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Pittsburgh bishop expects an effort to oust him
By Ann Rodgers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Bishop of Pittsburg
PITTSBURGH (11/13/2005)--Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh said he expects liberal activists in the Episcopal Church to attempt to depose him as bishop here.
His comments came in an interview yesterday at the close of the Anglican Communion Network conference that drew 2,400 theologically conservative Episcopalians to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown.
During the meeting, he read a note from someone who described the group as facing its Good Friday. Bishop Duncan said he could not say exactly what form Good Friday would take for the Anglican Communion Network, of which he is moderator, only that it would be painful.
Referring to his own controversial status as a leader of conservative Episcopalians, he said, "I believe there are those who will try to remove me here, as the bishop of Pittsburgh."
He noted that one national network of Episcopalians had already called for such action.
"I'm not planning to go anywhere, but I think they will try to remove me. That is going to be my Good Friday. That is going to be my people's Good Friday. But I think we are prepared. We will not turn away from Jesus," he said.
Throughout the three-day gathering, leaders spoke of a "realignment" of worldwide Anglicanism. Drawing on a Bible passage in which Joshua challenged the Israelites to choose between the true God and pagan gods, there was a running theme of "choose this day."
But Bishop Duncan said he could not define that choice in institutional terms. No matter what church people belong to, "the choice is for Jesus, as opposed to something less or a counterfeit. And we really think that [counterfeit] is what is being offered by the Episcopal Church at the moment."
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