National & World News
House of Bishops meeting round up
News from the HOB meeting in New Orleans, September 20-25
Episcopal Life Online [ELO] offers comprehensive coverage or the recent House of Bishops meeting here.
Some highlights:
[ENS] A message from the bishops of the Episcopal Church (September 28): A message to the church describing the context of the New Orleans meeting
We gathered this week in New Orleans in solidarity with the
people of the Gulf Coast region as they continue the challenging
work of rebuilding lives and communities devastated by Hurricane
Katrina. We also gathered with the deep desire to rebuild trust
and confidence with our partners in the Anglican Communion.
Rebuilding is difficult work, but God invites us through our
baptism to the challenging work of reconciliation, in
communities and relationships. We have witnessed the remarkable
continuing miracle of renewal in the myriad efforts of people
from all over the world who are participating in the rebuilding
of New Orleans and other communities along the Gulf Coast. We
give thanks to God for their witness and pray that the ongoing
work of reconciliation within the Anglican Communion can also
bear as forceful a witness to the glory and grace of God.
More . . . [Please note: as we are going "to press" the
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[ENS]
"Day of Service" puts bishops to work in Mississippi, New
Orleans (September 22)
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Most of the members of the Episcopal Church's House of
Bishops, their spouses and their invited guests put down their
pens and microphones and picked up work tools September 22 to
lend a hand in Gulf Coast recovery efforts.
During the Day of Service, the bishops and their guests worked
on nine projects in New Orleans, while another busload headed
for various sites in Mississippi. Presiding Bishop Katharine
Jefferts Schori went with the Mississippi crews and her husband,
Richard Schori, worked with a house-building crew in New
Orleans' Uptown neighborhood. Some 35 bishops and their spouses
went to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where, before arriving at
their work sites, they took a bus tour of the depopulated Gulf
coastline.
More . . . and a photo gallery from the "Day of Service." [Please note: as we are going "to press" the ENS Web site is experiencing difficulties; if you receive an error message, try again later!!]
[ENS]
House of Bishops response "to questions and concerns raised
by our Anglican Communion partners" (September 25)
In accordance with Our Lord's high priestly prayer that we be
one, and in the spirit of Resolution A159 of the 75th General
Convention, and in obedience to his Great Commission to go into
the world and make disciples, and in gratitude for the gift of
the Anglican Communion as a sign of the Holy Spirit's ongoing
work of reconciliation throughout the world, we offer the
following to The Episcopal Church, the Primates, the Anglican
Consultative Council (ACC), and the larger Communion, with the
hope of "mending the tear in the fabric" of our common life in
Christ. . . .
Introduction
The House of Bishops expresses sincere and heartfelt thanks to
the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the Joint Standing
Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates
for accepting our invitation to join us in New Orleans. By their
presence they have both honored us and assisted us in our
discernment. Their presence was a living reminder of the unity
that is Christ's promised gift in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Much of our meeting time was spent in continuing discernment of
our relationships within the Anglican Communion. We engaged in
careful listening and straightforward dialogue with our guests.
We expressed our passionate desire to remain in communion. It is
our conviction that The Episcopal Church needs the Anglican
Communion, and we heard from our guests that the Anglican
Communion needs The Episcopal Church.
More . . . [Please note: as we are going "to press" the ENS Web site is experiencing difficulties;
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[ENS]
House of Bishops statement draws mixed reactions
(September 27)
Organizations and individuals
representing differing viewpoints in the Episcopal Church have
begun to respond to actions taken by the House of Bishops on the
final day of their September 20-25 meeting in New Orleans.
Most of the responses are being made to the House of Bishops'
statement, "A
Response to Questions and Concerns Raised by Our Anglican
Communion Partners".
More . . . [Please note: as we are going "to press" the ENS Web site is experiencing difficulties;
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Joint Standing Committee submits Report on House of Bishops' meeting
[ACNS]
The Joint
Standing Committee of the Anglican
Consultative Council and the Primates of
the Anglican Communion have now
submitted their Report on The Episcopal
Church's House of Bishops September
20-25 meeting in New Orleans. The
Archbishop of Canterbury has sent the
Report to all the Primates and to all
members of the Anglican Consultative
Council and asked them to consult in
their provinces on the Report, and
respond to him by the end of October.
A PDF of the report is available here.
Presiding Bishop will host October 16 Web cast
‘Episcopal Life Focus' multicast also set for October 11
[ENS] A live webcast with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on October 16, and the second monthly edition of "Episcopal Life Focus"— a half-hour video "multicast" featuring church mission, ministries and news – are upcoming program highlights from Episcopal Life Media.
Co-produced with Trinity Church Wall Street, the
Web cast will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern time on October 16 and is planned to feature the Presiding Bishop's responses to questions asked via telephone and e-mail during the program.Access will be available through both the websites of the Episcopal Church and Trinity Wall Street..
Meanwhile, the new edition of Episcopal Life Focus, set for release online October 11, will feature coverage of the House of Bishops September meeting in New Orleans, the Archbishop of Canterbury's visit there, and the hands-on post-hurricane rebuilding and pastoral work offered by the bishops and spouses along the Gulf Coast.