Commentary, letters, and meetings are focusing on life after Lambeth 2008. From New Mexico to Europe to Pittsburgh, bishops are talking about the “now and future church.”
The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon of the American Churches in Europe writes in Blogging Bishop about his recent attendance at the House of Bishops of the Church of England meeting in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, UK. Many topics were discussed, the invitations from the Archbishop of Canterbury to Lambeth 2008 was one of interest. The timing of the letters was seen to be a function of organizational needs for such a large conference. Lessons learned from the “organizational nightmare” of Lambeth 1998 require early invites. Some other notes from Bishop Whalon:
Second, the letter states that the Archbishop is still taking counsel for one or two cases. This means that no bishops of the Communion has been “uninvited,” yet. I am firmly convinced that Bishop Gene Robinson will be asked to participate. The question is, under what status? That remains to be negotiated. The Windsor Report had mandated that Rowan Williiams not to invite him at all. Clearly the Archbishop wants to find a way forward despite that.
Third, the case of the bishop for the Convocation of Nigerian Churches in America, Martyn Minns, was not discussed at all.
What this all means will probably not become clear until the Conference is over in August 2008. Even then people will be spending considerable time after that to understand all the ramifications.
Read the rest Here
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Steenson of the Diocese of Rio Grande (New Mexico and some of western Texas) writes a letter to his clergy about steps he and the DRG Standing Committee and Council are taking to prepare for the future. He shares the resolutions that were approved by Diocesan leadership and notes that the House of Bishops Theology Committee
“will be publishing a study guide to the primates’ Communiqué, entitled “Communion Matters.” That we were able to accomplish this was certainly a pleasant surprise to me. I believe you will find it to be an honest and helpful tool to use in a discussion forum, so that your people might better understand what the fuss is all about. Printed and online editions should soon be available at the website of The Episcopal Church
On another side of Planet Anglican Mark Harris at Preludium reports:
Bishops from the Anglican Communion Network, the Anglican Mission in the Americas (including the Anglican Coalition in Canada), the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, the Anglican Network in Canada, the Anglican Province of America, Forward in Faith North America and the Reformed Episcopal Church are invited to attend the first-ever Common Cause Council of Bishops in Pittsburgh, PA, September 25–28. Two of the Common Cause Partners, the American Anglican Council and Anglican Essentials Canada, are not ecclesial jurisdictions and do not have bishops. Several other Anglican jurisdictions are currently in the membership process.
“By the time we meet, the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church will have given its response to the Anglican Communion as to its decision to ‘walk apart.’ By contrast, I expect our gathering to signal a new level of ‘walking together’ both with each other and with the wider Anglican world,” wrote Anglican Communion Network Moderator and Common Cause convener Bishop Robert Duncan. The meeting, said Bishop Duncan, is the result of many years of work toward Anglican unity, work responding to resolutions of both the Lambeth Conference of Bishops and The Episcopal Church’s General Convention.
Bishop Duncan went on to describe the purpose of the gathering as fivefold.
Read the article from the Anglican Communion Network HERE
Stayed tuned for “As The Anglican World Turns” or “Days of Our Anglican Lives”