National News
Anglican Communion sub-group report released
Report
addresses Episcopal Church response to The Windsor Report
collaboration
[ACNS] The following is the beginning of the report
given to the Anglican Communion Joint Standing Committee of the
Primates meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council today,
February 15.
Background
At their meeting in London in March 2006, the Joint Standing
Committee of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council
nominated four of its members to assist the Archbishop of
Canterbury and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion
in discerning the response of the Anglican Communion to the
decisions of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal
Church. Some of these decisions related to requests made of the
Episcopal Church in the Primates’ Statement of February 2005 at
Dromantine, which incorporated the Primates’ response to the
recommendations of the Windsor Report. The group appointed met
in London in September 2006.
At the Primates’ meeting in Dromantine, the Presiding Bishop
of the Episcopal Church had made it abundantly clear that only
General Convention was empowered under the constitution of the
Episcopal Church to give a response to the sorts of undertakings
requested in the Windsor Report on behalf of the Episcopal
Church. The Primates at Dromantine therefore decided to give the
Episcopal Church (and the Anglican Church of Canada – although
that Church is not the focus of current consideration) space to
allow its proper processes to function—the 75th General Convention
It is clear to this group that in the period following the
Dromantine meeting, the Episcopal Church took the Windsor Report
and the recommendations adopted by the Primates extremely
seriously, establishing a Special Commission to work on its
response, dedicating a particular legislative Committee (Special
Legislative Committee 26) at the 75th General Convention to
carry forward business associated with the Windsor Report, and
devoting a lot of time to considering this work.
Read the full report here.
Primates convene; Windsor response leads agenda
ENS report by Matthew Davies
The Primates' Meeting of the
worldwide Anglican Communion has convened February 15 for its
five-day agenda near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with every
indication that all participants are present at the table.
Three of the 38 Primates—the Communion's presiding bishops,
archbishops and moderators—are unable to attend the meeting:
Archbishop Barry Morgan of Wales, who is on sabbatical; and
Archbishop Joseph Marona of Sudan, who cited health reasons; and
the Most Rev. Joel Vidyasagar Mal, Moderator of the Church of
North India, for reasons unspecified.
The Episcopal Church is represented by Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts Schori, who said before the meeting that she
looked forward to the Primates' collaborative work.
One of the first items on the Primates' agenda was the response
of the Episcopal Church's 75th General Convention to the Windsor
Report, a document that recommends ways in which the Anglican
Communion can maintain unity amid differing viewpoints.
The full story is
here.
Letter to Williams calls for rejection of alternative primatial oversight
ENS report by Mary Frances Schonberg
More than 900 Episcopal clergy and
laity have signed on to an open letter developed by a coalition
of Episcopal peace and justice organizations and sent it to the
Archbishop of Canterbury before he left England for the Primates
Meeting in Tanzania.
The letter calls on Archbishop Rowan Williams to reject requests
for alternative primatial oversight because they "would pose a
grave danger to the Anglican Communion."
According to information released with the letter, the effort
originated from the Consultation Steering Committee, a network
which includes representatives from Integrity, Episcopal Urban
Caucus, Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Episcopal Women's Caucus,
Union of Black Episcopalians, Episcopal Ecological Network,
National Episcopal AIDS Coalition, Province VIII Indigenous
Ministries, Episcopal Church Publishing Company, Episcopal
Network for Economic Justice, Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry
Advocates, and Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission.
The dioceses of Pittsburgh, Central Florida, Dallas, Fort Worth,
San Joaquin, South Carolina, and Springfield asked Williams in
writing for alternative primatial oversight on July 20, 2006.
The Diocese of Quincy joined the appeal September 16.
Episcopal Church goes to court in Virginia to retain
parishes' property
Complaint asks for compliance with canons, accounting of property
ENS report by Mary Frances Schonberg
The Episcopal Church has joined the Diocese of Virginia in its legal
dispute over possession of the property of 11 congregations in which the
majority of the members and clergy voted in 2006 and early 2007 to leave the
denomination and affiliate with African Anglican bishops.
Lawyers filed a 20-page complaint in the County of Fairfax, Virginia, courts
on February 9. The complaint lists the Episcopal Church as the plaintiff and
names as defendants the former clergy and vestry members of 11 parishes and
missions, as well as trustees who technically hold title to the real
property of some of the parishes.
The complaint names the parishes as defendants "because their real and
personal property and affairs are currently under the de facto control of
individuals who claim the right to sever the link between the parties and
the Diocese and the Episcopal Church, to divert the parishes' real and
personal property for their own use in affiliation with another denomination
outside the United States, and to exclude the parishes' faithful
Episcopalian members for use and control of that property."
The clergy and vestry, or vestry committee members in the case of the two
missions, are named because they "have left the Episcopal Church, yet
continue to exercise control over the real and personal property" of the
congregation.
Virginia Bishop Peter Lee inhibited 21 diocesan clergy in mid-January and
rescinded the licenses of six others, saying that he was acting on a
determination by the diocesan Standing Committee that the clergy "have
openly renounced the doctrine, discipline or worship of the Episcopal Church
and, therefore, have abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church"
because of the votes.
The filing comes in support of actions already taken by the diocese.
Complete
story.
New blog surveys media reports on Episcopal Church
"epiScope" brings views from
"left, right, center"
[ENS] Offering an online overview of news and
views "left, right and center," the Episcopal Church's Office of
Communication has launched a new web log, or blog.
Called "epiScope: looking over the Episcopal Church," the blog
seeks "to add perspective and context to some stories, and to
correct the record in other instances," said the Episcopal
Church's communication director, Canon Robert Williams.
"epiScope is an essential component of the Episcopal Church's
overall communication strategy at the present time when
reporters increasingly consult the 'blogosphere' for story leads
and interpretation," Williams added.
He said the blog is part of the new "Episcopal Church Online"
initiative that is working "to support Episcopalians' increasing
participation in building community through the latest net-based
strategies."
The Rev. Jan Nunley, the Episcopal Church's deputy for
communication, is moderator of the epiScope blog. Go to the blog
NOW!
Read more about this and other new online services from
the Episcopal Church Center Communications Office.
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