ENS reports (towards the bottom of this story) that the sub-committee formulating the Executive Council’s response to the proposed Anglican Covenant is refusing to release a report on whether the covenant would require changes to the Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons.
Mary Frances Schjonberg writes that the council:
heard a report from Rosalie Ballentine, council member and chair of its Anglican Covenant Task Force. She said that there were “a few” among the 64 responses the group received from a request for comment on the final draft of the covenant who would approve the covenant in full. “Almost all” respondents objected to Section 4, which contained a disciplinary process, she said. Ballentine also said that the group will not yet release a report it requested from the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons outlining the changes that would be needed if the General Convention decided to sign on to the covenant. “We’re reluctant to have it out there” because some people may assume that decisions have already been made, she said. The report will eventually be appended to the task force report to General Convention. Council will receive a draft of the Blue Book report in October, according to Ballentine.
Conversely, the Anglican Church of Canada, which apparently regards its members as adults, has released its report, which is here, along with an executive summary, which is here.
The Cafe pushed hard to make the names of the members of the House of Bishops Secret Theology Committee on same-sex blessings public. This is much more significant information, and we implore the Council to release this document which will clearly influence the sub-committee’s deliberations about the covenant, and therefore should be public.
And if you happen to come across a copy, please email it to feedback@episcopal.cafe