DioOregon: Bishop Johncy Itty Announces Resignation

So the deed is done.  The apparent coup is a fait accompli.  But apparently +Itty gets paid through the end of 2008, as in the prior agreement, and still gets to represent Oregon at Lambeth.

Well, at least he can join his family now in Long Island, and resume his travels on behalf of the Church World Service and as a V-P of the World Council of Churches (or was it the NCC?), without neglecting his own diocese.

But Bishop Itty thus becomes yet another bishop forced to resign, while nonetheless exiting with a golden parachute.  Sounds like more than an itty bitty problem in TEC to me.

Sorry, as the intital poster on this thread, I couldn’t resist being the first to use the pun.

David Handy+

You are pretty handy with those puns NRA+

I dunno.  If he is resigned effective March 23rd, his invitation to Lambeth may be in jeopardy.  Does anyone know what happens when a bishop leaves this close to the conference?

I confess having no idea what is going on here.  This chap is relativly young and has not been a bishop a long time.  Can someone enlighten me?

FWIW
jimB

It may be just my imagination, but there seem to be a good number of non-jurisdictional, non-retired bishops wandering around ECUSA these day. Bp Charleston just retired from EDS after about ten years, and a former suffragan of Virginia has been working at 815 for several years, and those are just two I can think of.

I am inclined to think that lots of bishops not serving dioceses is a problematic situation.  Bp Itty will have about twenty years before he will officially retire, and unless he becomes rector of a cardinal parish, or gives himself fully to Church World Service (do they pay a salary?) or the like, he will have a lot of time, and no body of believers to help keep him focused on their and his spiritual wellbeing.

Is it usual to have this many bishops resigning? + Eau Claire, + Oregon, at some point a trickle starts to look like a flood.

Take a look at the StandFirm posts on 3-22-08 regarding the resignation of the Western Oregon, Canon to the Ordinary, Jonathan Weldon.  Most here agree that this was not a liberal-conservative issue but an issue of management style as +Itty’s style is/was autocratic and that won’t fly in Oregon.  The bishop once answered a direct question from me regarding same sex marriage with “that is not within the teaching of the church”, so I believe it may have played a part.  I do not doubt that the lib’s will see this as an opportunity, it will be interesting to see who “runs” (big bite of the lip!)
Rick

Andrewesman, Ohl of Northwest Texas also has retired, too. I found this addendum at David Virtue’s site about the diocese’s inability to find more than two candidates for replacement:

“As a priest who spent three years serving in Northwest Texas, I can add an unspoken twist to your story on NWT’s search/non-search for three candidates for bishop. Here is the twist: The Bishop’s Search Committee—14 members—has 13 liberals and 1 conservative. I know for a fact that several orthodox priests were nominated and sent the required questions-and-answers to the committee but were cut IMMEDIATELY from the process because they were not pro-gay in their beliefs. It’s not a question of being unable to find qualified applicants, it’s a question of not being able to find the right LIBERAL candidates. Sadly, there are no orthodox clergy left in NWT. The last one, Fr. Mark Cannaday at Holy Trinity/Midland, has resigned. The liberals believe this is their moment in the sun to steal another diocese.”

I am sort of inclined to say, let the homosexualists elect their homosexualist bishop. As a Texan myself, I can tell you that that will fly like the proverbial lead balloon in rural Texas.

Whereas in Oregon, I am quite sure the conservative Itty will be replaced by a flamer, perhaps even the lesbian Tracey Lind. This would occur after Lambeth and the TEO would not give a fig to their reneging on the September HoB statement.

I emailed each member of the Standing Committee twice during consents for +Mark Lawrence.  Oregon voted “no” on the first go ‘round and I don’t know how they voted in the second round.  None of the Standing Committee members bothered to respond to my emails. Now they solicit feedback; a bit disingenuous I think

Jonathan+ was the only person who would respond to my contacts and he always responded, we didn’t agree necessarily, but at least it was a listening process of sorts.

I wrote a motion to accept and adopt the Windsor Report recommendations to the diocesan convention some years ago. Very few knew what the Windsor Report was, those who did were horrified as the previous bishop had voted for Vickie Gene.

A substitute resolution was adopted that was all warm and fuzzy about unity and blah blah blah!  The adopted resolution included a directive that each parish and mission study the Windsor Report (thanks Greg for the good study material you gave us!- that is when I met Greg online and later in person at Hope and a Future - my how things have changed since then) I volunterred to help with the initiave to study the report but was never contacted and did not hear of a single parish or mission actually opening studies to the church members.  Suprise!

Your words are probably prophetic robroy.  We are expecting exactly what your predict.

God, please save us from this satanic, creeping, liberal, Post Christian agenda.  Amen.

Rick

For Handy+.  No this is not a “coup”.  And, on Mr. Carlin’s comment:  “Most here agree that this was not a liberal-conservative issue but an issue of management style as +Itty’s style is/was autocratic and that won’t fly in Oregon.  The bishop once answered a direct question from me regarding same sex marriage with “that is not within the teaching of the church”, so I believe it may have played a part.”   +Itty gave you exactly what you wanted to hear and sent you on your way. 
Most “liberals” would have little to object to in +Itty.  You are far more accurate in your statement that an autocratic style will not fly in Oregon.  Respect is earned not the basis of race, class, money or sexual preference.  In fact, nobody cares about who your father was, how much money you have, who you “know” or your title.  In fact, focus on these issues, instead of your character, honesty, integrity, willingness to work, etc., would not just be considered misplaced, but probably down right rude.  Having lived all over the country where, for example, who your daddy is, or whether your family came on the first boats etc. were the measure of a man, Oregon was a real surprise to me. (Of course, I do know a few who are 5th generation and came over on the trail…) 

Right or left, if you focus on “the gay thing”, you have surely missed what has happened here.  Was this a management style thing, yes.  Was it a management skill thing, yes.  Look particularly at communications,  and the financial mgt. skills of the CFO,—graduate degree in “organ”, the Canon to the Ordinary, strong skills in liturgy and voice, and +Itty himself trained as a diplomat (CF my comment above about what Mr. Carlin wanted to hear?)  But I do agree, a Stand Firm conservative will not be the next bishop of Oregon, because Stand Firms’s issues are not their issues and they would not want them imposed on them.

EmilyH (#9),

All I meant by using the word “coup” (in #1) was that +Itty was forced out.  And that much seems quite clear.  Good grief, he’s only in his mid 40s.

It will be interesting to see if the search for a new bishop features any consideration for the need to help the diocese with the “e” word…..evangelism.  Although the west coast in general has the lowest rate of church attendance in the country (even worse than New England), I believe that Oregon has the lowest rate of participation in church life of any state in the country.  It appears to me to be the most secularized and unchurched state in the nation (though I’m open to being corrected; I’ve never lived there). 

And of course, by “evangelism” I don’t just mean increasing church membership and reversing the institutional decline of the diocese. I mean bringing lost people (on their way to hell) to saving faith in Jesus Christ.  I mean encouraging the use of Alpha or Cursillo etc. to proclaim the gospel and train laypeople in sharing the gospel with their family, friends, and co-workers.

But who wants to bet that when the diocese comes up with its profile of the qualities sought in a new bishop that a passion for evangelism, and successful experience at it, won’t even make the list?  I’d be astonished if it did.

David Handy+

Fr. Handy, although I understand the fervor of your view and good will, I doubt most Oregonians believe that they are on their way to hell and are not likely to pay a lot of attention to anyone bringing this message.  Taking the Jesuit model of evangelization, so maligned here, but so successful, I think the new bishop of Oregon will have more success starting with where people are and not imposing his/her own soteriology.

For example. One of the first Oregonians I met, I met in California 30 years ago.  She had very specific views on God’s creation and care for the earth.  She didn’t feel the need to impose her concept of “sin” on me or anyone else, but when she popped her trunk, it was loaded with aluminum cans and the litter she collected.  She, like more than 50% of Oregonians, will answer a survey, “no religion.” but no religion does not mean no spirituality.

EmilyH (#11),

Let me return the favor.  I likewise recognize and respect the strength of your commitment to more liberal views, including dismissal of the offensive traditional idea of hell as the destiny of those outside of Christ.  I didn’t mean to suggest that the new bishop ought to preach in the style of Jonathan Edwards and his infamous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

I don’t preach that way myself.  But I do believe in the awful reality of hell, and that frightening prospect does motivate me to reach out to lost sinners, who are alienated from God.  And yes, many of them are deeply spiritual and committed to all sorts of good causes (like protection of the environment).  But they are still lost and hell-bound just the same.

I’m sorry if my rather provocative line offended you.

David Handy+

The discussion begs the question of just what EmilyH thinks that Christianity is all about, if not the preaching of specific doctrines regarding the relationship between God and Man, as Revealed in a very specific time and way.

A warm and fuzzy spiritualty that demands no belief in anything, or getting together for environmental causes may be all well and fun, but it isn’t religian and isn’t Christianity.  So why bother with a church at all, if you are just as happy outside the church and that church offers nothing new or different from you existing secular lives?  I could join the National Wildlife Federation and do far more for the environment than I would do by standing around reciting creeds I don’t believe and reading scripture that I take no more seriously than I do Shakespeare or Homer.

This is not a model for church growth.  It is a model for death through apathy.

#8 - He answered while speaking to a parish meeting.  I still would not dismiss your comment as untrue.
Rick