Statement from Lionel Deimel, President, Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh

What has been revealed in the letter by the Rev. Geoff Chapman comes as no surprise to those of us who have been following the American Anglican Council (AAC) and its new Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, headed by Bishop Robert Duncan. It should now be clear to all that the protestations from the AAC about not leaving the church have been completely disingenuous. Chapman’s letter outlines a conspiracy to stage a coup d’etat within the Episcopal Church intended to put the conservative minority in power. It is a direct challenge to church leadership that cannot be ignored. The church must, as Chapman puts it, “play ‘hardball’” or risk the breakup of the church at the hands of the conservative faction. MORE WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE