Controversial Bishop-Elect Composes Own Eucharistic Texts

March 3, 2009

The congregation led by the Diocese of Northern Michigan’s bishop-elect often uses locally written eucharistic rites rather than those of the Book of Common Prayer or the supplemental liturgical texts authorized by General Convention.

St. Paul’s Church, Marquette, also regularly uses The Inclusive Hebrew Scriptures and The Inclusive New Testament, which are published by a liberal Roman Catholic organization, Priests for Equality.

Those lectionary texts are not among the several Bibles authorized by Title II, Canon 2, including the gender-inclusive New Revised Standard Version. That canon allows for “other versions of the Bible, including those in languages other than English, which shall be authorized by diocesan bishops for specific use in congregations or ministries within their dioceses.”

The Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester, interim ministry developer and rector of St. Paul’s, was the sole candidate on the ballot for the special electing convention on Feb. 21. He received 88 percent of delegate votes.

Fr. Thew Forrester’s parish draws some of its prayers from Enriching Our Worship, which is authorized by General Convention. Many of the eucharistic texts gathered from the congregation’s website were composed or adapted by the bishop-elect or by his wife, the Rev. Rise Thew Forrester. the rest