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VIRGINIA: Holy Spirit Missioner Resigns Position, Quits Episcopal Church
February 7, 2006
Contact:Patrick Getlein
In an afternoon meeting, Monday, Feb. 6, 2006 with Bishop Suffragan David Colin Jones, the Rev. Clancy Nixon, missioner of Church of the Holy Spirit, Ashburn, announced that he was quitting the Episcopal Church and resigning his job as missioner of Church of the Holy Spirit.
"I hereby tender my resignation as a working priest of the Diocese of Virginia and ECUSA, effective Sunday, February 5, 2006. Moreover, with this letter I give notice that, as of yesterday, I have been received by the Diocese of Ruwenzori, Anglican Church of Uganda, in full accord with that Province's canon law, and that I am now under the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Right Rev. Benezeri Kisembo as a canonical resident of Ruwenzori Diocese."
In his letter, Mr. Nixon says that in a meeting of the congregation on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006, the congregation by a vote of 88-0 voted to affiliate with the Diocese of Ruwenzori and disassociate from the Episcopal Church.
According to parochial statistics for the year 2004, Holy Spirit's baptized membership was reported as 187, down from 209 the previous year. A press release posted to Holy Spirit's Web site claims membership of 230.
In his letter, Mr. Nixon also states that his resignation "is emphatically not a renunciation of my Holy Orders as Priest and Deacon of God's one, holy, catholic and apostolic church."
In November, the Rev. Phil Ashey, former missioner of South Riding Church, South Riding, also quit the church and his job in similar fashion to Mr. Nixon.
Upon consultation with the clerical members of the Standing Committee, Mr. Ashey's statements in his letter and to the Standing Committee were determined to constitute renunciation and the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, Bishop of Virginia removed him from the ordained ministry of the Episcopal Church.
While expressing grief over the actions of Mr. Nixon and the congregation, Bishop Lee said that Mr. Nixon's assertion that he can autonomously remove himself from the Episcopal Church and his bishop's authority is a misunderstanding of the Canons under which Mr. Nixon was ordained.
"Mr. Nixon remains under the authority of the Bishop of Virginia and the Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia," said Bishop Lee. "I will be taking up the matter of Mr. Nixon's status with the Standing Committee at the next opportunity."
Church of the Holy Spirit was a joint effort of the Diocese of Virginia and Truro Church, Fairfax and started as a parochial mission of Truro in 2000. In 2002, Holy Spirit was granted diocesan mission status by the Standing Committee.
Church of the Holy Spirit received over $135,000 in financial support from the Diocese of Virginia from the diocesan budget, the 5th Century Fund and support from the churches and people of Region 13 of the Diocese, including funds raised at a regional meeting and barbecue. In 2003, Church of the Holy Spirit declined further financial support from the Diocese.
In his letter to Bishop Jones, Mr. Nixon declares that according to his understanding of diocesan canons, "our Founding Church, Truro Church of Fairfax, is ultimately responsible for the temporal obligations of its mission." Mr. Nixon further declares Truro Church the "legal owner of all our assets and liabilities."
Bishop Jones stated "I am saddened and disappointed by the decision of Clancy Nixon and his congregation. I do not believe that their departure is necessary. I continue to believe that there is room for Clancy Nixon and his congregation in the Diocese of Virginia and in the Episcopal Chu rch."
The Church of the Holy Spirit new site can be found here
