Swift Movement Against Dissenters In New Hampshire

[cmotherofpirl]

Swift Movement Against Dissenters in New Hampshire

11/15/2003

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Supporters of two dissenting congregations in the Diocese of New Hampshire point to two recent incidents as evidence that differing theological views may not be tolerated in practice locally.

Two-thirds of the congregation of the Church of the Redeemer in Rochester walked out of a Sunday service Nov. 9 in protest over the firing of their 72-year-old priest-in-charge, the Rev. Don Wilson, earlier that week. Right before the sermon, Jacqueline Ellwood and Ginger Carbaugh stood up, read a statement of protest to the bishop’s representative, the Rev. Canon Marthe Dyner, and walked out of the building, but not before a brief tussle with Canon Dyner, who snatched the letter from one of the protestors. They were followed in their departure by about 40 members of the congregation.

Fr. Wilson told The Living Church he had been summoned to the diocesan office Oct. 25 to discuss parish business. The agenda quickly changed, he said, and the Rt. Rev. Douglas Theuner, Bishop of New Hampshire, began to berate him for his previous opposition to the consecration of the Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson as bishop coadjutor. Fr. Wilson stated he was not leaving the Episcopal Church nor would he oppose visitations by Bishop Robinson, but he would not affirm the consecration to suit the bishop. The priest said Bishop Theuner chastised Fr. Wilson, reminding him that he was not a rector but a priest-in-charge. The bishop instructed Fr. Wilson to have the wardens lead a special parish meeting Oct. 26, called to discuss the Robinson consecration.

After Fr. Wilson said he would rather stay home and not attend the parish meeting, if he could not conduct it as priest-in-charge, Bishop Theuner instructed him to attend and be silent, adding that representatives from the diocese would monitor the proceedings. At the meeting members of the congregation voted 18-5 in protest to the Robinson consecration. Observers from the diocese, led by Canon Dyner, voided 18 absentee ballots. All 18 absentee ballots were cast in opposition to Bishop Robinson. The following week Bishop Theuner’s secretary telephoned Fr. Wilson to schedule a second meeting.

“I said I didn’t want to go to Concord and asked to meet in Rochester instead,” Fr. Wilson said. For refusing to agree to a second meeting in Concord, Fr. Wilson said he was summarily charged with “insubordination” and removed from his cure.

The confrontation between Canon Dyner and the parishioners at Redeemer follows a similar contretemps between Canon Dyner and members of St Mark’s, Ashland, over the American Anglican Council. Meredith Harwood, of Orford, N.H., said she attended a gathering of 30 New Hampshire Episcopalians and five clergy on Oct. 16 in a private home to discuss forming an AAC chapter. Canon Dyner insisted on joining the gathering and began to take notes of the conversation.

“We asked her to leave for a half hour, telling her it was a private meeting,” Mrs. Harwood said. “She refused, saying she wouldn’t leave unless the owner of the property asked her to leave. Canon Dyner told us, ‘It was not appropriate for a private organization to ask me to leave’.”

Canon Dyner said she attended the meeting in “a private capacity” and was there “to listen and learn.”

Accounts differ as to what words were exchanged. Canon Dyner said she could not remember any specific comments, but denied Mrs. Harwood’s charge that she told the gathering “You have no place to go” as she left the meeting.

“Bishop Theuner’s actions represent an act of war against a small church of 100,” commented AAC president the Rev. Canon David Anderson, who called upon Bishop Theuner to restore Fr. Wilson’s license. Bishop Robinson did not respond to a request for comments.

(The Rev.) George Conger

[Good Friday]

Accounts differ as to what words were exchanged. Canon Dyner said she could not remember any specific comments, but denied Mrs. Harwood’s charge that she told the gathering “You have no place to go” as she left the meeting.

Ah, but they do have somewhere to go: the Catholic Church. It seems that the Episcopalian liberals have gotten smug because they believe that the conservative Episcopalians have no place else to go, no recourse to take to stop the liberal take-over of their church. And they may be right, there may be no way to stop the liberal take-over of the Episcopal church. But they are wrong that conservative Episcopalians have no place to go. They can come to the Catholic Church. And then the Episcopal Church will crash and fall, because liberals even in that church are simply a very vocal minority. When only a minority is left in the church, I predict that it will go bankrupt and crumble.

It will only be what Canon Dyner, her bishop, and Bishop Robinson deserve.

[M.SIGGA]

I hope they would come to the Church, but if a woman priestess wouldn't make them become Catholic I don't think a bishop with a gay partner will either either. They look similar, but they are protestants who really don't want a pope.

[God Conquers]

It's true. The Catholic/Anglican schism is alot deeper and wider than many think. There's ALOT of history back there. At first glance, and at first separation the two churches were close in doctrine and history, since then it has widened and in the last 50 yrs become ridiculous.

[dUSt]

I don't know. I sometimes attend an Anglican Rite Catholic Church near me. It took them many years after the priestess thing, but the entire parish finally did convert. They absolutely love the pope--moreso I'd say than many other Catholic parishes around here.

[God Conquers]

Ya, but in terms of the Anglican fold in general, it is extremely heterodox in constitution. They take in and accept TONS of different beliefs, from Arminianism to Calvinism to whatever-you-wantism

[kdewolf2]

I was going to be an Episcopalian at one time, but I decided not to because the church just didn't seem to have any principle. I mean, c'mon, the Anglican church came into existence not over a theological issue like the Lutherans and other Protestants, but because a secular monarch wanted to get a divorce and didn't want to be told no. So, if Anglicanism exists because of the whim of a secular monarch, how can it be expected to show any grave concern for theological integrity? What choice do Anglicans have but to tolerate the co-existence of evangelicalism, Anglo-Catholicism, liberalism, conservatism, Arminianism, Calvinism, and whatever else the individual wants? Nevertheless, I'd imagine that it would be difficult for Anglicans who were brought up in the church to just up and leave. A lot of Episcopalians join schismatic and dissenting groups, and others just kind of accept the changes precisely because they don't want to leave. I mean, what would you do if the Catholic Church decided to ordain women, practicing homosexuals, and even bless same-sex unions? I don't know what I'd do, but I'd imagine it would be rather difficult to leave the Church.