Replacing Springfield Episcopal bishop could be contentious process

From Illinois-

Springfield’s Episcopal Church diocese will be under national scrutiny as it seeks a successor for Bishop Peter Beckwith.

Beckwith has allied himself with the conservative wing of the broader Anglican umbrella, and the timing of his retirement, which took effect Feb. 1, caught many in the church off guard.

Diocesan officials believe they can adhere to a timeline that will result in consecration of a new bishop by March 2011. But knotty problems may lie ahead, particularly because whomever local Episcoplians choose as their new bishop must also be approved by a majority of U.S. bishops and standing committees — delegates from Episcopal dioceses around the country.

“It’s a hugely messy situation,” said David Virtue of VirtueOnline, an orthodox Anglican Web site. “A search for his replacement will be ugly in the extreme.”

“Usually these votes are pro forma,” said the Very Rev. John Bettman, vicar of St. Paul’s Church in Carlinville. “But the church is so polarized nationally, (the candidate) might be a problem now.”

Beckwith, who was consecrated in Springfield 18 years ago, retired two years before the mandatory age of 72. He thinks the transition will be smoother than critics believe.

“Ugly? I don’t think much of that assessment,” Beckwith said in an interview at his Springfield home. “I have more confidence in the clergy and people than that.

“I’ve told people you’re going to get the bishop that you deserve.”

More here-

http://www.sj-r.com/beliefs/x723437514/Replacing-Springfield-Episcopal-bishop-could-be-contentious-process

Bishop of Springfield Withdraws from Upcoming ACNA Assembly

From The Living Church-

As a result of developments in the Diocese of Springfield, Bishop The Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith, Bishop of Springfield, will not be attending the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) Assembly which is scheduled to begin tomorrow at St. Vincent’s Cathedral in Bedford, Texas.

Bishop Beckwith was previously reported to be among the list of attendees at the meeting composed largely of former members of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada by Episcopal News Service. The group is seeking official recognition as another North American province of the Anglican Communion. Bishop Beckwith said he had been invited and that he had intended to attend solely as an observer and that his association with the AAC was limited to being a “liaison to the Ecumenical Relations Task Force,” adding that “[i]n no sense is he a structural part of either the Task Force, or the ACNA.”

In a statement released June 19, Bishop Beckwith sought to clarify his association with the ACNA: “Notwithstanding suggestions to the contrary, Bishop Beckwith remains a faithful Christian within The Episcopal Church (TEC) as the Bishop Diocesan of Springfield, and intends to keep that status intact. Bishop Beckwith has also served as the vice president of the American Anglican Council (AAC) for a number of years. A majority of [the] AAC’s membership consists of communicants of The Episcopal Church. It is in this capacity that he has been involved in the Anglican Communion Network (ACN) and the Common Cause Partnership (CCP). Any involvement in the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) Assembly scheduled for next week in Bedford, Texas, would be limited to being an observer.”

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/6/21/bishop-of-springfield-withdraws-from-upcoming-acna-assembly

Lambeth voices: a panel of Anglican bishops share their views

The London Times asks some Bishops what's going on. My friend Pete Beckwith (pictured) Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield (another conservative who's not leaving) doesn't pull any punches -

“In my Bible study group I apologised for the behaviour of our province that has brought us to the brink of schism. Two hundred and seventy bishops are not here because they refuse to sit down with people who refuse to repent."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4385838.ece