Day 9, Bishop Lillibridge (click here) In his final audio report, Bishop Lillibridge discusses the budget and a statement that reaffirms his commitment to the Anglican Communion.
Archive for July 17th, 2009
Bishop’s Audio Report (Thursday, July 16)
Friday, July 17th, 2009Bishops Release Statement Affirming Membership in Anglican Communion
Friday, July 17th, 2009
DWTX from Anaheim – Speaking for a group of about 15 bishops, Bishop Lillibridge read a statement on Thursday during the House of Bishops’ private time that “reaffirms our constituent membership in the Anglican Communion” while seeking to “find a place in the Church we continue to serve.” The statement was drafted by several bishops, including Lillibridge and Bishop David Reed, wanting to articulate their place in the Anglican Communion.
The statement represents the voices of many bishops who consistently find themselves in the minority at the 76th General Convention. “It is apparent that a substantial majority of this Convention believes that The Episcopal Church should move forward on matters of human sexuality,” says the preamble to the statement. “We recognize this reality and understand the clarity with which the majority has expressed itself.”
The bishops say they “seek to provide the same honesty and clarity” and invite all bishops who agree with them to sign the statement. About 25 bishops had signed the statement by late in the day on Thursday.
The statement asks for reaffirmation of commitment in five areas:
- membership in the Anglican Communion, communion with the See of Canterbury, and commitment to preserving those relationships
- the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church
- the three moratoria requested by the Instruments of Communion
- the Anglican Communion Covenant process
- the apostles’ teaching and fellowship that is “foundational to the baptismal covenant” and the apostles’ teaching in “interpreting the Gospel.”
“The majority voice has spoken at this General Convention,” said Lillibridge later. “But I think it is important to also hear from the significant minority that represents about one-third both in the House of Bishops and House of Deputies.”
He said that in the Diocese of West Texas, the focus will remain on being a part of The Episcopal Church and continuing as a constituent member of the Anglican Communion.
“Out of all of this,” said Lillibridge, “what I want to bring home to the diocese is the deepening of our conversation regarding the issue of human sexuality as well as the relationship between minorities and majorities as we all seek to work together.”
He said that he and Bishop Reed will have more to say about this General Convention when they return to San Antonio.
The General Convention ends on Friday, July 17.
– Marjorie George
Communications Officer
Convention Accepts Revised Ministry Discipline Canons
Friday, July 17th, 2009DWTX from Anaheim — The 76th General Convention has approved an overhaul of the Episcopal Church’s ministry discipline canons, moving them away from a court-oriented system towards one based on safety, truth-telling, healing, and reconciliation.
The revision of Title IV, Ecclesiastical Discipline, applies only to clergy and not laity. It will be effective on July 1, 2011.
The House of Bishops concurred on July 14 with action taken July 13 by the House of Deputies. The deputies accepted a version of the revision, contained in Resolution A185, which had been amended by the legislative committee on canons.
Among the significant amendments made by the canons committee was the elimination of a requirement that a member of the clergy report “all matters which may constitute an offense … including his or her own offenses.”
The Title IV Task Force II on Disciplinary Policies and Procedures Blue Book report to convention had said that “fundamental” to its work had been “the need for truth telling, honesty and acknowledgement of responsibility, which is arguably inconsistent with some constitutional rights citizens hold.”
The canons committee also changed the proposed standard of proof required for finding that a person had committed an offense from “preponderance of the evidence” to “clear and convincing evidence.” The latter is defined as “proof sufficient to convince ordinarily prudent people that there is a high probability that what is claimed actually happened.” The definition notes that proof beyond a reasonable doubt is not required.
This was the second attempt to revise Title IV. At the 75th General Convention, the first proposed revision ran aground over a controversial provision that would have subjected certain lay leaders to the disciplinary process.
The task force that proposed the second revision to the 76th convention said in its report that “the time is not yet propitious for the inclusion of disciplinary provisions for the laity other than as already provided in the Book of Common Prayer, and no inclusion of laity is contemplated at this time.” Those provisions, referred to on page 409 as “Disciplinary Rubrics,” involve the process for refusing Communion to people.
Diocesan Chancellor Drew Cauthorn, who is also a deputy at this General Convention, said he is pleased with the new canons. “This really does fit the theology of our church,” he said. “There is an element of pastoral care for victims as well as perpetrators and their families.”
The new canon also will allow legal matters to be settled more promptly and less expensively. “For instance,” said Cauthorn, “the new canon allows for the participation of fewer persons than did the previous one, and it allows for the sharing of expertise and resources across dioceses.”
He said the diocese will now have to bring our own canons into conformity, “but the canon gives a sufficient amount of local leeway, and it is not effective until July 2011.
– Marjorie George
Communication Officer
–The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg contributed to this report.
Bishops say “All Baptized persons” is Inclusive Enough
Friday, July 17th, 2009DWTX from Anaheim – Episcopal News Service — The House of Bishops on July 15 adopted an amended version of Resolution C061, which would change the canons to say that “all baptized persons” have full access to any ministry, lay or ordained. The amended measure, which proposes a change to Title III, Canon 1, now returns to the House of Deputies World Mission Committee.
The resolution originally included the statement that no person would be denied access to ministry because of “gender identity or expression” – as well as “race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities or age,” as already included in the canon.
Bishops, however, changed the resolution to eliminate all these descriptions, agreeing that they are unnecessary and perhaps even limit the resolution’s primary intent of including “all baptized persons.”
“What is it about ‘all’ that we don’t understand?” Bishop Suffragan Catherine Roskam of New York asked her colleagues. “It’s like trying to thank the ECW. There will always be someone’s name you’ve left off. I propose we go with the ‘all’ and let it be ‘all.’”
– Jerald Hyche
Deputies Approve Study of Anglican Covenant
Friday, July 17th, 2009DWTX from Anaheim – Episcopal News Service – The House of Deputies tackled a wide range of resolutions during its second session July 15, which marked the deadline for action on resolutions that require the concurrence of the House of Bishops.
It approved Resolution D020, which asks dioceses to study the Ridley Cambridge Draft of a proposed Anglican covenant — or any that might come after it — and report their comments to Executive Council, which then is asked to make a full report to the General Convention in 2012.
Most speakers favored adoption of the resolution. The Rev. Ellen Neufeld (Albany) noted that deputies previously had expressed a commitment to continuing participation in the Anglican Communion. “This resolution does not finally commit us to the covenant,” she said, “but it keeps us at the table, it keeps us part of the process.”
The Rev. Ian Douglas (Massachusetts) said, “Three years ago we did commit ourselves as a church to participate in the development process of a covenant, not a specific text. This church has been incredibly faithful to that task, both with the Nassau Draft and also the St. Andrew’s Draft. This resolution calls us to continue in the same good faith.”
The resolution now goes to the House of Bishops for action.
– Melodie Woerman