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VIRGINIA: Bishop Accepts Missioner's Departure as Renunciation
December 20, 2005
Contact: Patrick Getlein
Diocese of Virginia
On Monday, Dec. 19, 2005, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, accepted the written statement of departure from the ordained ministry of the Episcopal Church of the Rev. Phil Ashey as a notice of renunciation of the ordained Ministry of the Episcopal Church under Canon III.13 of the Episcopal Church Canons.
On Sunday, Nov. 13, the majority of the congregation of the South Riding Church plant in Fairfax, Va. voted to end their participation in that plant and form a new congregation by the same name under the auspices of the Diocese of Ruwenzori of the Church in the Province of Uganda.
In a meeting Nov. 14 between South Riding missioner the Rev. Phil Ashey, and Bishop Suffragan David Colin Jones, Mr. Ashey gave Bishop Jones a letter informing the Bishop of the congregation's decision and also of his own decision to resign his position as missioner, quit the Episcopal Church and place himself under the authority of the Bishop of Ruwenzori, the Rt. Rev. Benezeri Kisembo.
Mr. Ashey also gave Bishop Jones an inventory of South Riding Church property noting that all assets purchased with South Riding Church funds are the property of the Diocese of Virginia and surrendering all remaining funds in the congregation's bank account. The Rev. Victoria Heard, diocesan missioner for church planting, has secured those assets for the Diocese.
Mr. Ashey's unilateral decision to quit the church left open questions of his canonical status as a priest of the Episcopal Church and of the Diocese of Virginia.
On Nov. 28, Mr. Ashey met with Bishop Lee and on the next day with the Standing Committee to explain his action. In both meetings, Mr. Ashey declared he was not subject to the canonical authority of the Bishop of Virginia nor to the authority of the Standing Committee and participated in the meetings as a courtesy rather than as an acknowledgment of authority.
Bishop Lee laid the matter before the Standing Committee and, in accordance with Canon III.13, received the advice and consent of a majority of the clerical members of the Standing Committee to remove Mr. Ashey from the priesthood of the Episcopal Church.
"I take no pleasure in this action," said Bishop Lee. "By his letter and statements, however, Phil has stated his clear desire no longer to be part of the Episcopal Church, and the path, then, is clear. Phil is no longer a priest of the Episcopal Church."
Meanwhile, the Commission on Church Planting, which works with Bishop Jones in establishing priorities for new church plants around the Diocese, has met to consider how to proceed with restarting the South Riding plant. While the Commission remains committed to planting a church in the South Riding area, no final decision has been made on when that will begin.
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