Metropolitan JONAH

Into the light, a case of recognition...

Well, my time as the invisible man has apparently come to an end.

Today I received a letter from Bishop Edwin Gulick (the titular Provisional Bishop of the TEC Diocese of Fort Worth) informing me that since I have not responded to his letter of May 26, 2009, he is concluding that I have departed from the discipline of the Episcopal Church. His letter threatens me with inhibition if I do not respond to him in writing by July 2nd.

The last communications that I have received from anyone officially in TEC were the two letters that I received from Katharine Jefferts Schorri back in December telling me that she no longer recognized me as a member of the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. Apparently one letter was not enough, I got two.

I still do not recognize her as having the authority to do any such thing. Someone show me the canon that gives her the authority, please.

Since then, those who chose not to realign with the rest of our diocese held a special convention, purporting to be a diocesan convention. I was not invited. I was not notified. Written notification to me or my parish did not happen. I did not attend. I assumed since the PB had de-recognized me, I was now invisible. That "convention," lacking a canonical quorum of 1/3 of the clergy of the diocese entitled to seat, went on to "elect" Bishop Gulick, Provisional Bishop of a "reconstituted" Diocese of Fort Worth. They had a meeting, but it wasn't a convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth accordng to our canons. So I can't recognize him as the Provisional Bishop of anything. I haven't felt the need to inform him of that. He is the diocesan bishop of Kentucky in TEC. period. Full stop.

Apparently Bishop Gulick wrote to most of the clergy of our diocese on May 26, 2009 asking them to clarify their status in the Episcopal Church. He did not write to me, I received no letter, I have been invisible since +KJS de-recognized me back in December.

So now I have a letter, the invisible man has apparently come into the light. But Bishop Gulick, I don't feel the least bit of inhibition in saying - I can't recognize you..... What to do..... What to do......

Saint Michael's Conference Southwest - It's On!

It is that time again. The Saint Michael's Conference Southwest is about to begin - this Sunday in fact. We are in full preparation mode - much has been done, much more remains to be done.

God loves Saint Michael's Conference. How do we know? One of the indicators is that Satan despises Saint Mike's. It does not fail that every year there are challenges, obstacles, crises, etc. in the run-up to the conference. And out of the other side of the week come renewal, virtue, and manifestly changed lives. All of this means that we need all of the protection we can get - we need all of the intercession we can get. Please pray for our conference. Pray for the protection of everyone involved; both those participating, and those who are at home while we are away.

If you are able, we can always use some material support. It costs $335 to scholarship a Michaelite, and there are always kids who need the coverage. On top of that we have some other overhead needs. If you can make a contribution, drop it in the mail to: Saint Michael's Conference Southwest, c/o Church of the Holy Apostles 3900 Longvue Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76126.

The image of St. Michael you see here was rendered by Matthew Alderman of Shrine of the Holy Whapping fame. It was commissioned by Fr. Lee Nelson for our use. It will grace this year's conference t-shirt. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle.

Kevin Explains It All...

Thanks to Kevin Kallsen at Anglican TV we can wade through the morass that was last Friday in Jamaica.

http://anglicantv.org/node/223

ACC on the Rocks

Not a new cocktail - the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC for short) has been busily driving the Anglican Communion onto the rocks. Yet again, the Curmudgeon has ably sorted it all out for us.

It has been said that the definition of insanity is "to repeat an action over and over again expecting each time a different outcome." The Anglican Communion is on the rocks and the waves are beginning to bash her to pieces. I lay the blame at the feet of TEC in the person of its presiding bishop - she now obviously has the tiller (the ABC) in her hands.

Man the lifeboats.

The Curmudgeon strikes again!

Wow! And yet another very insightful assessment of the whole scene - Pour another round - It's time for your daily helping.

Rest Eternal Grant Unto Him, O Lord

And let Light Perpetual shine upon him.

from Vita Toon

Peter Toon, 1939 – 2009
Peter, son of Thomas Arthur and Hilda Toon, was born in Yorkshire, England, soon after the start of World War II. After him came Paul, David and Christine. He attended Hemsworth Grammar School, Cliff College, Sheffield; King’s College, London; The University of Liverpool and Christ Church, Oxford University. He held three Masters’ degrees and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford.

He was married to Vita for forty-seven years and they have one daughter, Deborah, who lives in California, and is married to Michael, a Naval Officer. Vita is a graduate of London and Oxford Universities, while Deborah is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Na shville and the University of Texas at Austin.
After teaching religious studies in a College, Peter was ordained in the Church of England in 1973 in the Diocese of Liverpool. Since then he has served in parishes in both England and the U.S.A. and also as a theologian in theological houses in the U.S.A. and in England. In the last decade of his working life, he served the Prayer Book Society of the U.S.A. as its President and C E O.

Peter wrote and had published over twenty-five books, together with booklets, essays, articles. He also wrote many opinion pieces for the web. He edited Home Words in England from 1985-2001 and The Mandate in the U.S.A. from 1995 to 2008. He was much committed to The Anglican Way as Reformed Catholicism, and to the importance of the historical Formularies—Articles, BCP and Ordinal. The woes of the Anglican Communion in recent days much distressed him.

As he died on Saturday, April 25th in San Diego, and as virtually all Vita’s and Peter’s relatives and friends are thousands of miles away, there was no public funeral in California, only a service for the family based on the classic BCP. It is hoped that his remains may be interred in the family grave in Yorkshire.