Preface

O GOD the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, page 818.)

The circumstances that give rise to the necessity of reviewing charges against our brother in Christ, the Rev. Samuel Lee Edwards make clear the unhappy divisions present in the Episcopal Church today. We find ourselves faced with this task because of the estimation made by the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese of Washington that Fr. Edwards is not a “duly-qualified priest” and is thereby considered unfit to be rector of the parish that has called him.

We strongly disagree with that assessment. We also understand that Fr. Edwards moved to Accokeek to take up duties as rector in the belief that he had been duly called. He does hold a view of the meaning, purpose and operation of Canon III.17.2 and .3 that differs from that held by the Rt. Rev. Jane Holmes Dixon, Bishop pro tempore of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. As the Review Committee which reviewed the charges brought against Bishop Dixon concluded, “Both parties apparently hold these views in good faith and with the support of their advisors and canonical commentators.”In the light of this unhappy division, we are charged with, and are committed to, upholding the canonical integrity of the Episcopal Church.

The Allegations

Allegations have been brought by clergy of the Sixth Region Clericus of the Diocese of Washington against the Rev. Samuel Lee Edwards, called by the Vestry of Christ Church, Accokeek, Maryland to be the Rector of said parish. Fr. Edwards assumed his duties as rector, but was not accepted by the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese of Washington.

On May 29, 2001 the Rev. Canon John Frizell, Jr., convener of the Sixth Region Clericus of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, alleged in writing three violations of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church by the Rev. Samuel Lee Edwards.

Article VIII of the Constitution

No person shall be ordered Priest or Deacon to minister in this Church until the person shall have been examined by the Bishop and two Priests and shall have exhibited such testimonials and other requisites as the Canons in that case provided may direct. No person shall be ordained and consecrated Bishop, or ordered Priest or Deacon to minister in this Church, unless at the time, in the presence of the ordaining Bishop or Bishops, the person shall subscribe and make the following declaration:

I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship of the Episcopal Church.

Title IV, Canon 1.1(c):

Holding and teaching publicly or privately, and advisedly, any doctrine contrary to that held by this Church

With regard to Title III, Canon 8.1:

The provisions of the Canons of this Title for the admission of Postulants and Candidates and for the ordination to the three Orders, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, shall be equally applicable to men and women.

Title III, Canon 16.2:

“No Deacon or Priest shall officiate more than two months by preaching, ministering the Sacraments, or holding any public service, within the limits of any Diocese other than that in which the Deacon or Priest is canonically resident, without a license from the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese in which the Deacon or Priest desires to officiate. No member of the clergy shall be denied a license on account of his or her sex.”

Our Conclusions

Charge I

Fr. Edwards has openly declared his opposition to the ordination of women to the Priesthood and to the Episcopate. In signing the Declaration of Common Faith and Purpose, Fr. Edwards affirmed the following statement:

I accept the historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of his church. I do not consider that the churches of the Anglican communion have authority to change the historic tradition of the church that the Christian ministerial priesthood is male, and I will refrain from any and all actions which might signify acceptance of such purported change.

Fr. Edwards affirmed this declaration in his February 26th meeting with Bp. Dixon.

The Church Attorney discussed the charges made by the Sixth Clericus with Fr. Frizzell. He advised the Attorney that neither he nor any of the other priests who signed off on the charges have any personal knowledge of any of the facts which give rise to them. Fr. Frizzell further indicated that he and the other priests were not aware of any information which suggested either action, or support of an action, by Fr. Edwards which would deny or impede the process of postulancy, candidacy, or ordination to any female.

In 1997, General Convention amended Title 4, Canon 15 to include a definition of “doctrine.”

The term “doctrine” shall mean the basic and essential teachings of the church. The Doctrine of the Church is to be found in the Canon of Holy Scripture as understood in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds and in the sacramental rites, the Ordinal and Catechism of the Book of Common Prayer.

In Stanton v. Righter (May 15, 1996), the Trial Court examined the scope of doctrine in relationship to the church’s teaching and discipline, as well as the church’s historic teaching on issues of human sexuality. In dismissing Count One of the presentment, the Court held that the protection afforded by the disciplinary Canons of Title 4 to matters of doctrine is limited to what it described as "Core Doctrine" which arises out of the gospel itself and is rooted and grounded in Holy Scripture.

With regard to Count Two, the Court stated:

We hold that for a violation of a doctrinal or traditional teaching to be “an act which involves a violation of ordination vows,”...the proscribed act must have been so specified by the full and unequivocal authority of General Convention. (Emphasis added.)

The Court dismissed Count Two of the presentment.

In 1997, the 72nd General Convention approved Resolution AO52 which amended Canons III.8.1, III.16.1(d), III.16.2, and III.17.3 to prohibit sexual discrimination among clergy. Concurrent with the passage of AO52 Convention considered and carried Resolution AO53,

“Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That (a) no member of this church shall be denied access to the ordination process, postulancy, candidacy, ordination, license to officiate in a diocese, a call to a cure in a diocese or letters dimissory solely on account of their theological views on the ordination of women; (b) no member of this church shall be denied a place in the life and governance of this church solely on account of their theological views on the ordination of women; and (c) every person who exercises a ministry as a leader and trustee in this church is obligated to obey and implement the canon law of this church.”

AO53 reaffirmed the action of the 71st General Convention carrying Resolution COO4sa which provided in part:

“. . .This General Convention acknowledges that those who support and those who oppose the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate each hold a recognized theological position in this church. . .”

Again in July, 2000, at the 73rd General Convention, the House of Bishops considered and adopted a Mind of the House Resolution commending a pastoral spirit in the implementation of Resolution AO45 (monitoring implementation of ordination of women) which provided in part:

“Resolved 1. To affirm that those who dissent from, as well as those who assent to, the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate are both loyal to the Anglican tradition; and 2. That there is a need for courtesy, tolerance, mutual respect, and prayer for one another, and that our desire to know or be with one another, remains binding on us as Christians, . . .”

We conclude that the acceptance of the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate is not “Core Doctrine.” We also conclude that General Convention has not spoken fully and unequivocally to require all members of the Clergy to accept the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate.

Charge Two

The Sixth Region Clericus of the Diocese of Washington withdrew this charge, by correspondence dated November 13, 2001.

Charge Three

Charge Three: Title III, Canon 16.1, provides in pertinent part:

(a) A member of the Clergy desiring to become canonically resident within a Diocese shall present to the Ecclesiastical Authority a testimonial from the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese of current canonical residence. . ." (Emphasis added.)

(b) Such testimonial shall be called Letters Dimissory. If the Ecclesiastical Authority is moved to accept the Letters Dimissory, the canonical residence of the Member of the Clergy so transferred shall date from the acceptance of the Letters Dimissory . . . (Emphasis added.)

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(d) If a Member of the Clergy has been called to a Cure in a Congregation in another Diocese, Letters Dimissory in the form above given shall be presented. It shall be the duty of the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese to accept them within three months unless the Bishop or Standing Committee has received credible information concerning the character of the Member of the Clergy concerned, which would form a proper ground of canonical inquiry and presentment, in which case the Ecclesiastical Authority shall communicate the same to the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese in which the Member of the Clergy is canonically resident; and in such case, it shall not be the duty of the Ecclesiastical Authority to accept the Letters Dimissory unless and until the Member of the Clergy shall be exculpated. . . (Emphasis added).

Title III, Canon 16.2, provides:

No Deacon or Priest shall officiate more than two months by preaching, ministering the Sacraments, or holding any public service, within the limits of any Diocese other than that in which the Deacon or Priest is canonically resident, without a license from the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese in which the Deacon or Priest desires to officiate. No member of the clergy shall be denied a license on account of his or her sex.

Throughout his process of moving from the Diocese of Ft. Worth to the Diocese of Washington, Fr. Edwards never presented Letters Dimissory to Bp. Dixon. Fr. Edwards could not be in charge of any congregation in the Diocese of Washington without becoming canonically resident in that Diocese. Without being canonically resident in the Diocese of Washington, Fr. Edwards’ ability to officiate by preaching, ministering the Sacraments, or holding any public service was limited to a temporary period of two months unless specifically licensed by Bp. Dixon. The two-month period ended on May 25th. No such license was issued and Fr. Edwards continued to conduct services after that date until he was ordered by the civil court to cease on October 29th.

Finding

In the interest of justice and the good order and discipline of the Church, we find that taking the facts alleged with regard to Charge I as being true, no offense has occurred and thereby this charge is dismissed.

With regard to Charge III, we find that taking the alleged facts to be true, Fr. Edwards’ actions are in violation of the Canons of the Church and do hereby issue this Presentment.

Accusation

Therefore, in accordance with Title IV, Canon 3.16, we accuse the Rev. Samuel Lee Edwards of violating Title III, Canon 16.2 by continuing to officiate by preaching, ministering the Sacraments, and holding public services at Christ Church, Accokeek, Maryland in the Diocese of Washington without a license from the Ecclesiastical Authority of that diocese during the period beginning May 25th, 2001 and ending October 29, 2001.

Date: 12.17.2001

The Very Rev. William A. Crary, Jr.
President, The Standing Committee of
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth