The Bishop said that it was the deepest hope of the Standing Committee that invoking this provision might help everyone understand the gravity of what is at issue, and that there must be some better way than Christians suing one another in court.

The bishop stated in making the announcement that he hoped this would actually move forward a process of reconciliation and restoration.

"It is my hope that we don¹t have to consider this, but on the advice of
the Diocese¹s standing committee, we¹re opening up the range of tools we have to deal with the situation."

Bishop Duncan said the decision of the two churches to continue in their
lawsuit has brought them into direct conflict both with right church order
and the clear injunctions of scripture. "Both our Lord and St. Paul deal
with this question very directly, saying that Christians don't sue other
Christians," he said.

Diocesan Canon 15, section 6, gives the Convention of Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh authority to deal with situations that involve an egregious break of church order such as this. "By any reckoning, a congregation suing the entire leadership of the Diocese is an egregious break of the church order," explained Bishop Duncan.

"It is my deepest hope that we will never need to consider this matter at
diocesan convention," said Bishop Duncan, "but this situation must be faced and dealt with. For 30 years, the Episcopal Church has avoided its
disciplinary canons. Because of this, we have become a family that is
terribly out of order. We are not going to become that in this diocese."

END