I've got a little list, but its getting shorter.

(Day 25 and no word from Nigeria.)

Well the Network Bishops have issued a statement reaffirming their stance at the 2003 General Convention, and to “unanimously support the recommendations of the Windsor Report as the basis on which our divisions may begin to be mended. We pledge to work with all bishops of this Church and of the Communion who also support the Windsor report, and the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates in particular, in working toward greater unity and mutual responsibility under Scripture and within the Anglican heritage.”

This business is an absurdly bad idea, given that not even the Primates “unanimously support the recommendations of the Windsor Report.” This is the old ploy of lumping together a whole mishmash of material in order to then push for the implementation of the only part that is really cared about. What is really at stake here good friends is the recommendations concerning moratoria.

But, all of that is for another day. For the moment let’s take a look at the list of names on this document. They are:

Diocesans:

The Rt. Rev. Keith Lynn Ackerman, SSC, DD, Bishop of the Diocese of QuincyThe Rt. Rev. James M. Adams Jr., Bishop of the Diocese of Western KansasThe Rt. Rev. Peter H. Beckwith, Bishop of the Diocese of SpringfieldThe Rt. Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan, Bishop of the Diocese of PittsburghThe Rt. Rev. Daniel W. Herzog, Bishop of the Diocese of AlbanyThe Rt. Rev. John W. Howe, Bishop of the Diocese of Central FloridaThe Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, DD, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort WorthThe Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Jr., Bishop of the Diocese of South CarolinaThe Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of the Diocese of San JoaquinThe Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton, Bishop of the Diocese of DallasThe Rt. Rev. Jeffrey N. Steenson, Bishop of the Diocese of Rio Grande
Suffragans or Assistants:
The Rt. Rev. David J. Bena, Bishop Suffragan of Diocese of AlbanyThe Rt. Rev. Stephen H. Jecko, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of DallasThe Rt. Rev. Henry W. Scriven, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of PittsburghThe Rt. Rev. William J. Skilton, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of South Carolina
Retired:

The Rt. Rev. C. FitzSimons Allison, RetiredThe Rt. Rev. William J. Cox, RetiredThe Rt. Rev. Alex D. Dickson, RetiredThe Rt. Rev. Andrew H. Fairfield, RetiredThe Rt. Rev. William C. Wantland, Retired
These are the ten Episcopal dioceses that are Network affiliates, according to the Network web site: Albany, Central Florida, Dallas, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy, Rio Grande, San Joaquin, South Carolina and Springfield. But there are eleven dioceses represented by diocesans on this list. The extra one is The Rt. Rev. James M. Adams Jr., Bishop of the Diocese of Western Kansas.

The list then consists of bishops in ten dioceses part of the network and ten bishops assisting, retired or extra to the ten dioceses. In three years no new dioceses have joined the Network, unless Western Kansas has joined and the Network web pages are just too backed up to actually remember to expand the list.

The list of dioceses has not grown, the list of bishops has not grown. At GC 2003 “over twenty” bishops made a declaration. Now it is just twenty. Has stagnation set in?