OKLAHOMA: Oldest Bishop in the Episcopal Church Served Deposition Papers
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
1/19/2008
The oldest bishop in the history of The Episcopal Church, who has served as both priest and bishop for more than half a century, has been served a notice of deposition by Mrs. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop, for abandoning the communion of the Episcopal Church.
The Rt. Rev. William A. Cox, 87, now a resident in Tulsa, Oklahoma, told VOL that he has been served the papers and has 60 days to respond as to why he should not be tossed out of the church. The purging of orthodox bishops from The Episcopal Church is now in full throttle.
"I resigned from the Episcopal Church House of Bishops last year and was offered a safe spiritual haven to minister by the Archbishop of the Southern Cone," Cox told VOL. "He has included me as one of his own under his jurisdiction."
Cox said he got the letter from Mrs. Jefferts Schori 10 days ago. "She told me that the Title IV Review Committee said I had abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church." The letter was dated January 8.
Dear Bishop Cox,
Following your letter of March 28, 2007 advising me that you were resigning from the HOB and intended to continue active "episcopal ministry" under the ecclesiastical authority of the Presiding Bishop of the Province of the Southern Cone I asked the Title IV Review Committee to review the matter and to consider whether or not your action demonstrated that you had abandoned the communion of this church within the meaning of canon IV.9.
On May 29, 2007 the Review Committee sent to me the enclosed certification that you had abandoned the communion of this church.
I must now give you notice under canon IV.9 that if you fail to demonstrate to me within two months from today that you have not abandoned the communion of this church I shall be required to present the matter to the HOB at its next meeting in march 2008 for consideration as to whether or not you should be deposed from the ordained ministry of this church.
(I do not express any opinion regarding your status as an ordained person in any other church.)
Faithfully,
Katharine Jefferts Schori.
"I have not responded," Cox told VOL. "The letter enclosed a memorandum from the title IV. 9."
Asked what he would do, the orthodox bishop told VOL, "I don't know. I will talk to my Attorney, Mr. Wicks Stephen, and consult with him and see what response we will make.
"I think it is clear from the letter, and it is my understanding, that the letter implies that since I am now under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Argentina that they are not going to transfer my papers."
When VOL asked if Mrs. Jefferts Schori had been in touch with him, Cox said she had never talked with him. "She was in Oklahoma recently but did not get in touch with me."
Asked about a trial for his previous actions, Cox said he doesn't believe that will now happen. "They will depose me along with bishops Andy Fairfield, David Bena, John-David Schofield in March when the HOB meets."
When asked why he performed the previous consecrations that got him into so much hot water, Cox explained, "I went to Kansas and ordained and did confirmations and later confirmed in Oklahoma when I saw that people who had differing views and who decided that they wanted to worship in a different communion became anathema to the people in The Episcopal Church. They were outsiders and so what they were doing was prohibiting me from ministering to these people they considered outcasts and outsiders. My understanding is that Jesus always went to the outcast and I could see no reason why the Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi, when he asked me personally to do that, as an act of Christian ministry, that I shouldn't do it."
Asked about the value of diocesan boundaries, Cox said, "These diocesan boundaries are not going to be worth much any more and when we all stand before the Judgment Throne, we will have to acknowledge that we are brothers and sisters in Christ."
Asked how he felt about the actions of the national Episcopal Church, Cox told VOL, "I have not allowed myself to become angry about what has happened. This is my 35th year as bishop. I served as Bishop Suffragan of Maryland (1972 - 1980), Assistant Bishop of Oklahoma, (1980-1988). I also served as assistant bishop to Bishop Ben Benitez (Texas) and later with Bishop Claude E. Payne when he became diocesan bishop. I have also served as a parish priest at St. Matthew's in Austin, Texas.
"I have served the Episcopal Church for 16 years as a priest and 35 years as a bishop. I have served my Lord faithfully and I am not ashamed of anything I have done."
Bishop Cox said he will turn 87 on January 24th.
