If one were trying to make members of the Episcopal Church suspicious of the new “pastoral visitors” who have “named by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to assist in healing and reconciliation given the current tensions in the Anglican Communion,” here is what one would do:
- Have the visitors consist primarily of members of the Church of England.
- Make sure that none were women.
- Have them meet for a private briefing before their appointments are announced.
- Include on the briefing team at least one former member of the board of directors of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, who urged that the provisions of the Primates communique from Dar es Salaam be imposed on the Episcopal Church against its will.
- Make sure none of the briefers are women, either.
Read on. They went five for five. Fortunately these people have no power, but if you want a sense of what the new Anglican world order that Rowan Williams and supporters of the proposed Anglican Covenant are constantly pushing for, consider this a preview.