Posted on 07/19/2005 3:44:14 PM PDT by sionnsar
The meeting of the twenty bishops with the intent of finding a way forward (and, if not possible, a way to an amicable divorce according to rumor) begins today. What do we know? We know that Bishops, Bruno and Chane will be there. We know that Bishop MacPherson will be there. Rumor further has it that Bishop Iker may be there. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jenkins is there. Bishop Duncan has been invited, and is coming, based on what I hear, but I also hear that he has told the inviting group that if there is any foolishness, he will be on a plane home, and quick. I’ve also heard that Bishop Lipscomb is one of the organizers, and will be there also.
What will come out of this meeting? Well, there has been a flury of activity of late on Alternative Episcopal Oversight, which makes me think that there are many folks who at least think this may be a topic of discussion at the meeting, and with everything going on with the Connecticut Six right now, this topic is definitely one to be addressed.
I can only pray that the Bishops will be kinder to each other than the clergy and laypeople are to each other on the HOBD listserv and on the floor of General Convention. I hope they can avoid accusations against conservatives like were had at the last HOB meeting in Texas.
More importantly, I hope they reach something that will give everyone some peace. This fight within the Church over whether Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead and whether Romans 1 means what it says is tiresome. The Church should be a base from which to evangelize and save the lost, not to debate ephemeral questions or to see which central tenants of the faith should be repudiated so we can be happier. At least for me, it needs to be.
One wonders if, after these sexuality issues are resolved, will we have anything left to fight over? I tend to think so - Israel, politics, evangelization of non-believers - plenty to disagree on. Some folks hit rock bottom and decide to change; others hit rock bottom and decide to dig. I think that is the choice facing the Episcopal Church as these Bishops meet.
I reviewed this Living Church article today. Quotable Quote: One bishop, who told TLC he had not decided whether he should attend, said he had not received an agenda and that “the invitation simply said it was to discuss a final settlement.”
UPDATE: Check out the 1000th post to Lent and Beyond, listing the Bishops who drafted the convenant statement at the last HOB meeting. Karen Boyle suggests some of these folks are in Los Angeles.
The July 18-22 bishops' meeting in Los Angeles will seek “a final settlement” of the current dispute, The Living Church has learned. The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop of Los Angeles, will host a gathering of up to two dozen bishops from across the theological spectrum at a facilitated conversation that organizers hope may lead to an amicable settlement of the Episcopal Church’s current troubles.
Among the participants at the five-day event will be the Rt. Rev. John B. Lipscomb of Southwest Florida. Jim DeLa, communications director for the diocese, told TLC the gathering was “an extension of discussions at the last House of Bishops' meeting at Camp Allen. They felt like they needed to continue that conversation and needed someone who could facilitate,” Mr. DeLa said. Bishop Lipscomb was unsure who would facilitate the conversation, but said the group might seek someone from another denomination.
One bishop, who told TLC he had not decided whether he should attend, said he had not received an agenda and that “the invitation simply said it was to discuss a final settlement.”
A second bishop, who said he would be unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict, confirmed he had been “invited to a meeting whose stated intent was to help sort out the complicated relationship between parishes and dioceses and properties.”
Division of assets “is one possible outcome,” but not the purpose of the meeting, Jim Naughton, communications director for the Diocese of Washington, told TLC last week.
One of the organizers of the five-day meeting told TLC the agenda had evolved since the House of Bishops’ spring meeting at Camp Allen as “positions have hardened” among some bishops following the Feb. 24 primates’ communiqué. He said others within the House of Bishops were hopeful the crisis could be averted without recourse to courts of law, and that an amicable way forward, one that respects the moral consciences of all in the Church, could be found.
Read This Related Article:
Bishop Griswold Asks for Clarification
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Anglican?? Catholic? An insert would help, in the titles. thanks.
Ah yes. Episcopalian. Sorry about that -- I try to stick to original titles, and the Anglicans will know about this.
My wife typed in a Goolge search on Anglican Church's and found all have some reference to Homosexual - for or against, but type in Orthodox and you read their view of the gospels. We have lost the way. God will sort this out, the World is a mess. / POed Anglican rant off.
Yes, as an ex-Episcopo, I have been watching this closely. But I don't know enough about the structure of the Catholic Church to know if they do this too.... It's amazing what's happening with the ECUSA, eh? And a long time in the works. Amazing.
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