C. FitzSimons Allison

Christopher FitzSimons Allison (born March 5 1927), is a retired Episcopal bishop and an author, known for his participation in the controversial consecration in 2000, in Singapore, of two bishops opposed to the blessing of same-sex unions by the Episcopal Church USA. He resides in Georgetown, South Carolina.

Education and Career

Allison was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. He attended the University of the South and, after having his studies briefly interrupted by service in the United States Army during World War II, he received a bachelor of arts degree in 1949. He then studied at Virginia Theological Seminary, from which he graduated with a bachelor of divinity degree in 1952. He was ordained a deacon in June 1952 and a priest in May 1953. Allison later studied at Oxford University and received a doctor of philosophy degree in 1956. He then taught church history at the School of Theology at the University of the South and at Virginia Theological Seminary.

He served as rector of Grace Episcopal Church in New York City before being elected as the twelfth Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina. He was elected to serve as bishop co-adjutor of the Diocese of South Carolina in 1978, then was consecrated to the episcopate in 1980. Allison retired in 1990 but has continued preaching speaking, and writing since his retirement.

Writings

Among Allison's books are "The Rise of Moralism: The Proclamation of the Gospel from Hooker to Baxter" (New York: The Seabury Press, 1966); "The Cruelty of Heresy: An Affirmation of Christian Orthodoxy" (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 1994); "Guilt, Anger, and God: The Patterns of Our Discontents" (New York: The Seabury Press, 1972); "Fear, Love, and Worship" (published prior to 1972)

Controversial Consecrations

In 2000, Allison participated in the consecrations of Charles Murphy and John Rogers, both of whom were priests in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, as Missionary Bishops to the United States from the Anglican Churches of Rwanda and Southeast Asia. Bishops Murphy and Rogers provided leadership to the conservative Anglican Mission in America, in which Allison, although remaining a member of the Episcopal Church, has also been active.

These consecrations, which occurred in Singapore, were controversial in the Episcopal Church, as they were an act of protest against the church's blessing of same-sex unions, but were also considered to be a breach of church unity. Other consecrators were Emmanuel Kolini, Archbishop of the Province of Rwanda, Moses Tay, Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia, John Ruchyahana, Bishop of Shyira (Rwanda), Alex D. Dickson, retired Bishop of West Tennessee, and David Pytches, former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru, and now a vicar in England.

Canada's primate, Michael Peers, commented: "Bishops are not intercontinental ballistic missiles, manufactured on one continent and fired into another as an act of aggression."

External links

* cite news
url=http://www.cyberus.ca/~arm/article4.htm
publisher= Anglicans Renewal Ministries
title= Bishops without borders
author = Bishop Edward Marsh
date=Summer 2000

* cite news
url=http://anglicansonline.org/news/archives/2000asing.html
publisher= Anglicans On-Line
title= News Stories special edition: the Singapore Consecrations