Leading up to the 2018 General Convention, Love was one of eight conservative Episcopal bishops who still refused to allow the church's approved trial marriage rites for same-sex couples. When General Convention passed Resolution B012 to allow same-sex couples to marry in all domestic dioceses, most of the conservative bishops agreed to abide by the resolution's requirements.

Love refused. Instead, he issued a pastoral letter and directive in November 2018 in which he called homosexuality "sinful and forbidden," condemned the same-sex rites, rejected the General Convention resolution and suggested Episcopalians in his diocese would leave the church if his directive were overturned.

Bishop William Love has led the Diocese of Albany for 13 years.

The order sent shockwaves through the diocese, which is based in New York's capital city and includes more than 100 congregations, most of them based in less-populated communities from the Canadian border to the northern Catskill Mountains.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry responded on Jan. 11, 2019, by temporarily restricting part of Love's ministry as bishop because Love's "conduct in this regard may constitute a canonical offense," possibly including violation of his vows as bishop and conduct unbecoming a clergy member.

Under Curry's restriction, Love is "forbidden from participating in any matter regarding any member of the clergy that involves the issue of same-sex marriage," and he is barred from penalizing any clergy member involved in marrying a gay or lesbian couple. Love appealed that restriction but agreed to abide by it while the case is pending.

Although some priests and congregations in the Diocese of Albany had expressed an openness or willingness to offer the rites to same-sex couples, there have been no reports of anyone in the diocese going against Love's November directive.

In the church's Title IV disciplinary process, Bishop Todd Ousley, the church's bishop for pastoral development, serves as intake officer for disciplinary matters involving bishops. Ousely determined Love's case merited a full investigation, and a report from that investigation was submitted to Ousley in time for the House of Bishops meeting that is now underway.

On Sept. 18, Ousley met and discussed the report with the church's Title IV Reference Panel, which also includes Curry and Bishop Cate Waynick, president of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops. That panel voted to send the case to the Title IV Hearing Panel for further consideration.

The announcement did not provide a date or timeline for when the Hearing Panel will meet. It is responsible for reviewing evidence and taking testimony in a setting similar to a court hearing before it rules on any disciplinary action. Though such hearings are uncommon for sitting bishops, the Love case follows the 2017 hearing when then-Los Angeles Bishop J. Jon Bruno, who was disciplined for his conduct in a diocesan property matter.

The current members of the Title IV Hearing Panel are Rhode Island Bishop Nicholas Knisley, West Texas Bishop Suffragan Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, retired Southern Virginia Bishop Herman Hollerith, the Rev. Erik Larsen of the Diocese of Rhode Island and Melissa Perrin of the Diocese of Chicago. Knisely serves as the panel's president.

David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

VOL FOOTNOTE: We will have more to say about this once I have heard from Bishop Love. Bishop Love's refusal to bow before a General Convention and defy Scripture is a lesson in faithfulness. That the Communion Partner bishops have abandoned Bishop Love speaks volumes about their cowardice.
It is distinctly possible that Love will lose his appeal and be thrown out of the Church. If so he will go with his head held high, faithful to Jesus, Scripture and Church history. Meantime pray for him. He is a godly brother. --- David W. Virtue, DD