Local clergy support amendment
Two local members of the Episcopal clergy said they voted with the majority of their peers in favor of an amendment to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh constitution, giving it local authority not to follow orders from its national church – Episcopal Church USA. The Rev. Thomas H. Finnie, of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Uniontown, and the Rev. Peter Ostrander, of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Waynesburg, voted with 79 other pastors in support of the amendment at the diocese’s annual convention held Friday and Saturday in Pittsburgh.
The vote was 79-14, with eight abstentions in favor of the amendment.
Lay people from the diocese voted 124-24 with three abstentions for the amendment.
It was the second and final vote needed to adopt the amendment. The first reading was approved at last year’s convention.
While the amendment was prepared after an openly gay bishop was appointed in New Hampshire last year, it is about more than homosexuality, Finnie said.
He said by appointing a gay bishop and allowing churches to perform same-sex unions, the national church has split from a minority of churches that support traditional Christian teachings.
“It’s not about the homosexual movement,” Finnie said. “Does the church continue to teach what the Bible teaches? The Bible is the blueprint of faith so it can’t be changed or amended. How can one follow the Bible and appoint him bishop?”
Gay clergy and same-sex unions are “symptoms” of the national church’s departure from the Bible, he said.
“It’s an indication that they no longer accept the Bible as their authority for making decisions,” Finnie said.
Pittsburgh Diocese Bishop Robert Duncan drew up the constitutional amendment and formed the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, which 12 other dioceses or parishes have joined.
Finnie had the word “Episcopal” removed from the sign at his church and replaced it with “Anglican,” in support of the movement.
Ostrander hasn’t changed the sign at his church, but supports Duncan and the conservative element in the church.
“We didn’t change the sign, but I want people to know what I stand for – truth and love. It’s a stressful time in the Episcopal church,” he said.
He said he does not believe there is enough support to split from the national church, but the diocese could partner with another church.
He and Finnie said the Pittsburgh diocese has found an ally in Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda.
“We might be on better terms with our brothers and sisters in Africa, South America and Asia,” Ostander said.
He said the 28 million traditional Anglicans in the Uganda church support the diocese. Orombi was the keynote speaker at the convention.
Finnie said the world’s 38 archbishops will meet in England in February to discuss the problems in the United States church.