Bishop Lambert takes a pass

The suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Dallas spoke with the Corsicana Daily Sun about a legislator's bill that would override the Dennis Canon. The bishop did not come out against the bill.

As reported by the Daily Sun:

“We’ve had five break away,” said The Right Rev. Paul E. Lambert, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. “We allowed them to keep their property in two instances, and in the third instance they didn’t want the property, but they wanted to rent it back with us. “We’ve dealt with it pastorally instead of legally,” Lambert said.

An internal Episcopal law called the Dennis Canon states that all parish property is held in trust for the diocese and the national church. “We’ve always held that we uphold the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church,” Lambert said. “We may not agree with the Dennis Canon, but it is part of the constitution and canons. It has to play out to see whether or not the bill passes, and if it trumps the canons of the Episcopal Church.” “It’s an interesting concept, though, to be sure,” Lambert added.

Read it all. The reporter has developed the story along other dimensions as well.

See The Lead's earlier story on the bill: Prominent Dallas priest asked Texas legislator to change property law

Posted by John B. Chilton on January 31, 2009 3:09 PM | |
Comments (2)

This is surely a question GC should deal w/ (ASAP): whether bishops, short of outright abandonment, are failing to exercise their fiduciary responsibilities to TEC. (Instead of absconding w/ the whole diocese, just letting it go a piece at a time. :-/)

JC Fisher

Posted by tgflux [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 31, 2009 3:57 PM

It is good to see that Bishop Lambert did attend the recent convention The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth:
http://episcopalchurch.org/81803_104845_ENG_HTM.htm

"Cabe welcomed visiting dignitaries, including Bishop Larry Benfield of Arkansas; retired Bishop Sam Hulsey of Northwest Texas; Bishop Suffragan Rayford High of Texas; and Bishop Suffragan Paul E. Lambert of Dallas, as well as Max Patterson, president of Province VII."

Posted by John B. Chilton [TypeKey Profile Page] | February 11, 2009 4:36 PM

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