Same Tune; Different Key

We came across an interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald about a recent court ruling in Australia that paves the way for women to become bishops in the Anglican Church of Australia. You can read it here.

The story features the same sort of back-and-forth issues about which we’ve heard so much here recently: alternative oversight for uncomfortable congregations; let’s not rush in; etc. Mind you, the Church of England authorized female bishops a year ago, and we Yanks have been at it for years, though we still have bishops who refuse to even ordain women.

Cultures move at different paces. There’s no international definition of “normal.” We all need to remember that as we grope our way forward.

Bishop Baxter's Pastoral Reflection

Bishop Baxter has written a Pastoral Reflection on the recently concluded House of Bishops meeting. In it he says, in part:

“Our Episcopal Church is on a journey. That journey has not changed. However, we are also a body---a diverse body---and we are equally committed to making every honest effort to make the journey together. This is not a matter of civil or political justice; this is a matter of Christian faith and conviction. Sometimes traveling as a body means slowing down the pace, in the hope that all can make the journey. Everyone is important in this Church, including those who do not agree with the timing or present direction of our journey. The end of Christian justice is community, and that takes patience, sacrifice, and respectful conversation as well as prophetic courage."

You can read the entire reflection here.

The November issue of Tidings will include an interview with Bishop Baxter about this month’s House of Bishops meeting and his first year as our Bishop. Do you have questions you’d like to ask Bishop Baxter? You can do so by replying to this blog post. We’ll pass them along and try to print as many of them as we can in Tidings. Many thanks!

Finding the Center

I’ve been reading a variety of press reports and commentary about the recent events in New Orleans. The media mostly mean well, but they miss the mark. They’re either looking for a good headline or trying to report on “who won.” Those closer to both the church and the process have noted that the members of the House of Bishops, regardless of their theology, were nearly unanimous in their conviction that they wished to remain within the Episcopal Church. The hard work was developing a statement whose language created a sufficiently large tent that everyone could stand under it. So in a very real sense, everyone who was there for the drafting of the statement won. It is regrettable that several bishops chose to leave before this happened, apparently having no interest in the sort of reasoned dialogue for which the primates had called.

Similarly, Rowan Williams and those primates who were in New Orleans also may well have recognized that finding a way to keep the Anglican Communion whole was just as important a task for them. For one thing, other provinces will shortly need to face the same issues which the General Convention confronted in 2003. So it is just as important that the those provinces find amicable ways of dealing with their differences, both individually and collectively. Whether some primates will choose to mimic the small American minority and not be at the table for that discussion remains to be seen.

One of my fellow bloggers, the Anglican Scotist, had an interesting reflection on the House of Bishops (HoB) statement. He says,

“…[S]ome Anglican conservatives will not be able to see the HoB document for what it actually is: a compromise that is part of a process. "Compromise" is not a category they are willing to recognize, because for separatists, reconciliation with an Episcopal Church that has not turned 180 degrees is not a real possibility. But for moderate provinces who took Windsor et al sincerely and seriously, compromise is a welcome development: it means the process of reconciliation can go forward.” You can read the rest here.

There are echoes of that sentiment in part of the statement that the Joint Standing Committee issued yesterday. It said in part,

The Anglican Communion is a family of 44 autonomous churches. There is no central body which can pass judgement or issue directions for the life of the Communion. At the same time, however, it is the responsibility of the Instruments of Communion to enable conversation and discernment between the provinces and churches, and it was in this spirit that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the members of the Joint Standing Committee have approached this meeting.

You can read the rest of the statement on the Diocesan web site here.

Ironically, the American church may be best positioned to model this sort of working toward compromise. Its governance borrows hugely from our American Constitution. There are separations of power and checks and balances in both our church canons and our national government. Winston Churchill called American democracy the worst form of government ever, except for all the others that have been tried. However messy the process is, there is perhaps something in our unique governing structure that will allow us to survive this tension, emerge stronger, and model a way forward that the other provinces can follow.

Message from the House of Bishops

Episcopal Life has published the following message from the House of Bishops.

House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church
New Orleans, Louisiana
September 25, 2007

A Response to Questions and Concerns Raised by our Anglican Communion Partners

In accordance with Our Lord's high priestly prayer that we be one, and in the spirit of Resolution A159 of the 75th General Convention, and in obedience to his Great Commission to go into the world and make disciples, and in gratitude for the gift of the Anglican Communion as a sign of the Holy Spirit's ongoing work of reconciliation throughout the world, we offer the following to the Episcopal Church, the Primates, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and the larger Communion, with the hope of "mending the tear in the fabric" of our common life in Christ.

"I do it all for the sake of the Gospel so that I might share in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:9,13

Introduction

The House of Bishops expresses sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates for accepting our invitation to join us in New Orleans. By their presence they have both honored us and assisted us in our discernment. Their presence was a living reminder of the unity that is Christ's promised gift in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Much of our meeting time was spent in continuing discernment of our relationships within the Anglican Communion. We engaged in careful listening and straightforward dialogue with our guests. We expressed our passionate desire to remain in communion. It is our conviction that The Episcopal Church needs the Anglican Communion, and we heard from our guests that the Anglican Communion needs The Episcopal Church.

The House of Bishops offers the following responses to our Anglican Communion partners. We believe they provide clarity and point toward next steps in an ongoing process of dialogue. Within The Episcopal Church the common discernment of God's call is a lively partnership among laypersons, bishops, priests, and deacons, and therefore necessarily includes the Presiding Bishop, the Executive Council, and the General Convention.

Summary

We reconfirm that resolution B033 of General Convention 2006 (The Election of Bishops) calls upon bishops with jurisdiction and Standing Committees "to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion."

We pledge as a body not to authorize public rites for the blessing of same-sex unions.

We commend our Presiding Bishop's plan for episcopal visitors.

We deplore incursions into our jurisdictions by uninvited bishops and call for them to end.

We support the Presiding Bishop in seeking communion-wide consultation in a manner that is in accord with our Constitution and Canons.

We call for increasing implementation of the listening process across the Communion and for a report on its progress to Lambeth 2008.

We support the Archbishop of Canterbury in his expressed desire to explore ways for the Bishop of New Hampshire to participate in the Lambeth Conference.

We call for unequivocal and active commitment to the civil rights, safety, and dignity of gay and lesbian persons.

Discussion

Resolution B033 of the 2006 General Convention

The House of Bishops concurs with Resolution EC011 of the Executive Council. This Resolution commends the Report of the Communion Sub-Group of the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates of the Anglican Communion as an accurate evaluation of Resolution B033 of the 2006 General Convention, calling upon bishops with jurisdiction and Standing Committees "to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion." The House acknowledges that non-celibate gay and lesbian persons are included among those to whom B033 pertains.

Blessing of Same-Sex Unions

We, the members of the House of Bishops, pledge not to authorize for use in our dioceses any public rites of blessing of same-sex unions until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion, or until General Convention takes further action. In the near future we hope to be able to draw upon the benefits of the Communion-wide listening process. In the meantime, it is important to note that no rite of blessing for persons living in same-sex unions has been adopted or approved by our General Convention. In addition to not having authorized liturgies, the majority of bishops do not make allowance for the blessing of same-sex unions. We do note that in May 2003 the Primates said we have a pastoral duty "to respond with love and understanding to people of all sexual orientations." They further stated, "...[I]t is necessary to maintain a breadth of private response to situations of individual pastoral care."

Episcopal Visitors

We affirm the Presiding Bishop's plan to appoint episcopal visitors for dioceses that request alternative oversight. Such oversight would be provided by bishops who are a part of and subject to the communal life of this province. We believe this plan is consistent with and analogous to Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO) as affirmed by the Windsor Report (paragraph 152). We thank those bishops who have generously offered themselves for this ministry. We hope that dioceses will make use of this plan and that the Presiding Bishop will continue conversation with those dioceses that may feel the need for such ministries. We appreciate and need to hear all voices in The Episcopal Church.

Incursions by Uninvited Bishops

We call for an immediate end to diocesan incursions by uninvited bishops in accordance with the Windsor Report and consistent with the statements of past Lambeth Conferences and the Ecumenical Councils of the Church. Such incursions imperil common prayer and long-established ecclesial principles of our Communion. These principles include respect for local jurisdiction and recognition of the geographical boundaries of dioceses and provinces. As we continue to commit ourselves to honor both the spirit and the content of the Windsor Report, we call upon those provinces and bishops engaging in such incursions likewise to honor the Windsor Report by ending them. We offer assurance that delegated episcopal pastoral care is being provided for those who seek it.

Communion-wide Consultation

In their communique of February 2007, the Primates proposed a "pastoral scheme." At our meeting in March 2007, we expressed our deep concern that this scheme would compromise the authority of our own primate and place the autonomy of The Episcopal Church at risk. The Executive Council reiterate our concerns and declined to participate. Nevertheless we recognize a useful role for communion-wide consultation with respect to the pastoral needs of those seeking alternative oversight, as well as the pastoral needs of gay and lesbian persons in this and other provinces. We encourage our Presiding Bishop to continue to explore such consultation in a manner that is in accord with our Constitution and Canons.

The Listening Process

The 1998 Lambeth Conference called all the provinces of the Anglican Communion to engage in a "listening process" designed to bring gay and lesbian Anglicans fully into the church's conversation about sexuality. We look forward to receiving initial reports about this process at the 2008 Lambeth Conference, and to participating with others in this crucial enterprise. We are aware that in some cultural contexts, conversation concerning homosexuality is difficult. We see an important role for the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) in this listening process, since it represents both the lay and ordained members of our constituent churches and so is well placed to engage every part of the body in this conversation. We encourage the ACC to identify the variety of resources needed to accomplish these conversations.

The Lambeth Conference

Invitations to the Lambeth Conference are extended by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Those among us who have received an invitation to attend the 2008 Lambeth Conference look forward to that gathering with hope and expectation. Many of us are engaged in mission partnerships with bishops and dioceses around the world and cherish these relationships. Lambeth offers a wonderful opportunity to build on such partnerships.

We are mindful that the Bishop of New Hampshire has not yet received an invitation to the conference. We also note that the Archbishop of Canterbury has expressed a desire to explore a way for him to participate. We share the Archbishop's desire and encourage our Presiding Bishop to offer our assistance as bishops in this endeavor. It is our fervent hope that a way can be found for his full participation.

Justice and Dignity for Gay and Lesbian Persons

It is of fundamental importance that, as we continue to seek consensus in matters of human sexuality, we also be clear and outspoken in our shared commitment to establish and protect the civil rights of gay and lesbian persons, and to name and oppose at every turn any action or policy that does violence to them, encourages violence towards them, or violates their dignity as children of God. We call all our partners in the Anglican Communion to recommit to this effort. As we stated at the conclusion of our meeting in March 2007: "We proclaim the Gospel of what God has done and is doing in Christ, of the dignity of every human being, and of justice, compassion and peace. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, no male or female, no slave or free. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including women, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children including gay and lesbian persons, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We proclaim the Gospel that stands against any violence, including violence done to women and children as well as those who are persecuted because of their differences, often in the name of God."

Now in Progress…

The final House of Bishops session is underway, and we expect at least one final resolution to emerge at the end of the session. You’ll be able to read it here as soon as it is available. Stay tuned…

Hard at Work

Regular readers may be interested in knowing that, while at the House of Bishops Meeting, Bishop Baxter is serving on the committee that is drafting the “mind of the House” statement that is expected to be released on Tuesday. Bishop Baxter is also serving on the committee charged with explaining the outcome of the meeting to the media.

Tonight might be a good time to pray for the Bishop and his colleagues.

Blow That Trumpet

Episcopal News Service has posted the text of the Presiding Bishop’s sermon in New Orleans this morning. It is well worth reading, and available here.

The PB drew her inspiration from two unlikely sources: Bishop Philander Chase—who in the early 19th century founded several congregations, as well as Kenyon College, ruffling many feathers along the way—and the jazz trumpet that was dedicated during the service. She noted that Chase was frequently “ahead of the curve,” founding Bexley Hall Seminary at a time when most felt that one seminary was enough, thank you, and getting himself elected bishop of Illinois, but before that diocese was formally recognized.

She concluded the sermon with the metaphor of the trumpet and the New Orleans funeral procession, saying, “This procession is going down to the grave, and it's going to dance away on the other side, but only when we join the traveling throng. None of us is going home until all of us have a place to lay our heads, and music for our grieving hearts, and a feast for the belly and for the soul. When the saints go marching in, it's going to be with every last one of us.”

Sunday

The blogs are reporting that The Right Rev. Jeffrey N. Steenson, Bishop of Rio Grande, will resign at the end of the year to become a Roman Catholic.

Two aspects of Bishop Steenson’s letter to his diocese are telling. First, he says, “The reason for this decision is that my conscience is deeply troubled about where the Episcopal Church is heading, and this has become a crisis for me because of my ordination vow to uphold its doctrine, discipline, and worship. An effective leader cannot be so conflicted about the guiding principles of the Church he serves. It concerns me that this has affected my ability to lead this diocese with a clear and hopeful vision for its mission. I also have sensed how important it is for those of us in this position to model a gracious way to leave the Episcopal Church in a manner respectful of its laws.”

And then…

“I also want to acknowledge with gratitude the pastoral support I have received from the Presiding Bishop and her office during this time. She has offered to visit, and I have invited her to be with us at the clergy conference the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 26, and perhaps also for that evening, for mutual conversation and the opportunity to know each other better in this time reserved for the clergy. I hope that you all can be present.”

You can read the letter in its entirety here.

Graciousness and respect have been in short supply of late, and we should all rejoice at seeing them displayed on both sides. Pray that we see more.

Friday

The most that can be said of the House of Bishops meeting so far is that, as the old saying goes, no one has committed news yet. There is great speculation about who might propose what, which bishops might beat an early retreat, and what the eventual outcome might be.

In his remarks to the press earlier today, the Archbishop of Canterbury said something that you may not read elsewhere. He noted that, “Despite what has been claimed, there is no "ultimatum" involved. The Primates asked for a response by September 30 simply because we were aware that this was the meeting of the House likely to be formulating such a response. The ACC and Primates Joint Standing Committee will be reading and digesting what the bishops have to say, and will let me know their thoughts on it early next week. After this I shall be sharing what they say, along with my own assessments, with the Primates and others, inviting their advice in the next couple of weeks. I hope these days will result in a constructive and fresh way forward for all of us.” ENS has more here.

It’s worth noting that the last time the House of Bishops met, the outcome was considerably different from what many had expected. What you read in the blogs and the mainstream is mostly speculation.

Stay tuned…

Read all about it...

Episcopal News Service is reporting that Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori has secured the agreement of eight bishops to serve as “episcopal visitors” to the six (out of 110) dioceses who have requested it. In making the announcement, the Rev. Dr. Charles Robertson (canon to the P.B.), said, "All eight are true bridge-builders who empathize with the concerns and needs of dioceses that are struggling with the issues of the current time," adding that "while all are sympathetic to these concerns, each is clear that the Presiding Bishop's ultimate goal is reconciliation." You can read the details here.

ENS is also reporting regularly from the current House of Bishops meeting. You can find that coverage here.

Read Carefully

Our colleague Jim Naughton, Canon for Communication in the Diocese of Washington, DC, has a few carefully chosen words for those who will be trying to decipher the news out of New Orleans over the next ten days. The most important of these: caution. He notes that the press are inclined to report the sensational, and failing that, to make something sound sensational that isn’t.

Jim also notes that it is the conservatives who have done the better job of using the media to “maintain an atmosphere of crisis” and to set the mainstream story line. You can read his full posting here.

Notable Coincidence

Graham Kings, a reporter for the Church of England Newspaper makes an interesting observation in a recent article there. Our friends in Washington, DC, brought it to our attention. Mr. Kings writes:

"Rowan Williams flies to New Orleans on 19 September, the day the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican Communions celebrate the life and wisdom of Theodore of Tarsus, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 668 to 690, who came from St Paul's own town. On 24 September 673, he summoned the Synod of Hertford. Amongst other things, that Synod issued canons dealing with the rights and obligations of clergy and restricted bishops to working in their own dioceses and not intruding on the ministry of neighbouring bishops. The canons were based on those of the Council of Chalcedon, in 451."

Res ipse loquitur. We have nothing to add.

Questions for the Bishop??

The November issue of Tidings will include an interview with Bishop Baxter about this month’s House of Bishops meeting and his first year as our Bishop. Do you have questions you’d like to ask Bishop Baxter? You can do so by replying to this blog post. We’ll pass them along and try to print as many of them as we can in Tidings.

Many thanks!

Pray for the Bishops

This week’s House of Bishops meeting in New Orleans is the sort of occasion that usually prompts blog editors to pen sharp summaries of who has done what to whom, what’s really going on, and why the outcome should be such-and-such. I wrote mine. I won’t be posting it, because it wouldn’t help.

None of the parties to the current mess in the Episcopal Church has behaved particularly well. It is especially sad that the “unhelpfulness” has increased as a direct function of the strength of the parties’ convictions—both nationally and internationally. The fundamental truth lost in the process is that God’s will for this church is far more important than our own individual positions. There has been far too much talking, and not enough listening.

While Bishop Gene Robinson was initially at the epicenter of all this, he has, in many ways, become less of a focus. What folks are generally arguing about now are power issues that don’t have much to do with the original issue. Today’s New York Times has one of the more rational recent analyses here.

The current edition of the web site for the Diocese of New Hampshire has an interesting reflection by Bishop Robinson that goes to the central issue with which the bishops and the Archbishop must deal in the coming work. It is the work of reconciliation. You can read it in its entirety here.

He writes (in part),

“Reconciliation is hard work. It requires give and take from both sides. No “solution” is apt to be totally acceptable to both sides – that’s why it’s called “compromise.” We are working for a resolution that is acceptable and workable, and that preserves the integrity of all the parties to it. The way forward is not yet clear …It is my fervent prayer – and I hope it will be yours too – that a way forward will be found which will preserve the integrity of our Communion and its “big umbrella” approach to the life of faith which allows, even encourages, difference of opinion within the essentials of the Faith. Join me, please, in prayer for our Church as it struggles to live out the Gospel in these difficult times.”

Amen.

Worth Noting…

Two items in the current edition of Episcopal Life will be of interest to those in Central Pennsylvania. The first is a new blog for small parishes. Hosted by the Rev. Suzanne Watson, Staff Officer for Congregational Development at the Episcopal Church Center, the blog is an attempt to offer some sharing and resources for clergy and lay folks in just the sort of congregations that make up much of our diocese. You can find it here.

The second noteworthy item is a short piece on the importance of forgiveness written by Mary Warner, religion editor for the Harrisburg Patriot News. We were delighted to see her contribution, which gives prominence to the Lancaster County Amish and the work of Dr. Donald Kraybill at Elizabethtown College. There’s far too little forgiveness out there; kudos to all those trying to make it more common.