Accokeek Congregation
Gives Vestry New Powers
Robert Stowe England |
29 December 2001
ACCOKEEK, Maryland -- A special congregational meeting held here Thursday voted 65 to 10 -- a stunning 85% level of support -- to give the vestry of St. John's Parish Christ Church broad new power to change the ecclesiastical affiliation of the 303-year-old parish.
The new power appears to allow the vestry to pick its own bishop or leave the Episcopal Church USA entirely.
According to an informed source, this could include the option of coming under the authority of a new flying bishop to be chosen by the traditionalist group, Forward in Faith / North America.
Parish officials were unavailable to explain the implication of the vote. Under the Maryland Vestry Act, historic Episcopal parishes have a firmer claim on their property rights and have additional rights in their relationship with bishops and church authorities that are not shared by other parishes. Christ Church has researched its title and determined it owns the property in fee simple.
The lop-sided vote reveals that virtually every undecided member in the parish has now come down firmly on the side of the vestry and in opposition to Dixon, who has often claimed that a majority of the parish support her.
The special meeting was called by parishioner and former vestryman Charles Claggett, who introduced a motion for several amendments to the parish by-laws, including one that would expand the vestry's powers.
The congregation also voted to extend the terms of its wardens from one to two years and make that retroactive to include current Senior Warden Barbara Sturman and Junior Warden Frank McDonough. It also extended the terms of its vestry members from two to three years, also making that retroactive. Mrs. Sturman was not present at the meeting, as she was attending a funeral service out of state.
This extension of terms for the vestry and wardens keeps the current vestry in power until 2003 and greatly strengthens its hand in the coming battles in court and Dixon, who chaired the meeting under new authority granted her by U.S. District Court of Maryland judge Peter J. Messitte. The next annual congregational meeting will occur sometime in October.
Dixon's chairing of the congregational meeting violates church rules which stipulate that such meetings by chaired either by the parish's Senior Warden of its interim rector, Fr. Stephen Arpee.
Claggett, who first introduced the motion to extend the terms of the vestry at a breakfast stewardship meeting of the parish in November, said the change had been recommended by the diocese for all parishes last spring and that, furthermore, it was needed to maintain continuity on the vestry for the duration of appeals to a federal court ruling in favor of Dixon in the lawsuit she brought against the parish Fr. Edwards.
Dixon sued in the U.S. District Court of Maryland's southern division in Greenbelt last summer to oust Fr. Edwards and to dissolve his contract with the vestry, and to grant Dixon additional powers to oversee and run the life of the parish not granted under the canons and constitution of the Episcopal Church.
Dixon opposed the parish's call of Fr. Edwards, but did so 83 days after the parish called him, violating the 30-day limit allowed bishops to comment on the call of a rector.
Judge Messitte's order to oust Fr. Edwards is being appealed to the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the fourth circuit in Richmond, Va. Oral arguments on briefs in the appeal are to be heard in late January.
The parish last May accepted the pastoral oversight of Ft. Worth Bishop Jack Iker, a Forward in Faith bishop.
Fr. Edwards remains canonically resident in the Ft. Worth diocese, where he also faces a trial on a presentment for conducting worship services beyond the 60 days allowed in church canons. He was rector from March 25 to October 29.
Dixon opposed the amendment to expand the powers of the vestry to make decisions on ecclesiastical affiliation but note regretfully at the meeting that the congregation had the power to amend the by-laws giving the vestry new powers and extending the terms of vestry and wardens.
A group of dissidents in the parish who support Dixon but are not voting members of the parish were present. They sat in an area behind the voting members, separated by a rope. Of the 75 votes cast, 23 were both proxy, which is allowed under the by-laws.
Dixon issued a written statement objecting to the fact that most of those who had attended alternative services at a community center between early June and late October were not allowed to vote. Parish officials have noted, however, that they do not meet voting requirements under the by-laws and none of them were voting members at the last annual meeting in February.
A group of 44 people dropped unauthorized pledge cards in the offering plates early in November. Nearly half that group were people who had never attended the parish, according to parish officials. The pledge cards had been prepared by George Hanssen, who leads the pro-Dixon faction within the parish.
At the beginning of the meeting, vestryman Bill Gallagher, who says he has tried to remain neutral between the majority who support the vestry and those who support Dixon, introduced a motion to declare the meeting invalid because not every member of the parish had been notified of it. That motion failed in a 63 to 12 vote. Gallagher then left the meeting.
All votes were cast by secret ballot. The motion to vot by secret ballot was introduced by vestry member Wes Courtney.
The Standing Committee President, the Rev. David Thomas Andrews, rector of Holy Trinity, Collinton, in Bowie, Md., was seated in the room with the non-members, along with Barbara Miles, a lay member of the Standing Committee from St. Nicholas mission in Darnestown, Md.
Return to Dixon/Edwards archive
