From ENS
"Despite all our differences we are passionately committed to walking together." So said a pastoral statement approved June 10 by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada on the issue of same-gender blessings. And it may mark the beginning of a new spirit and approach to a question that has divided the church in recent years.
Unlike past General Synods, triennial meetings of the church's governing body, where both those in favor of and opposed to same-sex blessings proposed resolutions and tried to win in parliamentary style debates, the members of General Synod 2010 were encouraged to try a new approach of small-group discussion with the aim of producing a pastoral statement.
The result is a document that acknowledges continuing differences within the church on the issue, and says "at this time, we are not prepared to make a legislative decision." The statement instead committed the church to more dialogue. This compromise left both sides wanting more, but there was a new and surprising level of support from both sides, and the statement was approved by a large majority within the 350-member synod made up of lay people, clergy and bishops.
The statement was crafted through a series of discussions in small groups of about 15 to 24 people. Feedback was recorded, summarized and reported back to the synod as a whole before another round of discussions. Comments from that round of discussions was then woven into a draft statement by members of the faith, worship and ministry committee and presented to General Synod members. The committee aimed to reflect accurately the various views, and the statement acknowledged that the compromise may be difficult for both sides to accept.
More here-
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_122853_ENG_HTM.htm
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