On June 15, the Executive Council, the governing body between General Conventions, passed Resolution NAC023 which noted that Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution of The Episcopal Church requires each diocese's constitution to state "an unqualified access to the Constitution and Canons of this Church."

"Any amendment to a diocesan constitution that purports in any way to limit or lessen an unqualified accession to the constitution of The Episcopal Church is null and void," the resolution continued, adding that "the amendments passed to the constitutions of the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, Quincy and San Joaquin, which purport to limit or lessen the unqualified accession to the constitution of The Episcopal Church are accordingly null and void and the constitutions of those dioceses shall be as they were as if such amendments had not been passed."

The chancellors of the four dioceses said June 18, in a statement on the Diocese of Pittsburgh's website, that they "reserve the right not to accede to [the Episcopal Church's] unbiblical actions."

"The Executive Council does not have the authority to make decisions or pass resolutions of this type on behalf of [the Episcopal Church]," their statement said. "Furthermore, the Executive Council does not have the right to interfere in internal diocesan constitutional processes ... The Executive Council's declaration is contrary to the law and to the historic Anglican faith."

Via Media USA, an alliance of Episcopal laity and clergy formed in 2004 to offer a counterpoint to efforts to "realign" the Episcopal Church along more conservative lines, said June 18 that it was "pleased that the Executive Council, in its resolution NAC023, has made clear what we have understood for a long time to be the case."

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • TEC Conflicts • TEC Polity & Canons

1. Jackson wrote: if I get this right….The Executive Council rejects the right of primates to “interfere” but then interferes in diocesan rules? June 19, 4:12 pm | [comment link]

2. Br. Michael wrote: And Via Media shills for TEC. June 19, 5:22 pm | [comment link]

3. Greg Griffith wrote: “Mixed reactions?” Hehehehe…. I can just see the ENS reports from days gone by: “Airship ‘Hindenburg’ Involved in Minor Accident” “Russia: Success Eludes French Army” “Protestant ‘Reformation’ Churches Small in Number” June 19, 6:07 pm | [comment link]

4. Fisherman wrote: I believe ‘mixed reactions’ translates to ‘diversity’ of opinions. And of course TEC celebrates diversity….so I am led to believe. The reactions of Fort Worth, Pittsburg, Quincy and San Joaquin were certainly not mixed. October 1 draws near. June 19, 6:58 pm | [comment link]

5. Harvey wrote: The Via Sinestra is still marching - obviously! June 19, 7:28 pm | [comment link]

6. ruidh wrote: “f I get this right….The Executive Council rejects the right of primates to “interfere” but then interferes in diocesan rules?” What is your problem? Each and every diocese has given unqualified assent to General Convention and the Constitution which is the source of the authority for the EC. No one has assented to the authority the Primates claim to themselves. June 19, 8:47 pm | [comment link]

7. dwstroudmd wrote: Notice that the Executive Council didn’t need GC guidance on the issue of aborting in utero humans: http://www.rcrc.org/about/members.cfm Why should the fact that they can’t stop them from trying again?  Admittedly, a 20 year old (change) can fight harder than an embryo or fetus… June 19, 9:33 pm | [comment link]

8. justin wrote: Am I getting this right? I thought the talking points were that only General Convention can clarify its own Canons, Constitution, and Resolutions? Wasn’t that what the President of the HOD said in response to the recent findings re WO, and what the Executive Council itself said about clarifying the most recent Resolutions? June 19, 10:13 pm | [comment link]

9. Irenaeus wrote: Nice going, Greg! How about . . . —- Bull Run Picnic Features Aerobics —- RMS Titanic Reinvents Herself —- Reichsbank Makes Wallpaper Affordable —- Diet Craze Sweeps Ukraine —- Airship Hindenburg Ignites New Interest —- Heavy Equipment Cleans Tiananmen Square: No More Litterbugs June 19, 11:09 pm | [comment link]

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