The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop, along with the nine bishops who form his Council of Advice, has responded to an open letter from seven Anglican primates [TLC, March 21] challenging U.S. bishops who disagree with the Lambeth Conference's "sexuality resolution."

The primates asked the Presiding Bishop 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."

Bishop Griswold responded that the Episcopal Church is in a "process of discernment," and "testing the spirits." He quoted, with permission, from a letter of Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey to "one of our primates." Archbishop Carey pointed out that the Lambeth resolution "indicates where bishops stand now on the issue; it does not indicate that we shall ever rest there." He further said that the debate showed him "that argument and controversy solves nothing."

Bishop Griswold invited the primates "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. He suggested that these visits foster conversation and "moral discourse" with U.S. bishops, representatives of their dioceses and to the experiences of homosexual persons - as "mandated by the Lambeth resolution on human sexuality."

Bishops from the Council of Advice who signed the letter are: J. Clark Grew II of Ohio; Robert H. Johnson of Western North Carolina; James Krotz of Nebraska; Julio Holguin of the Dominican Republic; Jack McKelvey of Newark; Robert Rowley, Jr. of Northwestern Pennsylvania; Richard Shimpfky of El Camino Real; William Smalley of Kansas, and Douglas Theuner of New Hampshire.

Episcopal News Service contributed to this article.