Bishop Smith Dismisses Role and Authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Cynthia P. Brust
770-414-1515
July 22, 2005

In an article dated July 22, 2005, the Church of England Newspaper reports that Andrew Smith, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, has “warned” the Panel of Reference “that it will have no role in the battle for alternate episcopal oversight (AEO)” in the Diocese of Connecticut. According to the report, Diocesan Director of Communications Karin Hamilton says Bishop Smith “does not envision a role for it [the panel] in the present conflict as he wishes to resolve the present dispute ‘domestically’.”

The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson, President and CEO of the American Anglican Council (AAC), responded to the recent developments in the Diocese of Connecticut saying, “This is a staggering development in a dramatic and escalating situation. Bishop Smith ran roughshod over canon law when he seized St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bristol and inhibited their rector. Now he has reportedly challenged the Archbishop of Canterbury who established the Panel of Reference in order to deal with cases just like this one. Are their no bounds to his arrogance and challenge of Anglican authority?”

The rest at AAC website