NOTE: Below are items following up on our brief report regarding former Quincy (IL) Bishop Keith Ackerman a couple of days ago. The report said that TEC’s Presiding Bishop had executed documents claiming that Ackerman, who has been serving as part-time assisting bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield, had “[renounced] the ordained ministry of this church” and declaring his removal from the same. In a letter to Ackerman, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori indicated she was acting on information that the traditionalist former Quincy leader intends to continue his ministry by serving as a bishop of the Diocese of Bolivia in the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, another part of the same communion of which TEC still claims to be a part. However, she asserted that there “is no provision for transferring a bishop to another province” within that same communion. A statement from and interview with Bishop Ackerman follow below.
http://www.anglicansunited.com/
Statement of the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, “renounced”
October 19th, 2009
From: Bishop K.L. Ackerman
[emailto:bishopkla@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009
I greet you in the precious Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose servant I am.
When I retired one year ago as the Bishop, Diocese of Quincy, the Episcopal Church, I did so for reasons of physical, spiritual and emotional distress, related to the ongoing demise of the Episcopal Church.
When promised assistance with my health insurance was denied by the Episcopal Church Center in freezing invested funds in Quincy, my health insurance was cancelled. It, therefore, became necessary for me to seek part time employment that would provide the money necessary to have health insurance.
I accepted a position counseling the homeless, and the unemployed, in a Christian non-profit organization in Dallas, Texas. It became necessary for me to learn Spanish since 95% of the people with whom I am counseling speak only Spanish.
I did so and this experience made it possible for me to respond positively to the kind invitation of the Bishop of Bolivia, to minister part time, in addition to assisting part time in the Diocese of Springfield (IL). Both dioceses are duly recognized members of the Anglican Communion. I saw no conflict of interest with The Episcopal Church, but wrote the Presiding Bishop for clarification in July, 2009 and believed that there would be no problem with this extension of ministry.
This letter was handwritten, sharing with the Presiding Bishop my current health, my new ministry with the homeless, my desire to assist another Anglican partner in ministry in Bolivia and, at their invitation, to participate informally (seat but no voice and no vote) in the House of Bishops of the Southern Cone. At no time did I express dissatisfaction with the Episcopal Church, or make any statement of a desire to be separated from it.
I made no copies of my letter because I wanted it to be clear that this was a very personal communication. She responded by written letter in September, 2009, telling me that she would send the appropriate documentation. After two months with no communication, I sent another handwritten, unduplicated letter in early October asking about this matter.
This past Friday, October 16, 2009, I received an e-mail from the Presiding Bishop, “indicating that there is no provision for transferring a bishop to another Province.” At no time did I request transfer to the Southern Cone. Her letter concluded, “I am therefore releasing you from the obligations of ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church”.
I did not ask for release and have never considered ministry in this Church an obligation, since it has been the source of my greatest joy.
I have not renounced, and in fact, in my first handwritten letter indicated that my intention was not to be seen as either “abandonment of the Communion” or “Renunciation.”
I have never received telephone calls from either the Presiding Bishop or any member of her staff asking for clarification. I can only conclude that assumptions were made in the press of events, which are incorrect. I intend to continue my ministry wherever possible.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy, retired
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Press Conference with the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, “renounced”
October 19th, 2009
Teleconference 10-19-09 2:00 Central Time, Sponsored by Anglicans United on behalf of the Rt. Rev Keith Ackerman, retired Bishop of Quincy; the Rev. Todd H. Wetzel, Moderator
Participants:
Doug LeBlanc, The Living Church
David Virtue, Virtueonline
Fr. Keith Acker, REC, Alpine, California
Fr. Michael Heidt
The Rev. Canon George Conger
Bishop Ackerman: I want to begin by saying how grateful I am to Fr. Todd Wetzel and Cherie for their great kindness in doing this. Bp. Ackerman opened the press conference with prayer.
Fr. Wetzel: Here are the ground rules. Bp. Ackerman will give a brief statement and then each will ask a question.
Bp Ackerman: Read his statement, above. For clarification , I want to state that I did ask to be transferred to the Diocese of Bolivia.
Fr. Wetzel: Each of you received an advance copy of the statement? Also received copies of PB’s communication ? Good. Gentlemen, the floor is open for questions:
Doug LeBlanc: I appreciate the clarification that you did request transfer to the diocese of Bolivia. Would you address the sense that anytime a bishop requests transfer to a diocese outside of the US, the Presiding Bishop takes this as disinterest in TEC.
Bp. Ackerman: I will be available wherever God wants me to be. I am still the President of Forward in Faith and have done all I can to minster to people internationally. I am concerned the way in which this canon is worded. It makes it sound as if I have renounced my ministry as well as my orders. This limits my ability to minister, especially here in the States. For example, I can’t go back to the church of my childhood and do a funeral.
David Virtue: Forward In Faith elected a bishop in the States, and is a constituent member of ACNA (Anglican Church in North America). Therefore you are member of ACNA and possible for deposition because of it.
Bishop Ackerman: I understand that deposition would be possible, but the conclusion that I have renounced without anyone asking me, is peculiar. If I had a parishioner who wanted to transfer to another parish and I promised them documentation, a different action taken than the one requested would be dishonest. If anyone from the Presiding Bishop’s office called me for clarification, that would be good. As it was, there was no pastoral concern or care exercised.
TH: Yes, and this was done after 35 years of faithful service in TEC.
Fr. Keith Acker: Bp. Ackerman, you made it clear that you received initial indication from Dr. Schori that documents for transfer would be forth coming, with no other communications between that and the announcement of renunciation. Is that correct?
Bishop Ackerman: All prior communications indicated that all other appropriate documentation would be sent. When I did not receive it, I sent a follow up note. I received a Heads Up, via email last Friday, which assumes that someone is sitting at a computer waiting for something. A personal phone call would have gone a long way with me. The kind of questions I am getting from people are, “The ministrations you are exercising, are they valid now”? This is confusing to the average person in the pew. I am cautious to speak charitably of others and have long maintained the position that the Episcopal Ch will teach what it has received over the centuries.
George Conger: Bp. Ackerman, .in your letter you speak of health insurance problems because of freezing funds. Can you elucidate this?
Bishop Ackerman: The diocese of Quincy was going to assist with health insurance for Jo and I . When TEC froze the investments in Quincy they were no longer available for our health insurance. Additionally, the supplement paid for Bishop Parsons was also frozen and then withdrawn. I tried to get health insurance through TEC and was told it was not available to me. Had to get insurance privately, which required my getting a job to pay for this health insurance.
David Virtue: A friend of mine in a parish in Louisiana, after Katrina, the church was not able to pay into diocese and Bishop Charles Jenkins approached the Church Pension Fund and found a special fund that will pay for special circumstances. He was able to get it for this priest on a month to month basis.
Bishop Ackerman: I was led to believe there was a pastoral care department in the Presiding Bishop’s office, but have not heard from anyone since my retirement. The pastoral care does not seem to be forthcoming.
Doug LeBlanc: If Anglicans United decides to establish a way for people to donate to your health insurance, I hope they will make that known Aside from your health, would you address the effect of this? It seems to me that this will not inhibit your ability to function within Bolivia or Southern Cone. Therefore this is a ‘shaming technique’ employed by the Presiding Bishop, but will not matter within the Anglican l Communion.
Bishop Ackerman: I have already heard that I am a priest in good standing in Bolivia. I would have preferred that this be done above board. I was not interested in making this a media event or making her a subject of controversy. I did not think that would serve her well. Some have gone with TEC in Quincy. I don’t understand that but respect their right to make that decision. Some remain in TEC. I want to support them as I have been supported by many outside of TEC. I am merely trying to be obedient to the call that is on my life. My grandparents were killed on way home from my parents’ wedding. My first two sisters died. Mother prayed that this child she was carrying would live. She promised that if I did, she would give me to God. I had no intention of leaving the Episcopal Church. I have had the occasional exception of baseball – but this false charge of renunciation is a hollow exercise. I tried to do this in an honorable way and am treated this way. What happens to those who do not do so? They will also be treated with less than loving kindness. Those deemed to not be the current stars of TEC, are treated badly. When injustice is put before us, we need to protest.
Fr. Wetzel: Bp. In a prior conversation we have discussed the fact that TEC remains in relationship with the Anglican Communion. Why then is there no means available, after years of relationship within the Communion, for amicable transfer for a bishop or priest to another diocese or province on a formal or an informal basis?
Bishop Ackerman: My conclusion when a province says they are incapable of doing that, is that they see themselves as independent.
As a self-denomination. Not a province of a worldwide Communion. The second principle is also remarkable. If orders are not universal in the Anglican Communion, they cease to be catholic in the true sense of the word. As the Roman Catholic Church says, theological faculties can be given or withdrawn. Another question is that TEC is very specific about changing canons that don’t seem to match the current needs of the culture: marriage , ordination, related to features of the personality of who can and cannot be ordained. This is a simple canon that could have simply handled at General Convention. It is peculiar that we have changed canons that are breathtaking, but not bothered to look at canons that say those who want to be Anglicans cannot be an Episcopalian.
Fr. Michael Heidt: Did you expect the Presiding Bishop to use this opportunity to be vindictive given your believes?
Bishop Ackerman: I always have given people the opportunity to do their best and that’s the way I ran the diocese. Am I distressed? That is not part that distresses me. I never thought of myself as Episcopal Bishop, but bishop in Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church. The moment we take that away, we reduce people to being captive to one Church. TEC does not own the ministry of the one, holy, Catholic church.
Fr. Wetzel: This will be the last question.
George Conger: About the Catholicity of orders. I find it strange that this renunciation has been used on you and Bp. Iker (Fort Worth) and at same time Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori was irritated that some did not recognize her orders because she is a woman. Do you see a correlation?
Bishop Ackerman: That is a good question. It sparks in me that I wanted to be upfront and not passive aggressive; the person I have always been. In the House of Bishops, I was a type of conscientious objector. I made it clear that I objected. But in this matter, I believe they could ask me instead of reading about my supposed renunciation online. I was trying to prevent her dealing with this as a conflict. Instead the information has been distributed on the web and she has created a situation that could have been avoided.
David Virtue: Just a second longer. Has Bishop James Stanton of Dallas moved to help you?
Bishop Ackerman: I live in the diocese of Ft Worth and work in Dallas. This “renunciation” came as surprise when Dallas was at diocesan convention.
David Virtue: ACNA wasn’t mentioned, right?
Bishop Ackerman: No, it wasn’t.
Fr. Wetzel: Bp Ackerman has acted in ACNA in the capacity of President, Forward in Faith, not as the retired Bp. Of the diocese of Quincy. He knows which hat he is wearing; and we can assume that the Presiding Bishop does also. At what point did Forward In Faith cease to be a ministry operating within TEC? With the possibility of the last GC, it has always an active participant within TEC.
David Virtue: that does raise new questions as to why you were not simply transferred. Members of the conference mentioned Bp. Tony Burton who transferred from Anglican Church of Canada to Dallas; Bp. McDonald from Alaska to Navjoland; Bp. Carrenza who came from Mexico to Los Angeles and other examples of priests and bishops transferring from one province to another, without incident.
Bishop Ackerman: I mailed her my phone numbers. Her mode of operation does not include the telephone. I want it clearly understood that I have no intention of revisiting this matter. I would not have done this teleconference had she deposed me or simply transferred me. I felt that the questions that have come in made it imperative to comment on the situation.
Fr. Wetzel: The lack of compassion and the lack of communication is stunning. Thanks to everyone for your time and patience today.
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Statement from the Very Rev. Robert Munday, Nashotah House Seminary
October 19th, 2009
[Ed. Note: There will be a press conference this afternoon with the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman about his "renunciation" of holy orders declared by the Presiding Bishop last Friday, October 16. I will post a transcript of this press conference as soon as possible. The Presiding Bishop states her reason for renunciation as the inability to transfer a bishop to another Province. Let's see now, didn't she transfer the Rt. Rev. Henry Scriven - Assisting Bishop of Pittsburgh - to the Church of England earlier this year? Dr. Munday, in his statement below, cites the national canons which have enabled this practice for more than 100 years. So, one must wonder if the Presiding Bishop cannot transfer Bp. Ackerman because the Southern Cone broke communion with TEC in 2003. Or, is this just plain spite? Cheryl M. Wetzel]
Sent compliments of Mary Ailes, Baby Blue Online at http://babybluecafe.blogspot.com/
October 18, 2009
Dr. Munday writes:
I know from speaking with Bishop Ackerman that he sent the Presiding Bishop a handwritten letter merely asking to have his credentials transferred to the Diocese of Bolivia. He said that he had no intention of renouncing his orders and that, while he intends to assist Bishop Lyons in work in Bolivia, he also wished to remain available to assist bishops in the United States, as requested.
The Presiding Bishop says that “…there is no provision for transferring a bishop to another province.” But that is not true. Title III, Canon 10, Sec. 2, provides for the reception of “Clergy Ordained by Bishops of Churches in Communion with This Church” by means of Letters Dimissory and states:
(3) The provisions of this Section 1 shall be fully applicable to all Members of the Clergy (emphasis mine) ordained in any Church in the process of entering the historic episcopal succession with which The Episcopal Church is in full communion as specified in Canon I.20, subject to the covenant of the two Churches as adopted by the General Convention.
And a subsection states that the churches from which such a clergy may be received includes:
(i) those duly constituted Dioceses, Provinces, and regional Churches in communion with the See of Canterbury,
So if the Episcopal Church can receive clergy (and bishops are included when it says “all Members of the Clergy”) from other provinces of the Anglican Communion by means of Letters Dimmisory, then it can issue those same letters when a bishop or other member of the clergy transfers to another province of the Anglican Communion.
