Church v. The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan et al. (the court’s final order issued on January 29, 2010) is in the best interest of all – and critical to the defense of – all the parishes of the diocese. Over the last six months, the Bishop and Standing Committee have thoroughly examined this course of action, together with a number of other legal options (including ending all legal action), and have given our lawyers instructions to press forward with the appeal as a result of this careful examination. Throughout all of the deliberations and debates about how best to proceed, in which countless voices have been heard, the over-riding concern before the Bishop and Standing Committee has been how best to protect your parishes and your mission.

The appeal will address numerous errors by the trial court, including how it treated the question of whether the diocese validly withdrew from The Episcopal Church. The issue of validity of diocesan withdrawal unavoidably includes validity of parish withdrawal. We expect a decision on our appeal in the first quarter of 2011.
Desire for Negotiation/Mediation

The Bishop and Standing Committee have also continued to seek a negotiated settlement throughout these months. Both formal (letters) and informal (conversations) means have been employed.

A Single Approach, But…
The Bishop and Standing Committee have come to a fresh appreciation of the importance of all parishes “hanging together, lest we hang separately.” On the legal front this means that the appeal of the Court of Common Pleas decision is the unified course of action for all parishes. Nevertheless, the Standing Committee has also foreseen the possibility that one or more parishes may be drawn to pursue an independent and alternative course as a result of peculiar local circumstances. The Standing Committee’s resolve in this is that such a parish – in order to protect the best interests of all other parishes – be respectfully urged to formally consult with the Standing Committee, and receive the Standing Committee’s endorsement, before thus proceeding. We believe that in this way true interdependence – classic Anglican “accountable autonomy” – can be exercised to the benefit of all and the detriment of none. The Bishop and Standing Committee also reaffirmed the position of the Anglican Church in North America and of our own amended local canons that “all parish property is owned by the parishes” without any trust claim by the diocese.
Cost Containment

The Bishop and Standing Committee are resolved to contain legal costs as effectively as possible. A single diocesan approach on behalf of all the parishes, rather than multiple parish actions, is one feature of this containment. Additionally, the renegotiation of rates, pro-bono consultation and the development of a multi-tiered legal team assists this strategy. Because the issues will be focused, and our lawyers are well-versed in the legal issues that will be addressed on appeal, our appellate legal fees will be substantially less than those at the trial court level. The Bishop and Standing Committee have a confidential fee agreement with our counsel.
Pay-as-you-go, but not from Assessments

Legal costs are being paid from gifts to the Staying Faithful Fund and from proceeds of the $200,000 external matching challenge gift announced in November. No funds are being taken from parish assessments to the diocese or from the operating budgets of the diocese or its parishes. All legal bills are paid as of this report. Services are closely monitored and pre-approved. Management is pay-as-you-go. We will not spend what we do not have.

Gifts to the Staying Faithful Fund
Gifts to the Staying Faithful Fund continue to be solicited and to be given. So far $112,803.32 has flowed through the Fund. The challenge grant increases the value of every gift by 50%. The challenge grant expires December 31st of this year, so giving now has the greatest impact. We do believe it is necessary to fight this fight, so we ask that each consider gifts according to their ability. There have been large gifts and small gifts. All gifts matter.

Time Frame
The best estimate of a time-frame for the appeal is 10 to 12 months. Much time is spent waiting for court dates. Because much of the research, approach and writing has already been developed in the first stage of the case, the costs on appeal are not expected to be anywhere near as great. As we have said earlier, The Bishop and Standing Committee do have a confidential estimate.

Moving Forward in Mission
The most important thing each parish can do is to move forward in mission. As a parish, whom are you called to reach? Is there an overlooked people-group, social need, or institution at your doorstep? What do you need to reach them? How important are your present buildings to the mission? Are there attractive alternatives? How much does the result of the diocesan appeal actually matter? Could your parish assign a small team to look at contingencies, while the vast majority of your congregation focuses on the mission? Can you shape and plant new congregations, can you draw new people, regardless?

Resources for Forward Motion
The Board of Trustees has shaped itself into “resource centers” on planned giving, continuation (contingency) planning, and strategic thinking. Contact information will be distributed today. A sheet of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) has been prepared by the Bishop and Standing Committee to help all of us get beyond anxieties about “the lawsuit.” The Bishop and Council, together with the Bishop’s Office (Bishop, Canon and CFO), are ready to help in consulting. So are fellow clergy and lay leaders from other parishes. Many of our parishes are already moving forward as if the legal uncertainties had already been settled. “Yes” the legal uncertainties are concerning, but “No” they need not hold us back. There are 55 parishes and fellowships, so there are 55 different missions to be undertaken. Each mission is distinct because each context is different, yet there are creative commonalities. And there are many new Anglican faith communities yet to be gathered right here in our midst. The lawsuit is a distraction – for now a necessary distraction – but the mission of the Gospel must be our abiding focus. Remember the 2008 Special Convention: “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” [Luke 5.4] Jesus’ direction to us is clearer than ever.