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MARYLAND: Bishop Ihloff blasts ordination of priest by Bolivian Bishop
11/12/2005
Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
It has come to my attention that at the Diocesan Convention in Pittsburg this morning Eliot Winks was ordained priest by a Bolivian bishop for deployment in Baltimore County. He will serve a small group of former-Episcopalians who have left St. John's Church, Glyndon, now meeting in a private home and calling themselves The Church of the Resurrection, Baltimore County.
Since this may be in newspapers, you should be aware that Church of the Resurrection is not an Episcopal congregation (nor even a proper Anglican one) and has no relationship with this Diocese. +John Rabb and I refused to license Eliot Winks (then a deacon resident in Pittsburg) early this year; he wanted to do self-directed campus ministry. Our action was based on his unwillingness to work under the direction of our Campus Ministry Board, and we were not impressed with his credentials; obviously our judgment has proven sound.
Of course, this irregular ordination is in direct violation of the Windsor Report as well as the Communiqué from the Primates, both of which uphold Catholic tradition insisting that all bishops respect the integrity of Diocesan boundaries. Sadly, it is obvious that a small minority of bishops in our Communion continue to take unilateral action despite the weight of the vast majority of Anglicans who oppose such measures, the plea of the Archbishop of Canterbury to not violate diocesan boundaries, and the specific prohibitions sited above. I will be reporting this action to the appropriate Anglican and Episcopal Church authorities.
It should be obvious, but just in case there is any question Eliot Winks has no ordination status in the Episcopal Church (and like others ordained for the A.M.i.A. is not recognized by the vast majority of Anglicans around the globe). He may not function in any capacity in any Church in this Diocese.
+John and I felt you should know the facts.
Faithfully yours,
+Bob Ihloff
FOOTNOTE: Ihloff is incorrect. The Rev. Eliot Winks was validly consecrated a priest in the Diocese of Bolivia and Chile which is a constituent member of the Worldwide Anglican Communion. (I was there). By its actions The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Maryland have chosen to walk apart and now live in impaired and/or broken communion with the vast majority of the Anglican Communion. The onus is on ECUSA to return to the fold, not for Mr. Winks to join ECUSA.
David W. Virtue
