The bishop had issued an edict to the "Connecticut Six" and a deadline of February 15 to comply with his demands to accept his understanding of DEPO, pay their fair share to the diocese or face the music.

When Rick Gonneville, warden confronted Smith about the "deadline" of Feb. 15, and what action he would now take, Smith replied "nothing", VirtueOnline was told. "He said this after sending two written "threats" about canonical issues setting a deadline of Feb. 15th. But now he said he had no plans for doing anything on the 15th. If his intention had been to get us to cave in, he failed. But it certainly caused a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety, not only on my part but on the part of my family and the Parish." said Hansen.

"I went into the meeting with a written proposal, very straightforward, about succession issues. He stated that his responsibilities did not allow him to make the concessions we asked for, even though the DEPO Bishop, who would play a key role in the proposed plan, would have been someone approved by him. Smith stated that he would allow another bishop to visit for two years but refused to relinquish anything."

"The Primates, meeting in Ireland, are the only hope we have left," said Hansen to VirtueOnline.

At their Annual Meeting where the congregation did the Anglican Communion Network survey, a straw poll on where individual parishioners stood, it was an overwhelming vote to leave ECUSA if no miraculous changes were forthcoming from the Primates, said Hansen. The Parish agreed to meet again on March 6th to consider making the hard decisions.

The "Connecticut 6" have agreed to remain together as one at least until the Primates have concluded their meeting in Ireland, said Hansen. "We are totally committed to unity for as long as we can."

In a letter that specifically spells out the issues, succession was the key issue. The letter read:

Dear Bishop Smith:

In the interest of creating some movement in the deadlock that has existed between you as Bishop of Connecticut and the six Connecticut parishes affiliated with the Anglican Communion Network since we first jointly communicated with you in writing last May 27th, the rector and wardens of St. John's, Bristol make the following proposal, subject to the approval of the other five parishes, viz.:

That the following language be inserted into both clauses of our letter of May 27th relating to clergy succession and access to ordination: except in cases where there is a record of sexual or other misconduct as established by the accepted norms and practices of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut such that the subject clauses would be altered to read:

We seek a written agreement that guarantees that, except in cases where there is a record of sexual or other misconduct as established by the accepted norms and practices of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, the future succession of clergy in our parishes rests in the hands of our vestries, our search committees, and our DEPO bishop, and we seek a written agreement that, except in cases where there is a record of sexual or other misconduct as established by the accepted norms and practices of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, all decisions regarding future candidates for ordained ministry from these parishes rest in the hands of our rectors, discernment committees, vestries and our DEPO bishop.

We respectfully submit that a resolution of the issues addressed in these two clauses is of vital importance to those who are committed to remaining faithful to biblically orthodox Anglicanism and yet are seeking ways to continue in communion with you and the Episcopal Church in the USA. We fail to see how the implementation of the above proposal would conflict with the Canons.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Dr. Mark Hansen
St. John's, Bristol

The Rev. Gilbert Wilkes, rector of Christ and the Epiphany in East Haven Ct. said "We met with the bishop at his invitation but basically we were told to accept DEPO or him and the concerns we voiced, he did not give one inch."

"The options seem to surrender now or surrender later. What are we going to do then about clergy succession?" The bishop said he would never interfere with that but added that he could not control the Standing Committee as well as candidates for ordination. He said he could accept half the diocesan norm for financial support which is 12.5%.

"No final decisions were made, everything will reference back to the group of six, said the Rev. Allyn Benedict of Christ Church Watertown.

"The hour we are facing is not whether the bishop is threatening action but whether we can in good conscience continue in communion with him. I believe that because he has made a decision we must, to be faithful, make decisions ourselves."

"Our heavenly Father is pouring out His life in this body. We are coming into a day of great fruitfulness by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is going to happen regardless of what Bishop Smith does or does not do."

The Rev. Ron Gauss rector of Bishop Seabury Church in Groton said "Bishop Smith doesn't really understand that the issue is not one of procedure, but one of faith. He expected that we would fall into line after his ultimatum and that we would accept DEPO. But that offers us nothing."

"The bishop said that he told me that he would talk to the Standing Committee and the suffragan bishops about giving the DEPO bishop the right to deal with succession and get back to me." He has yet to respond in anyway, said Gauss.

END