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VirtueOnline - News:
Former TEC Bishop Speaks Out About Recent Atrocities against Orthodox Episcopal Bishops
An interview with Bishop David Bena
www.virtueonline.org
October 25, 2012
VOL: Why are you deciding now to speak out on the ecclesiastical issues of the Ft. Worth Amicus Brief and the recent happenings in the Diocese of South Carolina?
BENA: Although I resigned from being a bishop of the Episcopal Church and became a bishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria over five years ago, I keep up with what's going on over there in the Episcopal organization based in New York City. In my opinion, atrocities have been committed by The Episcopal Church leadership against the nine bishops involved in expressing their opinions signing on to an Amicus Brief regarding the Ft Worth lawsuit (and the testimonies in the Quincy lawsuit), and also against Mark Lawrence of South Carolina. Since I'm hearing a great big fat silence from Episcopal and Anglican bishops in support of them, I think someone should speak out in favor of these bishops. I know there was a letter from the Global South Primates in support of Mark Lawrence and letters from Dan Martins and Bill Love, but that's about it. The Communion Partners are silent and I haven't heard anything from the Anglican Communion Institute either. Why the silence?
VOL: Could part of the silence from the Communion Partner bishops be because most of them are caught up in the Title IV fiasco?
BENA: Could be. But you know this new Title IV disciplinary canon (which I think did not get a lot of input from the actual clergy who have to live with it) is being used as a hammer to squelch dissent from orthodox Episcopal bishops. It is interesting timing that right after Mark Lawrence was brought up on charges in South Carolina, Bishop Clay Matthews issued his decision for a Title IV Conciliation (translate "shut up and get in step, Ft Worth Nine") event. The Episcopal Church leaders do not want their bishops saying anything that rocks their ecclesiastical boat. Am I a conspiracy theory kind of guy? No, I'm a total realist. This whole thing was cooked up by the Episcopal establishment to wipe out any orthodox bishops who speak their minds.
VOL: Why do you use the term "atrocity?"
BENA: The definition of atrocity is "an extremely wicked and cruel act." First of all, what's being done to Bishops John Howe, Ben Benitez, Bill Love, Bruce McPherson, Ed Salmon, Dan Martins, Jim Stanton, Paul Lambert, and Peter Beckwith is just that. These are men of character who simply expressed their First Amendment rights as Americans by signing an Amicus Brief. Because they did that, a couple of other Texas bishops filed Title IV charges against them.
It should have ended with the charges being dismissed. These nine did nothing to violate the "doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church." They simply signed a statement expressing their opinion of a court proceeding. The fact that Bishop Matthews has chosen to take it any further is extremely puzzling. What it comes down to for me is atrocious behavior by Episcopal leaders against fellow bishops. It's an atrocity which, I think, will lead to further discipline against the nine. It's vicious.
VOL: And Bishop Lawrence?
BENA: Regarding Bishop Mark Lawrence, his diocese was simply protecting itself from unbiblical Episcopal Church teaching when it passed resolutions and canons shielding itself from the effects of those teachings. To my knowledge, Mark presided over the conventions but as president he didn't even vote for the resolutions/canons. How can that possibly be construed as abandonment of Communion by Mark? And the fact that he gave quit claim deeds to every parish in his diocese was just good common sense. There is no Dennis Canon in effect, at least not in South Carolina, so he violated nothing by making sure every parish owned its own property. Now he's up on charges for that? Give me a break. That's an atrocity against Bishop Mark Lawrence.
VOL: So what do you think the outcome of these atrocities will be?
BENA: For Bishop Mark Lawrence, the die is already cast. His diocese will support him and that's why his Standing Committee voted to dissociate from The Episcopal Church. Mark will continue to shepherd his diocese. They will go on winning people to Jesus and caring for the needs of the world. The Episcopal Church will be the big loser in all this, suffering the loss of thousands of Episcopalians and the dollars that were still flowing from the Diocese of South Carolina to Episcopal Church agencies. I would imagine that the Episcopal organization leadership will at some point either depose him or say that he abandoned the Communion. That's kind of like closing the barn door after the horse has fled. They drove him and his diocese out; now they're closing the door. Guess what - I don't think Mark or his diocese is going to try to get back in that barn. It's on fire.
VOL: What about those other bishops who have been brought up on charges for signing anAmicus Brief?
BENA: As for these bishops, I don't think this will end well. Some of them may indeed decide to shut up and say no more, lest they and their dioceses come under fire from the Episcopal leadership. Some will see that it is now time to dissociate from the organization, and they will be deposed and sued for diocesan properties. It is simply a very dangerous time for any orthodox believer, lay or clergy, to remain in the Episcopal Church. One by one, these orthodox bishops will be picked off. And no one will support them. The Episcopal Church will continue to dwindle while its members leave for Anglican churches or churches of other denominations.
I long ago lost any hope of an "inside strategy." It's never gonna happen. Now if the Episcopal leadership decided that lawsuits are counter-productive and that a "velvet divorce" is productive, there might be hope. But I don't see that happening. It's one of the reasons why I left the Episcopal Church. Consider the following: Bible authority - down the drain; Biblical sexual principles - down the drain; The Historic Anglican Formularies and Communion and catholic faith - down the drain.
VOL: Before we end this conversation, tell me about yourself. What is your present status?
BENA: As you know, when I was getting ready to retire as Suffragan Bishop of Albany in 2007, my diocesan bishop, Dan Herzog, transferred me by Letter Dismissory to the Church of Nigeria and I was received into the House of Bishops of that Anglican entity. I notified the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and she acknowledged my letter with kindness. I became the Suffragan Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, (CANA) a mission outreach of the Church of Nigeria.
So I was somewhat puzzled when a full year later, the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church stated that I had abandoned the Communion. I had of course not abandoned the Communion; I was just functioning in ANOTHER branch of the Anglican Communion. Her statement was, of course, null and void, in that I remained a bona fide bishop in the Anglican Communion.
I served five happy years in the exciting Episcopate of CANA and the Anglican Church in North America. I retired a year ago last June and have been functioning since then as Interim Rector of St. Margaret's Anglican Church in Woodbridge, VA. This parish, by the way, is one which lost it property last March. We are now free of buildings and any further atrocities by Episcopal Church leadership. We are together being a witness of the love of Jesus both locally and globally in Bolivia.
VOL: What advice would offer orthodox Episcopalians today?
BENA: Let me end by reassuring any Episcopalian considering leaving the Episcopal organization. Crossing over from TEC to ACNA is like crossing the Red Sea to freedom. Whether you take your property or not, you will find a whole new freedom to preach the Gospel and stand for biblical truth. Welcome.
The Rt. Rev. David Bena is Suffragan Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. He is a former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany
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