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Sacked bishop's move obstructed
by Arthur Wate
Solomon Star
June 2, 2005
A SACKED bishop attracted more controversy yesterday, as a senior American cleric rejected him and the Church of Melanesia worked to prevent a split.
The defrocked bishop Zephaniah Legumana, led the Isabel diocese of the Solomon Islands' biggest church, the Church of Melanesia, until he was defrocked last week.
Although the COM has given no reason for his sacking, the former bishop has been associated with moves to establish a new church. Some churchgoers see that as perilously close to promoting the first schism the COM, an affiliate of the Anglican church, has suffered in its 156 years.
Critics says the former bishop Legumana has been associated with the proposed establishment of a body calling itself the Episcopal Church of Solomon Islands. However a Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States said his church has no association with its proposed SI namesake.
The Most Reverend Frank Griswold said he had no knowledge of any relationship between the Episcopal Church of the USA and the Episcopal Church of Solomon Islands. "It (Episcopal Church of SI) is not connected in any way to the Episcopal Church, USA," he said.
"Our church in no way supports or endorses the defrocked cleric's activities," Rev Griswold said in a letter to the Church of Melanesia this week. Rev Griswold made this statement in the light of the Church of Melanesia's (COM) decision to defrock its former leader.
According to COM, former bishop Legumana has hosted meetings at Honiara High School to raise funds for the establishment of an organisation calling itself the Episcopal Church of Solomon Islands. The COM welcomed Bishop Griswold's statement.
It issued an official, but unsigned, statement on the row yesterday. In its statement, the COM said Bishop Griswold's declaration showed that Mr Legumana's group is in no way connected to the internationally recognised Episcopal Church.
It was simply using the name of a respected church. "A bishop is called to guard the 'faith, unity and discipline of the church' as no one can be loyal to two different ecclesiastical organisations. "If any ordained and consecrated person wants to lead people into schism, to accentuate division, then that person has broken his voice and the Archbishop has only done his duty in removing his licence to officiate in the Church of Melanesia," the church said.
One of former bishop Legumana's supporters Aaron Mane of Hograno has challenged the COM to give reasons for stripping off the former cleric of his episcopate. However, the Archbishop's office said it had sent out a pastoral letter to the members of the Diocese of Central Melanesia informing the general public of the reasons for the dismissal of Mr Legumana.
"No one can serve two masters, as members of the Church of Melanesia and indeed members of the world wide international Anglican Communion. We have a proud heritage.
"We are a true part of the Holy Catholic Church of Christ stretching in time and space from the upper room in Jerusalem to this very moment and place. "Let us pray and work together that this schism will be healed and we will be one body, trying hard to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," the Archbishop's office said.
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