9/19/2007

Bishops witth busy schedules. (corrected.)

Absenteeism at meetings of the House of Bishops has been a problem for some time. Some bishop members of the Anglican Communion Network have made it a practice to attend only parts of meetings, avoiding anything as communal as actually sharing Eucharist.

The Moderator of the Network, Bishop Robert Duncan, in his address to the ACN this summer said, concerning the meeting of the House of Bishops that begins today in New Orleans:

"In order not to abandon the wider coalition in its one last stand, the Network Bishops have agreed to take part in the upcoming meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the Primates Steering Committee and Anglican Consultative Council. We do so, some of us at least, without any implied recognition of or submission to the American primate, without any diminishment of our appeal for Alternative Primatial Oversight, and without any expectation that the Episcopal House of Bishops will turn from the course so unequivocally embraced at their March meeting."

The HoB meeting closes with dinner on Tuesday, September 25. The meeting of the Common Cause Partners, in Pittsburgh, begins that day. It would appear that the ten Network bishops will thus miss the "business day" of the HoB meeting, the day when such matters as the Covenant are being considered.

From Diocese of Pittsburgh website we get this notation: September 19-21: House of Bishops, New Orleans, LA (Bishop Duncan & Bishop Scriven). It appears they have no intention of staying beyond the Archbishop's time with the HoB.

Similarly, From The Diocese of Fort Worth: Abp. Williams and TEC bishops in New Orleans, September 20 and 21, Common Cause Council of Bishops in Pittsburgh, September 25-28.

So Fort Worth is not sticking around after Friday either.

At the other end we get this from the Archbishop's calendar, thanks to Episcopal Cafe:

"Archbishop of Canterbury: "Following on from his visit to the United States ..., Dr Rowan Williams will visit Armenia, Syria and Lebanon, from 22nd - 29th September."

Joint Standing Committee: "Meeting set for 19-25 September 2007 New Orleans, USA. The JSC have been invited to the House of Bishops Meeting of the Episcopal Church for two days of their regular House meeting. The meeting begins Thursday of this week. The JSC will then meet as a group on Monday in the same location (Inter Continental Hotel) in New Orleans....

So it would seem the Archbishop of Canterbury will not stick around either.. He leaves Saturday for Armenia.

The JSC will meet as a group on Monday (24 September). If the ABC is not chairing this meeting who is?

It is no surprise that the Network bishops, or at least these two, are out of there immediately following the ABC's presentation. They have already decided that there is no future in his efforts, and they can't abide the Presiding Bishop being Presiding Bishop. I am surprised that the Archbishop is planning to move on as well.

Everyone's schedule is busy. Too busy it appears to stick around to see what the bishops do with what they heard and said.

11 comments:

  1. Times-Picayune in N.O. reports that the ABC will be leading a service on Thursday.

    The Most Rev. Rowan Williams will lead an ecumenical prayer service Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

    Is that the preaching you had in mind, Mark?

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  2. Really, Rev. Harris, I wouldn't stick around past halftime when Duke plays N.C. Central, either. Sure, big upsets can happen, but it's not very likely. ECUSA has become rather tired and predictable, which is why the people in its gunsights have mostly stopped dealing seriously with it. We know what the bishops will do with the information they get: "No, no, no, polity, no, canons, no, blah, blah, blah." I imagine the response has already been given to Mrs. Schori by Jon Bruno and David Booth Beers.

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  3. Choosing to leave and openly saying you don't care, respect, or honor the Presiding Bishop is really harsh.

    Honest to God, they sound more and more like free church puritans as this thing goes on. If they really want to be Presbyterians, they ought to go ahead and do it.

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  4. I think it's good that the ABC and the dissenting network bishops are leaving. The faithful can make their decisions and do their work without the persuasion of British charm or the pressure of neo-Puritan whine.

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  5. I think this is a very interesting discussion. Amy

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  6. Sorry, Phil, it's the Most Rev'd Jefferts Schori or Bishop Jefferts Schori. Or do you want us to call Bishops Iker and Duncan by Mr?

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  7. Comme la magie...
    nobody gets "left holding the bag"...these are the squeaky clean Christian grandstanders who ought gleam if it weren't for the muck stained dishonesty, fellow Anglican treachery, and tarnished personal shabby behavior...let the blame game continue, let the dodgy deadheads deadhead all will eventually "be" as it is meant to "be!"

    Can't wait to hear the sound of the door quietly closing on their way sneaking out.

    Leonardo Ricardo the Good

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  8. C.B.. Do you know what the sermon is about? Or was that just a jab? Sorry, I am a little frustrated as I have just had word that 'nothing' is going to happen this week. We can all just continue to throw barbs, ignore the pleas of those of our bretheren, and give in to the early day Pharisees....

    One frustrated Episcopalian, Heidi

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  9. We do so, some of us at least, without any implied recognition of or submission to the American primate...

    Pardon me for being just an interested bystander, but TEC isn't ++Big Pete and the Church of Nigeria (AC) and their friends, yes ++the Most Rev KJS is the Presiding Bishop & Primate of TEC, but no one is in subjection to her, she is Primus Inter Pares within her Province. She has a different job description that a diocesan, but she doesn't lord it over anyone.

    Or do I have it all wrong?!?

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  10. heidi - It wasn't a jab. Before Mark "corrected" the post he wondered how Rowan was going to "preach" and leave at the same time. I don't know if the ABC will speak at all at the referenced service. Hence, I didn't know if this was the service Mark was alluding to.

    I assume he will speak. I also assume it will not be the occasion in which he says something substantive. That may not be publicaly for a couple weeks.

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  11. apologies to heidi and c.b...I got c.b.'s message and corrected the post, but forgot to inform you on the comments page.

    Heidi...you are not alone in your frustration. It gets to me too!

    Meanwhile, sorry for the initial confusion.

    ReplyDelete

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