The awaited ECUSA report on Windsor has been published. You can download One Baptism, One Hope in God’s Call The Report of the Special Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion as a 444k pdf file.
This, and other papers for General Convention 2006 can be downloaded from this page.
The official press release is here.
An html copy of the wording of the resolutions (only) is here.
PDF files containing preliminary translations into Spanish and French of the summary, and the resolutions can be found here.
I have had time to read but not yet fully digest the entire response, but it appears to me to be an heroic attempt at moderation by a diverse panel to address with respect the legitimate concerns of all the differing points of view in TEC & the WWAC — a genuine attempt to avoid schism — I expect this to be a disappointment to the bomb-throwers at the extremes — will be sure check back to see if further comments bear out my prophecy — & Merseymike doesn’t count — his POV is a given! 🙂
Just a quick glance at the resolutions makes me think Prior Aelred is correct. It is a moderate attempt at holding us together.
I didn’t see anything on the crossing of diocesan boundaries without permission which should be addressed.
The idea of an “Anglican Covenant” still makes me uncomfortable.
We shall see what convention does with these resolutions.
It looks balanced, spiritually healthy/loving/welcoming and snit/sin/fear-free to me AND it also “suggests” a extra keen opening-up and pondering space for when the Holy Spirit revisits (especially in the Diocese of California) *us* during ALL upcoming elections.
On the whole disappointing regarding future consecrations after the hopefulness generated by the letters from a few bishops. +Exeter’s warning that this will not meet the expectations of the worldwide community is probably correct. The moratorium has to be real or it is not a moratorium. Perhaps the test is to be in the confirmation process and not in the elections.
As a gay person, I find the resolutions on blessings and elections troubling. It is not pleasant to feel expendable. Nobody ever asked the sop how it liked being fed to Cerberus. It doesn’t feel good, and, in light of recent actions by the network, I don’t think it will preserve unity in TEC. I find the notion an an Anglican Covenant very troubling. Had I wished to belong to a church with a central magistrum [sp?] I would have become a Roman Catholic. No mention of episcopal boundary crossing seems to me an act of cowardice. I suspect that… Read more »
Maybe to look good and say ‘well, we tried, but you weren’t willing to meet us halfway’?
I’m quite sure it won’t be enough for the conservatives, so, yes, lets hope the split is still on!
Merseymike, you are just being reasonable to prove me wrong! Cynthia — I apologise — at another site I posted: “I know this proposal does say to the LBGTQ members of the Body of Christ that they are vestigal organs & that is wrong — but I think that we are currently in the period of blowback & need to know when to speak & when to be silent — several years ago a bishop who will remain nameless met with some LBGTQ persons in his diocese to talk about blessing unions & said something along the lines of, “I… Read more »
A few people here and about have questioned why there is no mention of border crossings in this new report. My guess is that it is because this report is intended to suggest how the *Episcopal Church* (not, e.g., the GS) is to respond to the WR. Border crossings are covered in the WR and not perpetrated by the EC so there is no reason to address it. Just my guess.
There is reference to diocesan boundaries in proposed resolution A163: – Resolved, That the 75th General Convention urge continued attention to the proper maintenance of historic diocesan boundaries and the authority of the diocesan bishop. This comes in the section of care for dissenting minorities. DEPO has been one of the most difficult issues as while it can work in some places where the bishop has charity in others a request for DEPO has brought persecution. The Panel of Reference was expected to bring some of this to light and give help and assistance but that Panel is dead in… Read more »
“On this one we are subject to the judge and jury of the Primates and the rest of the AC. It is ECUSA which is in the “dock.””
Ian, I answer to *one judge and jury*, who is Christ Jesus: I suspect the rest of TEC feels the same!