Retraction Accepted

Only hours after my last post to this blog, the following correction was received through the Priest's and Deacon's Update (PDU), which is a message list that all members of the Diocese of Albany can access.  As we had requested, the Diocese has officially removed the names of Dr. Sippel and The Rev. Mary White from diocesan convention Resolution #4.

We acknowledge the graciousness of the Diocese in acceding to our request.  At the same time, we regret the actions of diocesan convention that made this retraction necessary.  The way the resolution was handled has been criticized by many delegates to convention, and has been commented upon negatively by observers elsewhere.  Nor do we approve of an amendment process that allows the content of a resolution to be so altered that the original intent is negated and reversed.  We would not support such tactics if they were used in the same way by General Convention.

Here is the statement as published on the PDU:

PLEASE NOTE:  Dr. Paula A. Sippel and The Rev. Mary A. White have requested that their names be officially removed from Resolution #4 recently passed by the 141st Convention of the Diocese of Albany.  While having moved and seconded the original version of Resolution #4, Dr. Sippel in a letter addressed to Bishop Love stated that "the resolution as adopted at convention differed significantly in both content and intent from that which I [Dr. Sippel] presented."

We regret that Dr. Sippel's initial request that her and Rev. White's name not be included in the published Resolution #4 as amended was not received at the Diocesan Office prior to the publication of the June 10th Diocesan Update which reported on the actions of the 141st Diocesan Convention.

During the course of the debate on Resolution #4, a few of the diocesan deputies/clergy expressed concern that the original intent of the resolution was being changed through the proposed amendments (some of which ultimately passed).  It is important to remember that once a resolution is presented to the Convention, the Convention is free to pass the resolution as presented, amend it as the Convention sees fit, table it, or defeat it.  In certain cases, it may also be ruled out of order.  Resolutions may also be referred to an appropriate Diocesan Committee to be further studied or possibly altered before coming to the Convention floor to be acted upon.  All of the above scenarios are clearly spelled out and authorized under Robert's Rules of Order.  The General Convention of The Episcopal Church follows the same guidelines.

Comments

[Robert Dodd]

The apology is, of course, welcome. Less so is the attached sermonette that rationalizes abuse of convention resolutions, which has become quite common in the Diocese since 2005.

[Tom Pritchard]

Well, obviously the original motion was not ruled out of order nor was it referred to any diocesan committees so those observations are extraneous.
Therefore, if the spirit and intent of the initial motion and the person who seconded it was clearly being modified beyond the scope of its intent and spirit, enough so that other legitimate participants questioned the hijacking of this motion, there is something wrong with the way this section of Roberts Rules of Order is being interpreted and applied.  It is deceptive and manipulative at the least.  It is an embarrassment to be in a diocese that would act in such a manner and then try to defend itself with such a cockeyed and obfuscatory explanation.

[William F. Hammond]

In follow up on my previous post, I should say that I understand the hierarchical nature of The Episcopal Church as institutional rather than ecclesiastical. In this sense I believe the Communion Partner Bishops statement is correct. Because, however, of our institutional hierarchy, there is no avenue for a diocese of the Episcopal Church to secede. That is the plain meaning of "unqualified accession" in Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution.

[William F. Hammond]

I'm glad to see this, and I'm also grateful that the Diocese did at least re-affirm its loyalty to both The Episcopal Church and its Province II.

I would like to rehearse a short excerpt from former Bishop Daniel Herzog's address to the special meeting of the Diocesan convention in the fall of 2003:

"Our pledge is loyalty to the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. It has nothing to do with buildings. I would remind us that it was the Diocese of Albany that won the highest case in New York courts that we are a hierarchical church ..."