More Interesting Detail from the New York Summit
After the introductions and opening statements, a wide-ranging discussion ensued with bishops by turns giving their assessment of The Episcopal Church in the aftermath of the 65th, 72nd, 74th and 75th General Conventions. There was also anecdotal sharing about the local environment in which each bishop ministers. Nearly all of the discussion concerned human sexuality and the mandatory ordination of women.
After a day and a half of exchanges that at times were blunt and confrontational, the participants were exhausted, but they had produced the draft of a brief statement announcing that the seven dioceses whose bishops had requested APO would be receiving “pastoral care” from someone other than the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. Rather than push ahead to complete a final statement that day, Bishops Iker and Duncan suggested that the group meet again in the morning. Whether they continued Tuesday or waited until the morning, neither Bishop Stanton nor Bishop O’Neil would be able to assist further with a final statement, because they both had to leave for other commitments.
The next day it quickly became apparent that some had developed second thoughts. Bishop Griswold said wider acceptance of the statement that they had in hand might prove problematic because Executive Council, the Presiding Bishop’s Council of Advice and the President of the House of Deputies among others had not been consulted ahead of time. Bishop Duncan said the agreement did not address Network parishes located in non-Network dioceses and Bishop Iker said the appeal was for oversight, not pastoral care. The final paragraph or so of the draft was then rewritten to reflect the published statement.
posted by t19elves at 5:32 PM
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