Anglicans United & Latimer Press

By Mary Frances Schjonberg April 7, 2006 [ENS] The Special Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion has issued its report, including 11 resolutions to be debated by the 75th General Convention at its meeting June 13-21 in Columbus, Ohio. In a joint cover letter, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and the Rev. George Werner, president of the House of Deputies, observed that the report is "first and foremost... a theological document" focusing on "our understanding of our participation as members of the Anglican Communion in God's Trinitarian life and God's mission to which we are called." The letter stressed that the report "is intended to start the conversation and not conclude" discussion about the Windsor Report's recommendations, and to be an invitation into "the Windsor Process and the further unfolding of our common life together in the Anglican Communion." The Special Commission's official charge was to assist the 75th General Convention in "considering how to maintain the highest degree of communion within the Anglican Communion given the different perspectives held with regard to the place of homosexual persons in the life of the church." The full report is available at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/SCECACReport.pdf. http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/SCECACReport.pdf. ....Continue reading, "Report of the Special Commission on The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion"

http://mcj.bloghorn.com/2327 Midwest Conservative Journal Christopher S. Johnson The Living Church wishes that some of you people would calm down: With General Convention less than two months away, it seems that the time for polite listening and graceful conversations may be coming to an end. The moderators of church-related Internet discussion groups are more frequently having to remind their participants to choose their words more carefully before they post their comments. The gloves seem to be coming off with greater regularity. The Bishop of Arizona recently was subjected to a flurry of bile-filled invective from persons outside his diocese in response to a letter intended for his clergy and lay leaders [p. 14]. His candid remarks in reaction to the spring House of Bishops’ retreat drew heated reaction from those who disagreed with his views. A similar letter from another bishop to his diocese was also critiqued and his character impugned. A widely read website publishes personal attacks on bishops nearly every day. Ubiquitous discussion lists, blogs, and websites have made instant newsgathering, analysis, and commentary a part of life within the Church. While these forums are invaluable communications tools with powerful potential as tools for ministry, they also can and ....Continue reading, "CAN TWO WALK TOGETHER?"

EPISCOPAL BISHOPS, IF VOTING SECRETLY, WOULD OPPOSE CHURCH’S STANCE ON HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA ITEMS ADOPTED IN 2003, A LAY POLL REPORTS WASHINGTON, DC -- 03/30/06 – Episcopal bishops in the United States, if voting secretly now, would turn away from two critical votes in 2003 which championed a pro-homosexual agenda, according to a survey by Lay Episcopalians for the Anglican Communion (LEAC). The convention votes divided their church and caused the worldwide Anglican Communion to put about 2 million Americans in limbo. In a third question, bishops split about evenly on whether they would leave the American church or stay with the communion if the Americans remained outside of the international communion. The Washington-based organization of traditionalists said 27% of about 300 bishops responded to the study. LEAC announced that 57.5% of respondents would oppose, in secret ballot, provisions for church blessing of same-sex partnerships, and 56.25% would oppose consecration of Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who was promoted despite having left his wife and family for his present homosexual lover. Those votes, in a confidential and secret blind-research environment, reversed tallies in open voting at the 2003 General Convention. The survey made news last month when the denomination’s U.S. presiding bishop ....Continue reading, "ECUSA Bishops Oppose Homosexual Stance in Secret Ballot"