Diocese of San Joaquin Votes to Disassociate with The Episcopal Church

Convention Accepts the Invitation to Align with the Province of
the Southern Cone
FRESNO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--Today at its annual convention the Diocese of San Joaquin took an
historic step and voted to disassociate from The Episcopal Church. The
convention also accepted an invitation from Archbishop Gregory
Venables and the bishops of the Province of the Southern Cone of South
America to be welcomed into their membership.

According to Bishop John-David Schofield of the Diocese of San
Joaquin, "This is the first time in American Anglican history that a
diocese has realigned with a like-minded province." He added, "The
vote was a resounding affirmation by our clergy and laity to remain
within the worldwide Anglican Communion with its heritage and
universally accepted teaching based on the word of God."

Delegates and clergy attending the 48th Annual Convention of the
Diocese of San Joaquin voted overwhelmingly in favor of amendments to
the diocesan constitution, which removed references to The Episcopal
Church, expressed the intention to maintain fellowship with the
greater Anglican Communion accepted the invitation to become a
diocesan member of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. The
vote reaffirmed a first vote at the December 2, 2006 convention in
which a more than two-thirds majority voted in favor of the
constitutional amendments.

"For 20 years and more we have watched The Episcopal Church lose
its way, straying, at first from Scripture to the point of dismissing
the Word of God, in some instances as mere historical documents," said
Bishop Schofield. "In the end, this decision is all about freedom. It
is about freedom to remain who we are in Christ. It is freedom to
honor the authority of Scripture."

Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia read a statement from Archbishop
Gregory Venables, "Welcome Home. And welcome back into full fellowship
in the Anglican Communion."

The Diocese of San Joaquin was founded as a missionary diocese in
1911 and became a full autonomous diocese in 1961. The Diocese
encompasses 47 parish churches and mission churches in the counties of
San Joaquin, Alpine, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Mono, Merced, Mariposa,
Tuolumne, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Inyo.

Diocese of San Joaquin
Fr. Van McCalister, 559-244-4828

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