The Mind of the House Revealed

The House of Bishops meets regularly between sessions of the General Convention and they can conduct some business specific to the House. Occasionally this takes the form of statements that express the "Mind of the House." This week, at Camp Allen, they have revealed the mind of the house in three quite remarkable ways.

Some time ago Bishop Paul Marshall commented that the Archbishop of Canterbury seemed unwilling to meet with the Bishops of the Episcopal Church but quite willing to meet with the small minority of bishops and others who objected to the actions taken by The Episcopal Church. He asked when the ABC was going to meet with the majority of the bishops of this Church.

So here is the "Mind of the House" on the matter:

To the Archbishop of Canterbury and the members of the Primates' Standing Committee:

We, the Bishops of The Episcopal Church, meeting in Camp Allen, Navasota, Texas, March 16-21, 2007, have considered the requests directed to us by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in the Communiqué dated February 19, 2007.

Although we are unable to accept the proposed Pastoral Scheme, we declare our passionate desire to remain in full constituent membership in both the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church.

We believe that there is an urgent need for us to meet face to face with the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the Primates' Standing Committee, and we hereby request and urge that such a meeting be negotiated by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury at the earliest possible opportunity.

We invite the Archbishop and members of the Primates' Standing Committee to join us at our expense for three days of prayer and conversation regarding these important matters.

Adopted March 20, 2007

The House of Bishops

The Episcopal Church

Spring Meeting 2007

Camp Allen Conference Center

Navasota, Texas

The invitation is coupled with notice that a majority of the bishops are unable to accept the proposed Pastoral Scheme. So the need to talk is now urgent. The Archbishop has been about the business of putting together a list of nominations for the slots on the proposed Pastoral Scheme. It would appear that he was acting too quickly. It's time to talk face-to-face.

The Bishops also produced a second short statement addressed to the Executive Council which advises the Executive Council not to go forward with the Pastoral Scheme. Here they said,

Mind of the House of Bishops Resolution Addressed to the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church

Resolved, the House of Bishops affirms its desire that The Episcopal Church remain a part of the councils of the Anglican Communion; and

Resolved, the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution of The Episcopal Church is determined solely by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church; and

Resolved, the House of Bishops believes the proposed Pastoral Scheme of the Dar es Salaam Communiqué of February 19, 2007 would be injurious to The Episcopal Church and urges that the Executive Council decline to participate in it; and

Resolved, the House of Bishops pledges itself to continue to work to find ways of meeting the pastoral concerns of the Primates that are compatible with our own polity and canons.

Adopted March 20, 2007

The House of Bishops

The Episcopal Church

Spring Meeting 2007

Camp Allen Conference Center

Navasota, Texas

It is a relief to see the House affirm what a number of us have contended for a long time, namely that the Preamble to the Constitution of the Episcopal Church is not available as a proof text that we are defined by our relationship to the Anglican Communion. They say, "the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution of The Episcopal Church is determined solely by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church." That's it. So much for the plea of the Anglican Communion Network and others to the contrary.

It is interesting that they toss the matter of the Pastoral Scheme over to Executive Council. That Scheme, as spelled out by the Primates, did not engage the Executive Council at all, except in so far as it needed to be funded. The Primates, in an amazing failure to understand the polity of this Church, simply assumed that its schemes should be addressed to the bishops of The Episcopal Church and that the scheme could simply be overlaid on the generous offer of the Presiding Bishop (current and past) to consider a Primatial Vicar. The Bishops rightly addressed Executive Council and affirmed the polity of this Church that makes decisions to engage such a scheme a matter for representatives of all orders.

The third posting from the House of Bishops is a longer epistle, a "Statement from the House of Bishops." More analysis on this later, but right off the bat it is filled with important and interesting feistiness. It would appear that a majority of the bishops have found a voice, and that voice is standing more clearly in support of a Church that is making important vocational choices. They are also clear that their intention is to continue working with and being part of the life of the Communion in whatever way is possible. The actions of some of the Primates in constantly rejecting the efforts of The Episcopal Church and the House of Bishops of this Church have finally been addressed, and the conclusion is this:

"At the meeting of our House of Bishops at Camp Allen, Texas in March, 2004 we adopted a proposal called Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight as a means for meeting the pastoral needs of those within our Church who disagreed with actions of the General Convention. Our plan received a favorable response in the Windsor Report. It was not accepted by the Primates. At our meeting in March 2005, we adopted a Covenant Statement as an interim response to the Windsor Report in an attempt to assure the rest of the Communion that we were taking them seriously and, at some significant cost, refused to consecrate any additional bishops whatsoever as a way that we could be true to our own convictions without running the risk of consecrating some that would offend our brothers and sisters. Our response was not accepted by the Primates. Our General Convention in 2006 struggled mightily and at great cost to many, not the least of whom are our gay and lesbian members, to respond favorably to the requests made of us in the Windsor Report and the Primates' Dromantine Communiqué of 2005. We received a favorable response from the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates, which found that our effort had substantially met the concerns of the Windsor Report with the need to clarify our position on the blessing of same sex relationships. Still, our efforts were not accepted by the Primates in the Dar es Salaam Communiqué.

Other Anglican bishops, indeed including some Primates, have violated our provincial boundaries and caused great suffering and contributed immeasurably to our difficulties in solving our problems and in attempting to communicate for ourselves with our Anglican brothers and sisters. We have been repeatedly assured that boundary violations are inappropriate under the most ancient authorities and should cease. The Lambeth Conferences of 1988 and 1998 did so. The Windsor Report did so. The Dromantine Communiqué did so. None of these assurances has been heeded. The Dar es Salaam Communiqué affirms the principle that boundary violations are impermissible, but then sets conditions for ending those violations, conditions that are simply impossible for us to meet without calling a special meeting of our General Convention.

It is incumbent upon us as disciples to do our best to follow Jesus in the increasing experience of the leading of the Holy Spirit. We fully understand that others in the Communion believe the same, but we do not believe that Jesus leads us to break our relationships. We proclaim the Gospel of what God has done and is doing in Christ, of the dignity of every human being, and of justice, compassion, and peace. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, no male or female, no slave or free. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including women, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including gay and lesbian persons, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We proclaim the Gospel that stands against any violence, including violence done to women and children as well as those who are persecuted because of their differences, often in the name of God. The Dar es Salaam Communiqué is distressingly silent on this subject. And, contrary to the way the Anglican Communion Network and the American Anglican Council have represented us, we proclaim a Gospel that welcomes diversity of thought and encourages free and open theological debate as a way of seeking God's truth. If that means that others reject us and communion with us, as some have already done, we must with great regret and sorrow accept their decision."

The whole of this statement is a powerful voice at a time when powerful voice is needed. Read it all HERE.

I look forward to the report as to the breath of support for these three messages. I understand that several of the Anglican Communion Network bishops have been absent for the whole of the Meeting and others, specifically the Moderator, have pledged only to be present to make their reports. So I suspect that the core six or seven diocesians of the Network group were absent from the discussion and votes on these documents.

The Mind of the House may be clearer these days, for one reason or another. The Mind of the House is certainly clearer than the Mind of the Primates.

I hope the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates Steering Committee will meet with our House of Bishops as soon as possible.