International Delegation of Bishops Takes Closer Look at Episcopal Church
Episcopal News Service. October 21, 1999 [99-156]
(ENS) A small international delegation of bishops, critical of some developments in the Episcopal Church following the 1998 Lambeth Conference, recently spent 10 days visiting with a wide variety of church leaders in the United States.
It all began with an exchange of letters. In February a group of church leaders charged that some dioceses in the Episcopal Church were ignoring Lambeth resolutions calling homosexual activity a sin, and advising against ordaining homosexuals or blessing same-sex relationships. The letter asked Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold to "examine the directions apparently proposed by some in your province and take whatever steps may be necessary to uphold the moral teaching and Christian faith the Anglican Communion has received."
Griswold, joined by the nine bishops who form his Council of Advice, responded in March, pointing out the "divergent opinions on the question of homosexuality" in the provinces of the Anglican Communion -- including the Episcopal Church which is also "testing the spirits." He invited the church leaders "to visit those parts of our church which cause you concern so that you may inquire and learn directly what has animated certain responses" to the Lambeth resolutions.
The visit, he said, would provide "the opportunity not only to query some of our bishops and representatives of their dioceses but also to listen to the experience of homosexual persons, which is mandated by the Lambeth resolution on human sexuality." Griswold expressed his hope that the visit would "strengthen the bonds of communion that exist among us as Anglicans, as well as deepen our appreciation of how other parts of the Communion seek to be faithful to the Gospel in very different and historical contexts."
Led by Archbishop Maurice Sinclair of the Southern Cone of America, the delegation also included Archbishop Harry Goodhew of Australia; Bishop Peter Njenga, representing the primate of Kenya; Bishop John Rucyahana representing the primate of Rwanda; Bishop Simon Makundi representing the primate of Tanzania, and the Rev. Bill Atwood of Dallas, director of Ekklesia Society.
The visit began September 28 with Trinity Institute in New York, which discussed the Zacchaeus Report on issues facing the Episcopal Church and a dinner that evening with a group of gay and lesbian Episcopalians. The group then went to the Diocese of Pennsylvania amd Virginia Theological Seminary where they met with representatives of ministries with former homosexuals. They also met with bishops and church leaders in the Diocese of Virginia and the Diocese of Central Florida. While in Florida they also met with members of the American Anglican Council, an umbrella organization of conservatives in the church. They returned to the Northeast for meetings in the Diocese of Massachusetts, before returning to New York to meet with Griswold.
In an interview Griswold said that he was "grateful that they accepted the invitation" and that they could be "broadly exposed to the diversity and richness of our church." They showed particular interest, he added, in how the Episcopal Church handled minority opinions on the diocesan level. He said that the group reported to him that "they were greeted with great hospitality everywhere they went and that they had heard many voices, representing the variety of opinions that exist in our church."
Griswold said that the group would "share the fruits of their visit" in a written report to Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and to him. "It was a joy to meet with them, not around issues but in the context of sharing a meal together." Although the dinner was largely a social occasion, the presence of members of the Office for Anglican and Global Relations sent a clear signal that the Episcopal Church fully intends to "maintain its support of churches in the developing world," according to the Rev. Patrick Mauney, director of the office. He has found it necessary to refute rumors that the church's support is being tied to positions taken at Lambeth by some of the bishops.
The bishops avoided the press during the visit and made no public comments following their meetings with widely diverse groups. Privately, some participants were delighted with their encounters and others were bitterly disappointed.
In Virginia Bill Atwood set up a meeting of the bishops with organizations for homosexuals seeking to change their lifestyle. Earl Fox, director of Transformation in Washington, D.C., posted a story on-line, reporting that "the testimonies were powerful and well received by the bishops."
Others reported "difficult conversations," marred by what participants perceived as stereotypes and adamant opinions, based on Scripture and cultural attitudes. Yet that "should not determine our willingness to share," wrote Louie Crew, founder of Integrity, in an open letter. "Be careful not to demonize those who find us loathsome," he warned.
On a few occasions, attempts by the bishops to meet with dissidents within dioceses created difficult situations for their hosts.