Thursday, December 10, 2009

Bishops

It is do as I say not do as I do for the Jensenites in Sydney.
I am indebted to Unthinking Anglicans for the following links. I really have more to do with my time than seek out the latest shenanigans of the Sydney Diocese.

I discovered that Dean Philip Jensen has been given another 5 years at the Cathedral which will take him to age 70 in 2015. Other priests in the diocese have to retire at age 65. His brother, Archbishop Peter Jensen, has also had his tenure extended past the usual date until he turns 70 in 2013.

Even more irritating is the announcement that the Reverend Peter Hayward  has been endorsed by the diocese of Sydney's standing committee to be the sixth Bishop of Wollongong.  This is a region within the diocese of Sydney. 


Now the bishops of Sydney are going apoplectic about  the election of Canon Mary Glasspool by the Diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan bishop elect. They are probably not over the moon about the election of Rev Diane Jardine Bruce either.  (I was at a dinner last month in which the speaker was Bishop Barbara Darling of the Diocese of Melbourne who pointed out that although she was born in Sydney, she is not recognised as either a bishop or a priest when she flies into her home city.)

The bishops- elect of Los Angeles were elected by the Diocesan convention of priests and lay people representing the parishes. They will not become bishops until they receive the necessary consents from a majority of the bishops and standing committees of TEC.

Peter Hayward was chosen by the standing committee of Sydney probably on the recommendation of ++Peter Jensen. The rest of the diocese had no say in it. Certainly the decision will not need approval  by the rest of the Anglican  Church of Australia.


Even when Archbishop Peter Jensen eventually retires, his successor will be chosen by Synod but whether the rest of the Australian church approves or not will not matter. 


From what I read Bishop - elect Mary Glasspool will make an excellent bishop just as Bishop Gene Robinson is.  I hold him in much higher regard than the bishops within the Diocese of Sydney. I hold them all in utter contempt.






Addendum

Just checked who are the members of the Standing Committee, very interesting.

There are 23 clergy, naturally all male except Archdeacon Narelle Jarrett who is not a priest and like the other archdeacon on the committee does not have a vote unless delegated by a bishop.

There are 33 lay persons and 7 are women. 
2 were elected from the whole synod, the other 5 were elected from the 5 regions (4 reps each)  but not evenly.  
3 come from South Sydney which probably has the greatest concentration of non-evangelical churches.



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like a man who doesn't mince his words, but tells it as it is.

Anonymous said...

Brian,
The Jensens are despots and the laughing stock of Sydney! How can anyone take the Sydney Diocese seriously? I'm afraid there is nothing Godly about this group of Calvinists. I bet the Diocese is in such a mess that these despots fear handing over control because of what may become public. Well that is usually the psychology behind insular people/groups who cling on and require more time. It means they stuffed up their time in leadership! You are a brave man speaking out as you have done. If you ever go missing from your blog site, we'll send a search party to Uganda!
Sincerely,
Sydneysider

motheramelia said...

I read about the Jensens and although I have no objection to extending the age of service, it needs to be uniform. Here in the US (TEC) it is 72. Nevertheless, the Jensens seem to continually abuse their power and this "exception" for themselves is just another example of this abuse. I really prefer the way we elect our bishops her in TEC. (and you did a good job describing the process)

Brian R said...

I agree Motheramelia as did one of our braver Anglo-catholic priests in the article that the compulsory retiring age for ALL should be extended.
Hopefully Sydneysider I can send you a postcard from Dunedin not Kampala :-)

Anonymous said...

Brian,
It's interesting how the mission of the Sydney Diocese relies so much on the Jensens for its implementation?
Sounds more like something forced and imposed instead of an ethos that is embraced. The whole structure and implementation reminds me of the Nazi Party. Could retirement of the two Jensens,see an end to the 10 year mission? Didn't it start out as a 5year mission anyway? So it failed then and needed more time? All I've seen expand over the time is Matthias Media.

You know, what I've come to realise is that the mission of the Sydney Anglican Diocese is in no way outcome driven, unless it's in terms of money. The senior management continue to read and implement things from only one perspective, not realising that God is multi - dimentional and they just keep getting it wrong.
Getting it wrong and causing a lot of problems for many others. But it now looks like the problems are being returned to those who own them, that is the senior management of the Sydney Diocese. Brian enjoy the spectular because I think it will be bigger than a night on the harbour on New Years Eve!
Sydneysider.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Brian,
I meant to conclude the above post with true Sydney Anglican words...
For it is written!

SS

Leonard said...

Thanks Brian, I read about it at Revd Ivan Ackeroff´s place but it was good to discuss it thoroughly with on-the-scene reporting...my mind goes directly how much I loath these manipulating cowards...but then, I do remember that they are, in fact, grasping, clutching greedy overpuffed up old men (will they make the ¨kid¨ of Jensen a Bishop soon? That is worrisome).