Northern Michigan Make it Official, Elects Buddhist as Bishop

TEC continuing to “run toward the blast”.

I don’t expect enough opposition to make a difference, but a recent Standing Committee member in our diocese tells me that he sees it being very unlikely that our SC will approve this election, based on the information he had heard so far.

Greg, according to the Clerical Directory his name is Kevin Lee Thew Forrester.  He is the son of Joseph Lee Forrester.  His wife (also an ordained priest) is
Rise Fay Thew Forrester.  She is the daughter of Henry William Thew.  It seems that they have combined their two last names and come up with a compound (not hyphenated) last name: Thew Forrester.

Scott K #2,
While I expect there will be little opposition to this election, I am eager to see who approves/doesn’t approve this election.
This is like a bad Monty Python joke.

Please give the link to the previous post on this man. And does the SFIF person who generated the post still satisfied with their previous conclusion (after all the comments)?

Gator—the thread where we discussed this a month ago is here:
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/19901/

Previous threads on this depressing diocese are here:
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/6799/

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/9412/

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/11832/

One would have thought that Mandala in the cathedral, a Muslim priest or a Buddhist bishop would be a contradiction in terms, but not apparently in the La La Land which TEC inhabits.  A sad shadow of the fine church it was.

Well, why not?  He’s happy to have the job.  Jobs in Michigan are tough to come by these days.  He’ll do/say whatever they want.  Very neat and tidy.  He’s a buhddist?  Hey, that’s not so bad.  At least he’s not a fundamentalist/evangelical christian.  You only had 1 guy on the ballot?  It probably would have been better if they had 1 gay guy, and one lesbian with a man’s haircut on the ballot, but you can’t have everything.

Argh.  Glad I live in the great state of Texas, where we are contemplating leaving the US again…sigh. 

#8 Not fair - It is pure coincidence that Susan Russell, Bonnie Anderson and the Presiding Bishop all go to the same barber.

I am eager to see who approves/doesn’t approve this election.

Well don’t work up a sweat on this one.  Obviously dioceses like Quincy & Ft. Worth will be represented by their Vichy counterparts so his approval is assured.  I think his “consecration” will be quite interesting.

This one should go on the thread to document the heresy.

These dioceses have witnessed interfaith innovations of one sort or another.  Whether this predicts the obtaining of consents for Rev Thew Forrester remains to be seen.

California—Gaia mass; bi-ecclesial Episcopal priest/Unitarian
Eastern Michigan—A transgender shaman/pagan priest and a witch are featured speakers at a conference partly sponsored by the Episcopal diocese of GLBT outreach group
Pennsylvania—Druid/Episcopal priests; Buddhist mandala
Massachusetts—Tibetan Buddhist lama leads a guided meditation for EDS seminarians & faculty
Atlanta—Sufi healing circle
Olympia—Sufi dance, astrology workshop, geographic residence of Muslim/Episcopal priest (inhibited by Rhode Island, where she was canonically resident)
Newark—interfaith baptism (Jewish and Muslim prayers added to Christian liturgy), Trans-Spirituality, Trans-Gender, Trans-Spirit, Transforming workshop
Navajoland—Navajo blessing ceremony during bishop consecration
Northern California—Medicine Buddha healing ceremony
Nevada—smudging at a bishop consecration
Wyoming—smudger at a convention [Reportedly, the smudger called on the four winds, and the sun and the moon, to “purify” the “sins” (described as “rigid thinking”, “judgementalism”, “intolerance” and the various “-phobias”) of the participants.]
Los Angeles—Hindu-Christian interfaith service
Washington—Rumi and the whirling dervishes; Sacred Circles with religious historian Karen Armstrong who asserts that “All the great traditions are saying the same thing in much the same way, despite their surface differences.”
Kentucky—Sacred Sand Mandala for Compassion and World Peace
New York—Buddhist meditation; praises to ―Ra, the Sun god of Egypt and ―Ausar, ruler of Amenta, the realm of our ancestors.
Southeast Florida—Rumi/Sufi event
Missouri—Buddhist chant
Colorado—Muslim imam
Texas—course “Invoking Dionysus”

Should Rev Forrester receive consents and be consecrated, it would have Communion-wide repercussions.  It will be interesting to see if the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks out.

These people really have no shame.  You read commenters joking about “Episco-Buddhists,” or some such, and you snicker.  Then, you wake up one morning and find out it isn’t a joke any more.  Truly, ECUSA is beyond satire.

Residents of Escanaba are encouraged not to “Push Snow Across the Streets” when doing snow removal. Looks like another infraction by TEC.

Jill [14], actually and lamentably I disagree. It will not have Communion-wide repercussions, as TEC will deny or simply prevaricate, as they did at Lambeth, and the rest of the northern empire Communion will willingly go along with it. The global south will nod and observe the continued heresy (after a while, a small case of flu in the leprosy ward just doesn’t carry the same impact) of TEC, the vague timelessness of the ABC’s decisions and continue to make plans for advancing Christianity under an Anglican rubric for everyone else.

Yeah, the joke used to be that when they put the Budda on the altar, one Episcopalian leaned over to the other and said “One more change and I’m out of here.”

I’m keep asking various “moderates” what their “one more change” will be.  So far everyone refuses to give me an answer.

BTW, I hope that the ACI, AAC, FCA et al make at least as much a fuss about this as VGR.  Not it would make a difference, but they it would be a nice demonstration that this is not “Just about sex.”

It seems that they have combined their two last names and come up with a compound (not hyphenated) last name: Thew Forrester.

Well isn’t that special.

It seems that they have combined their two last names and come up with a compound (not hyphenated) last name: Thew Forrester.

OK, that’s just pretentious and stupid.  “Oh, aren’t we sooooo enlightened.  We’ve taken each other’s last name in an attempt to be as politically correct as possible and avoid all semblance of sexism.”

Please excuse me while I go and recycle my previously eaten lunch.

Looks like Diocese of Central Golf Course (Gulf Coast) considered dissolving back into its parent dioceses. Are they eventually headed for the Northern Michigan approach?

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9967

Greg, come on.  There’s enough here without making fun of people’s names. 

(Can a minor lurker call a yellow card on the site admin?  Well, I can sure try!)

#19 AndrewA,

BTW, I hope that the ACI, AAC, FCA et al make at least as much a fuss about this as VGR.  Not it would make a difference, but they it would be a nice demonstration that this is not “Just about sex.”

Are you kidding? Then we could also be called “Ethnocentric Buddhaphobics”. The strategy for the Innovators is to pathologize the opposition.

Paul B,

Not making fun of the name, just the decision-making behind it.

At the risk of blowing my own horn, if you want a little more detail on why a Zen Buddhist is such an aberration, take a look at my post on this story shortly after it broke:  http://stillonpatrol.typepad.com/still_on_patrol/2009/01/the-zen-of-dioup.html

Oops, I meant “... Zen Buddhist Episcopal Bishop….”.  Fingers overrun brain sometimes.

Greg, I’m a QA person, so I can spot a process problem a mile away.  Yes, it’s the process that is being maligned.

I agree, I would never do that myself - but then again, I am mired in patriarchy and misogyny and spend most of my spare people discriminatin’ and keeping people down.

I just feel that we should be charitable while we are objecting to developments.  It’s okay to comment on the religion/worship/affiliation of a TEC bishop, but I am uncomfortable making fun of how he and his wife formed their household together.

Dawgone, I was going to post the absolute, exact word-for word, same comment that Greg did.

Gator:  It is my expectation that dissolving dioceses and folding them back into each other will become an increasing trend in TEC.  We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

It is my theory, that TEC will soon become divided into “have” parishes and dioceses in the liberal urban areas, and “have-not” parishes and dioceses in the suburban and rural areas.  The wealthy parishes and dioceses will become increasingly self-absorbed and unwilling to prop up the poorer parts of TEC.

I am frankly somewhat surprised that a tiny diocese like Northern Michigan even remains viable.  Will their new bishop continue as a parish rector, or will he be a dedicated bishop?  And how can the diocese afford it?

Paul B,

I’m not making fun of how they formed their household together - just that, on top of the fact that here’s a “church” that yammers on and on and on and on and on about its “democratic” polity and insists that it’s not at all outside the mainstream of modern Christian thinking, and presents ONE candidate for bishop, and that said candidate is “walking the path of Buddhism and Christianity together”... here is also a man who has taken his wife’s name. Sometimes, when people like this play to type so completely, it just makes me chuckle.

I just read David Trimble’s (#26) essay and it is quite good.

Why did they settle on Thew Forrester and not Forrester Thew? Or perhaps, Thewrester or Forresthew? (Unlike Paul B, I don’t have any problems with poking fun at people taking political correctness to new, ludicrous extremes.)

I had an interesting conversation with my 14-year-old son yesterday.  He asked me why Starbucks is so complicated - for example, “why don’t they just use small, medium and large for their sizes?”?  I replied that some folks like to feel “sophisticated”, and that having to order coffee using overly-complicated lingo somehow helps them feel this way.

To be clear, being Buddist and having a wierd last name does NOT make you “sophisticated”.  The Buddist part DOES however make you a non-Christian and in no position to be a bishop in an (alleged) Christian denomination.  Better to have NO BISHOP than a buddist at the helm…may God have mercy on the folks in the diocese.

Greg, I’m not saying that I didn’t find it humorous and sorta true to form.  I just said that I’m uncomfortable with voicing what we are thinking when it can be construed by others as being petty.

Great, now you’ve pulled me into admitting I thought it was funny-strange, too.

Masternav #17,
“...after a while, a small case of flu in the leprosy ward just doesn’t carry the same impact.”
Kudos on that phrase.

It is a puzzle why those who find Christianity boring and inadequate seem to feel they are called to be priests and bishops in His Church.

Interesting/significant that the only link on the No.Mich. website to a seminary is Episcopal Divinity School—widely recognized as the most radically liberal in the TEc.

http://www.upepiscopal.org/frames/linksframe.html

I’m now going for lunch and to read the bishop-elect’s article from 2004 about his Buddhist awakening. Obsessing? Me?

Can’t wait for the photo-op with Rowan in Anaheim this summer. Perhaps they can rub Buddah’s belly together.
Intercessor

It seems that they have combined their two last names and come up with a compound (not hyphenated) last name: Thew Forrester.

What do you know! Two Episcopal priests get together and do a new thing. Who would have thought?

Quam caldare sterci.

Is his election a violation of B033?

Being a clergy member of another religion, and an all-around new-age kook certainly “presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.”

If I were one of the gay or lesbian people who’s bid for the Episcopate was stifled because of B033, I would be a little miffed that Buddha-boy gets to play bishop to the three other Episcopalian Yoopers.

Of course, B033 is living on borrowed time, but it was fun while it lasted.

OMMMMMMMM…

DoW

Heeeyyyy Buddha, Budhha, Buddha, Swuuuiinnggg Buddha!!

12% of the delegates voted “ham and cheese,” and 9% of the congregations voted “Outlook not so good.”

#36 - it’s that whole satan thing…you know, him wanting to kill, maim and destroy the church…

Again, I have to ask, why did Ann Holmes Redding (AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN) get the boot for being a follower of two different faiths, and Kevin Thew Forrester (A WHITE MAN) gets to become a BISHOP after being ORDAINED in two different faiths????

SOMEBODY please refer Ann Holmes Redding to a skilled attorney, so she can sue the church for all its worth (or at least get a giant settlement, but TEC sucks at settling court cases).  A good lawyer, a nice note to the NAACP and the Rainbow-PUSH coalition, a little press release here and there and and Ann Holmes Redding will be a very wealthy Christo/Muslim.

DoW

Rev John Beverley Butcher is also bi-ecclesial, Episcopalian and Unitarian.

Good point, Diet of Worms.  There are two ways that the leadership of TEC could theoretically stop his consecration—failure to gain consents or B033.  It will be interesting if there is the will to do so.

FYI, if all were right with TEC this guy wouldn’t be given the time of day…because YES he has to CLEARLY defy his oath as a priest and as a bish.  Instead, the orthodox are deposed and sued…

If he’s consecrated, this will tear the fabric of the communion!

37- Gator-
The Dio. of N. Michigan is a lab experiment of EDS.  They are the ones who dreamed up all these “ministry teams” and oversee the “theological” education of the volunteer clergy.  Which is to say, they developed the home study course.  They had a rep to help lead the “discernment team” that chose this guy.

DoW- Ms. Redding had the misfortune to be canonically resident in a diocese with a bishop who takes the canons seriously. And Christianity seriously as well.

This is scary.

Zen and Christianity do not seem to overlap. Zen tends to reject scripture and tradition. It is largely experiential. That kind of strict Zen is spiritually dangerous, not merely “neutral.” Since it focuses so much on the self, there’s a real danger of making contact with evil forces. My understanding is that “success” in Zen requires the Zen equivalent of a competent spiritual director, giving constant attention to the novice’s spiritual path.

I have no idea what this poor guy is into, but someone needs to have a heart-to-heart talk with him about whether he should remain in active Christian ministry.

I have no idea what this poor guy is into, but someone needs to have a heart-to-heart talk with him about whether he should remain in active Christian ministry.

He’s not, he’s in TEC, remember?

Christopher Johnson has topped this mere Buddhist bishop thing here with his report of the Sacred Circles Women’s Spirituality Conference at the National Cathedral on Valentine’s Day:

http://themcj.com/?p=2899

I once commented on another listserv that Buddhism did not include belief in the supernatural.  I was corrected by someone who said Buddhism taught reincarnation Those who have studied Buddhism: does it include belief in reincarnation?

#55 CelindaScott,
Yes, Buddhism (at least Tibetan Buddhism) does teach “rebirth” until you can finally escape the cycle and reach nirvana.

But, classical Buddhism is atheistic—there is no “god” as we picture God the Father.
Now, Tibetan Buddhism believes in all sorts of demons and devils, besides worshipping Buddha and various bodavisattas (sp?).

celindascott,
According to the site below zen buddhists believe:

“REBIRTH
One question often asked is, “What happens to us after death?”

According to the Buddhists, rebirth takes place at the end of this life. Buddhists regard rebirth as a fact. There is evidence that each person has lived many lives in the past and will continue to lives more in the future.”

http://www.zenguide.com/principles/karma_and_reincarnation.cfm

But I think we should all be aware that, first, buddhism itself varies in practice and secondly, buddhism, while attracting serious Western practioners, has also attracted more than its share of Western spiritualizers and dabblers of the sort that like to stir in a little Buddha with the Druids, etc. I think we’ve had some commenters on this topic who know a lot about Buddhism, but ... I think we have to be wary that some folks only think they do. (And I’m not aiming that remark at *anyone*.)

Thanks, Edwin.  Obviously the combination of a-theism and belief in reincarnation make Buddhism quite different from Christianity despite a similarity in ethical teachings and in meditation practices. —However, do Tibetan Buddhists actually worship Buddha, let alone “bodavisattas” and/or demons?  I thought the concept of “worship” was foreign to Buddhism.

Tibetan Buddhism is really a mixed bag—a little animism, demon worship, plus Buddhism.  Occultic, too.  We’ve seen food offerings to an idol of Buddha.  It’s not classical Buddhism.

I REALLY cannot discern what all the fuss is about. Any intelligent person can practise ‘grounded openness’ any day of the week. See my Open Letter to Bishop Michael Ingham.

#61. Dr. Turner,
God bless you for your comprehensiveness but could you also be so kind as to provide an abstract of your letter for us. I am time challenged not because of being busy but because of being old. (I rarely click the red “read it all” part at the beginning of the postings).