Nancy Key, Co-Founder of Remain Episcopal of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin (California),
provided large doses of welcome information, advice, and encouragement to a gathering from
North Texans Remain Episcopal (NTRE) on Friday evening, April 4, at the Rolling Meadows Media
Center in Wichita Falls. About thirty attended: members of the NTRE Steering Committee, other
Wichita Falls Episcopalians, and three visitors from Via Media of Fort Worth. All three
Wichita Falls Episcopal congregations were represented.
Ms Key, who is a co-founder of Remain Episcopal in the San Joaquin diocese, began by describing
the conflict as it developed there from 2003 to the present year, when the Convention of the
former Diocese of San Joaquin voted to leave the Episcopal Church. She recounted the attacks
to which the Church was subjected during this time; how the Bishop and Standing Committee of
the Diocese had carefully removed all language specifically relating to the Episcopal Church
from the Constitution of the Diocese of San Joaquin; and how, finally the Convention of the
Diocese had voted to withdraw from the Episcopal Church and unite with the Anglican Province of
the Southern Cone (in South America). In some cases loyal Episcopal congregations found
themselves locked out of their church buildings.
Church members in the Diocese of Fort Worth have necessarily paid close attention to San
Joaquin since we have been under the same kind of assault. In 2007 our Convention took the
first step toward a separation that is expected in late 2008. Ms Key's experience in San
Joaquin has prepared her extremely well to offer advice and support for us in North Texas.
The result of the break in San Joaquin has proved somewhat surprising, in that the Episcopal
Church is undergoing a renewal there, not a catastrophe.
On March 29, in fact, a new Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin came into existence, with a new
provisional Bishop, the former diocesan bishop having been deposed by the Episcopal House of
Bishops. Bishop Jerry Lamb was installed for the interim, until a new Convention can elect a
new Diocesan Bishop. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Katharine
Jefferts Schori officiated at the installation, and the occasion seems to have been a
joyful--and very successful--one. Ms Key, referring to her leadership of Remain Episcopal
during the transition told us with visible delight that she could no longer do that. The
transition is finished; The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is alive again!
Acrimony and virtual chaos are being replaced by a clear sense of direction. The creation of
the organization, Remain Episcopal provided a vehicle through which loyal Episcopalians could
speak up, a focal point for them to express their shared baptismal covenant. Meanwhile, the
leadership of the National Church furnished financial, legal, and personal assistance.
Educational efforts were toward deepening a sense of what it means to be an Episcopalian.
The Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), an official seminary of the Episcopal Church
took part, and Ms Bonnie Anderson President of the Church House of Deputies visited the
Diocese twice with an agenda simply of helping the Church survive. The National Church sent
two clergy, one more or less "liberal" and one "conservative" to San Joaquin to work with local
groups and their clergy.
By the time the San Joaquin Convention had formally separated from the Episcopal Church and
former Bishop John-David Schofield had been deposed in March, 2008, healing had already begun.
It took only five weeks on the part of the loyalists to prepare a special convention. Bishop
Jefferts Schori, President Anderson and--of course--the provisional bishop Jerry Lamb all came, and
the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin was on its way.
Originally 42 of 47 parishes had voted to separate, but the new diocese had 13, and the number
has now grown to 17 or 18, with more in the offing. Some new missions began without clergy,
meeting for conversation and shared thinking after Evening Prayer, for example; others are
"parallel congregations," some of them without use of their own church buildings. Property
issues remain to be settled, but San Joaquin's example shows clearly that it is not necessary
to wait for that to get started.
The advice Ms Key gave Fort Worth consists of fairly simple things. First, "take the highroad."
"Episcopalians" includes people in several situations: (1) loyalists, (2) those having second
thoughts, (3) those on the fence, (4) the definitely departed, and (5) nomads, who may do
anything. We must, she said, stay in touch across all lines. All must be included.
Second, the role of the laity is extremely important, the renewal of the Diocese must come from
a sharing between laity and clergy, especially since clergy are in some ways and on some
occasions less free to act or speak [call it "Episcophobia," a very real problem at times].
A procession, for example, should include laity dressed as laity. Clergy can form a sort of
"underground network" and the Diocese can be represented as a "spider poultice" (in Ms Key's
words), spreading and joining everybody.
Third, we must speak clearly and in our own voice: "I believe . . ."
Fourth, hire legal counsel; it will be needed. San Joaquin worked with the Presiding
Bishop's Chancellor, David Beers as early as 2006.
Finally, our graciousness must proclaim our love, and it must be sharing and extended wherever
we can reach. Support each other, Ms Key urged, be clear, stay in your parish as long as
possible, and carry out a positive ministry toward each other.
Ms Key pointed to her present parish, Holy Family in Fresno (she had had to leave her original
one). Where attendance in 2003 average had been 60 to 70 persons it is now, in 2008, about
150 and climbing.
I would guess that very few, if any, Episcopalians in the Diocese of Fort Worth ever dreamed
until recently that we would be called upon to reorganize and rebuild an Episcopal diocese here.
In the past, the church was simply a given, something "here." Now we are challenged, seemingly
in every possible way, and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin has pointed out the way,
through their example, in broad principles of action, and in detail. There was a lot to learn
in Nancy Key's presentation and from San Joaquin, and it should perhaps be summarized very
simply in these words: "With help, we can do this."
Nancy Key Had Answers to Questions
Margaret Dvorken
What can one person (or a small group) DO?
1. Have a clear voice. If you have differences amongst your group for dogma or ritual, be sure that when you speak out you have one voice.
2. It is imperative that both clergy and members are active in your plans. Reach out! Others
may feel alone, pow4erless, ignored. Invite every to coffee, potluck supper, wine & cheese
evenings - any "non-threatening" meeting for possibly undecided Episcopalians.
3. Have legal counsel. The Canons of the Church deal with church ritual etc, but matters of
property, etc need knowledgeable legal direction. Property is only part of the problem of
separating the churches from the diocese. Be aware that David Beers is a friendly counsel, and
that TEC provides outside help.
4. Set new goals for every year. "Welcome Home" should encourage faith commitments by both
clergy and laity.
5. Bonnie Anderson, head of the House of Deputies, is Your Friend.
6. Take to the high road. Don't "dis" the Bishop. Try to avoid gossip and petty comments.
"More Episcopal" by Dennis Maynard offers more guidance.
This is a period of distress and grief, so meetings are bound to have a lot of gripes, but
eventually the gripes have to stop. When new members come to join your group, realize that
they still have the grief period before them and let them gripe, but you have moved beyond
that and encourage them to move on.
What difference can one person make?
Rather a lot!!!!
Victoria Prescott, Esq.
Let me tell you about Nancy Key of the Diocese of San Joaquin in Central California. Like
many of us, Nancy had been active in the Episcopal Church for some time, in a variety of roles.
Like most of us, she characterized herself as "pew person"-at least until one day in 2003
shortly after San Joaquin's diocesan convention. Finding herself at a large gathering to
discuss the convention, Nancy heard speaker after speaker come to the podium to castigate The
Episcopal Church--primarily over the issues of women priests and the election of Gene Robinson
as bishop of New Hampshire.
Every speaker who bashed The Episcopal Church received vigorous applause.
As Nancy sat and absorbed this spectacle, she was moved to make the long walk up to the
podium to tell the crowd that she was opposed to any split from The Episcopal Church and that
she felt we needed to stay together. Moreover, Nancy announced that she was proud to be an
Episcopalian!
The dead silence that ensued made for an even longer walk back to her pew.
But, gradually, word seeped out, and others who felt the same way began to contact Nancy. Soon,
they became a group committed to staying in The Episcopal Church, and this group became known
as Remain Episcopal. Remain Episcopal grew, continued to witness on behalf of The Episcopal
Church within San Joaquin, and ultimately worked to establish the continuing Diocese of San
Joaquin.
Nancy calls this the pebble effect, likening it to the ripple effect of a pebble thrown into
a pond. She urges us to remember that we are all pebbles, and to never underestimate the
importance of finding charitable ways to let others know that we love The Episcopal Church,
that we intend to remain Episcopalians and that value them and invite them to continue on the
journey with us.
Let me tell you another story about the Diocese of San Joaquin. About a year ago, a few folks
in Bakersfield who wanted to remain in The Episcopal Church began to meet together every Sunday
for Evening Prayer. They ran advertisements in the paper inviting others to come, and they worked
hard to be a faith community that exuded joy and hospitality, a place where all are truly
welcome.
Grace Bakersfield started with only a dozen or so Episcopalians, but by Christmas, 80 people
came to celebrate Christ's birth! More recently, at the convention of the Diocese of San
Joaquin on March 29th, the faith community known as Grace Bakersfield became a mission and is
now known as Grace Episcopal Church.
If you wish to remain in The Episcopal Church, but find yourself in a parish that does not
share your views, I hope you will remain in your current parish and continue to witness for
The Episcopal Church. Chances are there are others who are like you, or are perhaps still
trying to decide-you just need to find each other.
Who knows…perhaps even as you remain in your parish and witness, you may also find it helpful
to begin support each other through a faith community like Bakersfield.
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