Cherie Wetzel, Editor THE ANGLICAN VOICE, reporting from New Orleans
Monday morning started with the press being denied seats in the House of Bishops’ meeting. We gathered in the press room, trying to figure out why we had all come to this meeting for 2 briefings and 2 press conferences, but very limited access to any of the substance.
At 10:45, during their coffee break, the meeting was opened and we flocked like lemmings to the large chamber that houses the meeting.
The Writing Committee that has been charged with preparing the Statement – and worked all weekend – presented the Statement. It was distributed to members of the House and then read aloud by the committee. After this, there was 15 minutes of discussion at the tables (The House is organized into 20 table groups of 6-8 people that meet from one General Convention to the next.) Usually, the tables respond as a table. Today, individuals responded to the statement, making suggestions for its change. A second draft will be written this afternoon and evening and presented to the House for finalization tomorrow.
The initial draft is 4 pages single-spaced, and is a chatty narrative about the fun things done here in New Orleans, interspersed with the responses to the Dar es Salaam communiqué. Several bishops requested that the one document be split into two. The first must clearly and without equivocation, respond to the Dar questions. And the second can discuss other aspects of the meeting.
I do not know if press will be allowed back in the meeting this afternoon, and will not tell you about any other details of the statement at this point. It is not a finished document. I am constantly reminded that people read what I write in order to made decisions about whether they will stay or flee from the Episcopal Church (TEC). It is not “soup” yet, to quote Campbell’s. The direction is not clear.
I will tell you that there are two recurrent themes that I have heard from many bishops: 1) The work done at the General Convention 2006 in Columbus, OH, with regards to compliance with the Windsor Report, was reviewed by a small sub-committee appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. They issued their report directly to him and he took it to the Primate’s meeting in Dar es Salaam. This sub-committee concluded that TEC had met the requirements asked for by The Windsor Report. The Primates did not accept this conclusion.
No explanation was ever given of why or how the Primates rejected that report.
Since no explanation was given, the bishops here are puzzled that the subcommittee gave them a pass on their work at GC 2006 and frequently mention this report as validation of their desire and compliance with the requirements necessary to stay in the Communion.
2) The continuing saga of boundary crossing, especially by African bishops, in their care for the orthodox, infuriates this House. It is such a sore point that some bishops I spoke with yesterday said they would consider compliance with Dar if and only if all foreign incursions cease. Stop the incursions first and THEN we will talk about complying with Dar. And it surprised me that some of the angriest bishops about this point are those who have not lost a priest or a parish to foreign oversight yet. Those who have give a much more mellow response.
So, lets be clear about how to direct your prayer time today. The Hose has several resolutions they are considering this afternoon and the Statement is a matter of high priority. Please pray that they insist on and succeed in making the clearest possible response to Dar es Salaam. All are aware of the Episcopal Fudge remarks about their previous work. And, I truly believe they want to avoid that kind of label on this document.
And please pray that they will have the patience to sit through the rest of the meeting and a spirit of generosity towards each other. They must prioritize their responses to the rest of the Communion and that will take patience and magnanimity.
And, lastly, Bishop Jenkins, who loves this city very much, has requested prayers for the New Orleans Saints, who are playing in the Superdome tonight. Their opponent: Tennessee Titans. The Saints have lost their first two games and tonight is their first home game. Kick off is at 7:30ish. I am adding this bit of whimsy to balance out the fact that very serious decisions will be made within the next 24 hours. I covet your prayers for the conclusion of this meeting. Let us all pray that God will be Glorified and His Kingdom established anew by these decisions. More tonight. Cherie Wetzel reporting from New Orleans
