You are here
MINNESOTA: Bishop Jelinek Prohibits Kenyan Archbishop from Preaching in Orthodox Parish
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
1/13/2007
The Bishop of Minnesota, the Rt. Rev. James L. Jelinek has told the Rev. John Newton priest at Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, MN that he may not have Kenyan Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi preach in his church, and ordered the priest to cancel any meetings set up for the orthodox Primate.
In a letter to Fr. Newton, which VOL obtained, Bishop Jelinek wrote, "Your news about Archbishop Nzimbi is disturbing. His meeting with people at Messiah does not meet with my approval. He has done things in this diocese before, without my prior knowledge or permission, which were calculated to harm the Episcopal Church. I have met with him and told him he may not do this again within this diocese. The last time he was here, he had a meeting at the Episcopal congregation in Hudson, I trust with the knowledge and blessing of the Bishop of Eau Claire. On that occasion he honored my word and jurisdiction."
Wrote Jelinek: "Accordingly, you will please cancel this meeting on January 23 at Church of the Messiah with Archbishop Nzimbi. Do not schedule any other meetings with him either at or in the name of the Church of Messiah. I am sure you do not want to be a party to this act of bad faith. I would appreciate receiving a copy of the notice canceling the meeting. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter."
Jelinek did not say what the nature of those things were that Archbishop Nzimbi did "to harm the Episcopal Church." He did not return an e-mail to VOL requesting an answer.
"Over the years Messiah has worked very hard to cooperate on every level with the diocese and to maintain close and cordial relationships, in spite of some grave differences in matters of theology. We are at a loss to know what has provoked this reaction from Bishop Jelinek and find it very disappointing," Newton told VOL.
Two sources told VOL that on an earlier occasion Bishop Jelinek assured Archbishop Nzimbi that he was welcome to speak in Minnesota any time.
Newton had written the bishop on January 9 saying that he had received a call from Mwende Nzimbi, the daughter of Archbishop Nzimbi saying that her father would be visiting Minnesota towards the end of the month and could he address the congregation, and asking if the bishop "would like to get together with him during his brief visit here."
Jelinek wrote back snubbing not only the idea of meeting with the archbishop but refusing to allow him to speak in the church.
Kayla Berger, coordinator of the Minnesota chapter of the American Anglican Council and host of Archbishop Nzimbi's talk, told VOL that the event would be moved to Bethel Christian Fellowship, 1466 Portland Ave, St. Paul. It will still be held on Tuesday January 23 at 7.30pm, she said.
A VOL reader observed the irony of the bishop's rejection of the archbishop while at the diocesan website in the weekly newsletter, there's a section called "Diverse Voices."
"I guess we now know that "diverse" doesn't include voices that disagree with the prevailing liberal orthodoxy," wrote an orthodox layman. "The end is in sight."
In an article at the diocesan website a Commission report titled, "What Does it Mean to be Episcopalian in Minnesota?" a diocesan functionary wrote: "We "see ourselves" as both a family and a democracy, which has both positive and negative values. As a "family," we experience intimacy, acceptance and safety. But, as Huber pointed out, "families are the most closed systems." A "democracy" allows for diversity, participation and permission to disagree."
Apparently "diversity" and "permission to disagree" does not apply to the Archbishop of Kenya.
The bishop sent copies of his rejection letter to Mr. Len Addington, Diocesan Chancellor and Ms. Fran Bly, President, Standing Committee.
Archbishop Nzimbi is travelling in the U.S. and could not be reached for comment.
END
