Mark Harris writes on his blog Preludium about the news that emerged from the House of Bishop’s meeting yesterday. He focuses particularly on the plan that the Presiding Bishop has proposed for a team of episcopal visitors and the particular make-up of the group. He sees some interesting implications about what might be happening internally in the Anglican Communion Network headed by Bishop Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh:
“For some time there have been questions about the level of support by other Network bishops for the most recent positions taken by the Moderator. While both Bishops Stanton and Howe were at the Network annual meeting and both have long records of faithful engagement in Network actions, Bishop Stanton has been remarkably silent in the past year and Bishop Howe has taken his place in the governance of The Episcopal Church and has made his considerable influence felt. Bishop Howe was put forward the resolution that got the Archbishop of Canterbury to this House of Bishops meeting. In accepting the role of ‘episcopal visitor’ they are making a commitment to life together in The Episcopal Church at precisely the time when the Network leadership is contending that further relation to The Episcopal Church is a waste, since TEC is broken beyond repair.
I have good reason to believe that these two are not alone and that other Network bishops have been committed to working ‘from the inside’ for change, and continue to work for such change, but are not ready to end their relationship with TEC. Indeed there is a growing sense that as the leadership in ACN grows more distant from TEC, some of the Network bishops are increasingly unhappy. My sense (which will in one way or another be proven out) is that of the ten diocesan bishops in the ACN, only five are willing to step out with the Moderator and take part in the ordination of invader bishops and commit themselves to a pre-Provincial council of bishops which recognizes these invader bishops and bishops from the Anglican Province of America and the Reformed Episcopal Church as part of a new emerging province.”
Read the rest.