House of Bishops begins to prepare Primates' Communiqué response
Episcopal News Service. September 24, 2007 [092407-04]
Pat McCaughan
Editor's note: The text is a write-through of a previously posted article.
Solidarity with the disenfranchised guided the discussion September 24 as the House of Bishops began to draft its formal statement to the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion culminating its five-day meeting in New Orleans.
The text is in draft form only and will be finalized and released September 25. The document is expected to serve as a response to the Primates' Communique.
Bishop Wayne Wright of Delaware, who chaired the writing committee, cautioned that the discussion was a "draft only" and that a final statement would not be released until it had been adopted on September 25 by the bishops. The document itself was withheld and its contents embargoed until it can be finalized.
"This is only a draft," Wright emphasized. "Tomorrow we will perfect and adopt it and then it will be released."
During a morning session devoted to reviewing the draft text, bishops suggested strengthening language regarding the incursion of overseas bishops into dioceses other than their own, and dividing the lengthy draft into two separate documents. One text would deal specifically with hurricane relief and the other with the response to the Primates communiqué issued in February.
Bishop Charles Jenkins of Louisiana and numerous others suggested that a statement be developed to highlight the need for justice work in all dioceses on such issues as racism, classism, as well as regards the failed response for hurricane victims. Another document would deal with the response to the February Primates' Communique.
Bishop Mark Hollingsworth Jr. of Ohio called for "clarity about the lines we draw in our church" so that any "line we draw is not between us but encircles us" to encompass the comprehensiveness of the Church's convictions.
He went on to cite his struggle with repeated requests to clarify what General Convention has already decided, and that General Convention's legislative process results in resolutions that are "intentionally ambiguous" in order to include the breadth of those convictions.
He described Resolution B033 as "an honest expression of where the Episcopal Church stands" and urged that "we appreciate the Lambeth subcommittee's statement of its sufficiency."
B033 called for the exercise of restraint when consecrating bishops "whose manner of life" presents a challenge to the wider communion.
Bishop J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles also said that the resolution needs to be clearer "that we're going to abide by the decisions of General Convention."
After receiving the initial draft, bishops conferred with one another briefly a their tables. Some bishops then moved to microphones to offer responses frequently interrupted with applause and encouragement.
"This process represents what is best about the Episcopal Church and how our bishops work together, our meetings are open and we work together as colleagues to develop a statement that will express fully our minds and our hearts," committee chair Wright said.
Bishop Barry Beisner of Northern California called for strengthening of language regarding bishops' incursions into geographic dioceses other than their own. "General Convention voted for resolution B033 and we stand by what they did," he told bishops.
After spending a day involved in hurricane rebuilding and recovery efforts, bishops said they were "shocked and outraged" at conditions in New Orleans and Mississippi, including delayed and in some cases nonexistent rebuilding and recovery efforts.
Bishop Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina voiced his own sense of "fury at dishonest contractors' exploitation" of hurricane victims many of whom two years later still face overwhelming devastation. His remarks were heartily applauded.