Bishop John Howe's Latest Diary Entry

The Bishop of Central Florida has been posting his experience via his diocesan web site. Here's the latest from a conservative Bishop who doesn't want to realign. -

"I am reminded what theologian Martin Marty said to us when the Episcopal Bishops met with our Lutheran counterparts in the early 1990s. He commented that there have only been two issues that have so divided Christians in the history of the Church as have the issues of homosexuality: Christology, during the early centuries, and Justification at the time of the Reformation. "And," he said, "in both cases it took about 300 years to sort the matter out. So, don't expect any early or easy resolution.""

http://centralflorida.anglican.org/news/news08/lambeth0802.htm

Washington Post Commentary on the Lambeth Poverty Walk Last Week

David Walters from the Washington Post reflecting on what should be important to the Church. The photo he refers is here -

"That's what I keep looking for in that picture. The will of the church to act like the church and not like a special interest group. The will of the church to act like the Body of Christ and not a corporate body. The will of the church not to tell us how but to show us how to serve the least among us. "Central to any Christian strategy on world hunger must be a radical call for the church to be the church," Ronald J. Sider wrote for the Christian Century magazine, Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action, turned the article into a book called "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger.""

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2008/07/signs_wonders_demonstration_or.html

Dissension in the ranks (who'd have thunk it?)

The Bishop of Winchester (pictured) and with whom I had dinner earlier this year and the Bishop of Exeter (whom I don't know) take Rowan to the woodshed.

"However, the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester, said that the Archbishop’s plan to maintain unity lacked a sense of urgency and was unlikely to work. “The Lambeth Conference is required to do something rather than live down to the worst expectations of the bishops who stayed away,” he said. “We need to negotiate a separation in the Communion sooner rather than later, to leave the strongest possibility of remaining in some kind of fellowship.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2490833/Bishops-ask--Archbishop-of-Canterbury-for-an-orderly-separation.html

BBC audio on the Lambeth Sexuality Discussions

Is it possible that there can be an Elizabethan Settlement sort of solution ? This is a 7 minute audio with interviews with several key players.

"The Lambeth conference of Anglican bishops discusses "human sexuality", the subject which divides traditionalists and liberals. The Archbishop of Canterbury hopes to draft a statement that can hold the worldwide Anglican Communion together on this issue. Clive Hanford, the person in charge of drafting this statement, says it can be done but they have to be 'cautious'."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7534000/7534537.stm

Anglicans see blunt talk from Catholics as sign of friendship

More on Lambeth's reaction to Cardinal Kasper's remarks earlier in the week-

"The cardinal expressed the Catholic Church's hope that the Anglican Communion would find a way to maintain its unity, but also warned that accepting practices that go against Scripture and tradition, whether homosexual activity or the ordination of women, would be a huge setback to efforts to promote Christian unity."

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803957.htm

Now the Russians are mad at us over women's ordination

(Sigh)

The Russian Orthodox Church has released a statement denouncing the Church of England, calling the July 7 vote by General Synod not to create legal safeguards for opponents of women bishops an abandonment of the true faith.

http://www.religiousintelligence.com/news/?NewsID=2412

Survey Says !

London Times survey of the Bishops at Lambeth. Asking questions about leadership and theology -

"The Archbishop of Canterbury has the overwhelming support of bishops at the Lambeth Conference, according to a survey for The Times.

However, one quarter of Anglican bishops at the meeting in Canterbury, Kent, are unsure that he is providing the leadership needed to save the Church from schism.

Few bishops support the idea of solving the church's differences by changing the Anglican Communion to a looser federation."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4448123.ece

American Bishops apologiz(s)e for theological innovations

London Daily Telegraph article about African Bishop's protestations -

In addition, a draft document of the "reflections" of the 670 Anglican bishops gathered in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference discloses that some American bishops have apologised for consecrating Gene Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. The booklet states: "Apologies have been expressed in the Indaba [discussion] groups by some of the Episcopal Church who had no idea that their action in the consecration of the current Bishop of New Hampshire had caused such a negative impact in many parts of the Communion.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/2485726/Liberal-agenda-of-Western-churches-a-new-form-of-colonisation.html

Similar report from the Manchester Guardian is here -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/02/anglicanism.religion1

The Official Drawing of the Official Photograph

What it really looked like -




Dave Walker "official" cartoonist for Lambeth is at it again

Lambeth Conference: Good News for Williams

Lambeth is winding down and the London Times thinks its been a success for Archbishop Rowan Williams. They even think the GAFCon folks did him a favor by staying away !

"When the Archbishop of Canterbury delivers his final address tomorrow to more than 650 bishops attending the Lambeth Conference, he can allow himself a note of joy and quiet pride. The conference has gone far better than he or even the most optimistic Anglicans could have imagined. There has been no formal schism. No one made a show of walking out. There have been no angry public speeches, accusations or defiant votes. Those attending have found in their hearts a way to remain in communion with each other, whatever the divisions on doctrine, biblical literalism and the ordination of gay priests.
Whether by design or by accident, the Archbishop was helped by the absence of the traditionalists who decided before their earlier meeting in Jerusalem to boycott Lambeth. By doing so, they avoided confrontation, but also removed the elements of grievance and contention. Indeed, the sharp criticism of Dr William's leadership and the provocative claim that his office was a “remnant of British colonialism”, voiced in The Times by the Archbishop of Uganda, were blunted by coming from outside the mainstream."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article4446226.ece

Lambeth Conference begins two-day covenant discussion

Episcopal News Service story on the Covenant Discussions -

Drexel Gomez (pictured in the massive hat) who was chair of the draft committee is quoted below-

"The idea for an Anglican covenant comes from the 2004 Windsor Report (paragraphs 113-120) and has been supported by all the communion's instruments of unity, except the Lambeth Conference, which has not met since 1998. Gomez said that a covenant would expect the provinces to "recognize the common good as expressed in the communion" and "do nothing to break up the common good." "So in a sense, the loyalty to the communion facilitates a holding back of autonomy," he said. "We had to find a way of respecting and maintaining the autonomy of each church, but at the same time providing a breadth and a scope for communion. That is how we inter-relate, respecting and maintaining our autonomy," he said, "but also respecting our communion and seeking to act in such a way that will hold the two together, that we will not act in such a way that would destroy the communion or the unity that is a gift from God."

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_99664_ENG_HTM.htm

If you want to read the current version of the Draft Covenant its here -

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/commission/covenant/st_andrews/draft_text.cfm

'Mini Lambeth' would be the way forward, say dissatisfied bishops

The Manchester Guardian's (England) continuing coverage of Lambeth - Someone's proposing a 'Mini" version every three years.

"The once-a-decade gathering of the world's Anglican bishops in Canterbury has been described as inadequate by those attending it, who yesterday recommended that a smaller group meet every three years. It is thought that a "mini" Lambeth would allow bishops to have more frequent contact and discussions when attempting to resolve disputes over issues such as the ordination of gay clergy."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/01/anglicanism.religion1

Church Anger at Papuan Persecution

The Bishop's are not ignoring the rest of the world. -

“To arrest and jail protesters for raising a separatist flag appears to me to be a disproportionate reaction,” the Primate of Australia, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of Brisbane told The Church of England Newspaper, adding that if “reports of humiliation and beatings” of the detainees at the hands of the Indonesian police “are true those actions are to be denounced in the strongest possible terms.”

http://www.religiousintelligence.com/news/?NewsID=2410

The Realigners have a blog !

The folks who want the Diocese of Pittsburgh to realign have their own blog now. If you want to know what the culture of the realignment might be like, spend a few minutes looking at it. I remember when the "Osbournes" TV show came out someone said that the program, which many thought would glorify the drug culture of Rock and Roll, was actually the greatest anti-drug ad ever produced. I think we have a parallel here.

http://episcopaliansforrealignment.blogspot.com/

Church Times on the Moratorium

The Weekly publication The Church Times (England) has some good coverage of the proposed moratorium on same sex blessings and consecrations.

"The group, chaired by the former Primate in Jerusalem & the Middle East, the Rt Revd Clive Handford, calls for moratoriums on blessings for same-sex unions; on the consecration of anyone living in an openly gay relationship; and on any cross-border acts and interprovincial claims of jurisdiction.
It also recommends the swift formation of a “pastoral forum” at Communion level to engage “theologically and practically” with divisive situations that might arise. It would be “a body that could respond quickly to pressure points in the Communion”, Bishop Handford said."

Story is here -

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=61264

Reaction is here -

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=61273

Archbishop of Uganda explains his absence and attacks Canterbury

The Archbishop of Uganda Henry Orombi writes in the London Times. he launches a broadside against The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lambeth Conference.

"The peculiar thing is that this one man (Rowan Williams), who is at the centre of the communion's structures, is not even elected by his peers. Even the Pope is elected by his peers, but what Anglicans have is a man appointed by a secular government. Over the past five years, we have come to see this as a remnant of British colonialism, and it is not serving us well. The spiritual leadership of a global communion of independent and autonomous provinces should not be reduced to one man appointed by a secular government. It is important that our decision not to attend this Lambeth Conference is not misunderstood as withdrawing from the Anglican Communion. On the contrary, our decision reflects the depth of our concern and the sober realisation that the present structures are not capable of addressing the crisis."

Here's the piece in the London Times -

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4438729.ece

And here's the story from the Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2482609/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-betrayed-churches-over-gay-bishops.html

Lambeth Finally gets to the Issue

Episcopal News Service story about the sexuality discussions at Lambeth -

Conversation marked by tears and apologies, hand holding and embracing, was the order of the day July 31 as bishops attending the Lambeth Conference formally addressed a portion of the Anglican Communion's debate on human sexuality. The pervading sense was that the mood at the current conference was "dramatically different" from the tone of sexuality discussions at the 1998 Lambeth Conference during which "people were distressed at some of the reactions to some of the things that were said," said Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of Brisbane, the primate of Australia and principal spokesman for the bishops. He recalled that in 1998 "there were occasions when bishops actually booed and hissed what other bishops said in the gathering."

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_99622_ENG_HTM.htm

John Howe's Diary for Today

The Bishop of "Disney World" (as he sometimes describes himself) reports in with some encouragement -

"But secondly, the atmosphere in which those differences are held is vastly different than it was a decade ago. Today, in some of the Indaba groups there was a real willingness to listen to and appreciate the convictions of those holding opposite views on issues of human sexuality. (This, I think, was true of those who worked together in the sub-section on Sexuality last time; but it certainly was anything but true of the Conference as a whole.) Thirdly, there is no question that those who are here care deeply, even passionately, about the Anglican Communion. They want it to continue, to be healed and robust, and they want to be part of it."

http://centralflorida.anglican.org/news/news08/lambeth0731.htm

Another Environmental note from Lambeth

London Telegraph report on the Environmental aspect of Lambeth

But the head of the Episcopal Church of the USA, the Most Rev Katharine Jefferts Schori, warned that internal divisions will be irrelevant if the church does not work to preserve the environment. She said: "If we do not pay attention to the health of all creation, the other issues will not be important."

Well at least this is something she knows something about.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/31/eachurch131.xml

New Commission proposed to save the Communion

Further developments on the Faith and Order Commission -

"Together with plans for a Faith and Order Commission, a Pastoral Forum, a safe-space for parishes under overseas oversight until they can be reunited with provincial bodies, the Windsor Continuation Group drip-fed their recommendations into the Conference with a series of three special hearings. Yet American and Canadian Bishops told a hearing this week that dioceses were openly authorizing and allowing same sex blessings and did not intend to stop. Of the African Primates who have crossed borders into the United States to consecrate American missionary bishops, none of them are in attendance at the Lambeth Conference to respond in person to the call for a moratorium on their actions."

http://www.religiousintelligence.com/news/?NewsID=2407

Laugh Break

Dave Walker again
http://www.cartoonchurch.com/blog/

Church must take the lead on environment, says Bishop

Rev. George Browning of Canberra speaking about the Church's responsibility to the environment.

“The church has only itself to blame for giving the impression that it is in the business of saving souls only,” Bishop Browning said. The environment is “what we are about,” he told reporters on July 26.

My under-graduate degree is in environmental science and I'm hoping he was either misquoted or misspoke because I thought the Church was about Jesus.

http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=2400

John Howe's Lambeth Diary (very important quote)

The Bishop of Central Florida reports from yesterday. What is significant is this -

"We plan to remind our fellow Bishops of what the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote to me last October: "I would repeat what I've said several times before -- that any diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in TEC. The organ of union with the wider Church is the bishop and the diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such.... "
In other words The Archbishop of Canterbury is prepared to recognize dioceses on a case by case basis as being a part of the communion even if the province won't sign on to the covenant.

http://centralflorida.anglican.org/news/news08/lambeth0730.htm

Lambeth Voices: a panel of Anglican bishops share their views

A smattering of comments from Lambeth. This one from Ian Ernest, Archbishop of the Indian Ocean, Bishop of Mauritius - (Looks like a nice place)

“I’ve been part of the design group amid the prevailing tensions and we thought this process would focus on togetherness to share in prayer and to address issues together. We have to do this in a spirit of frankness, humility and would love the Communion to express its faithfulness to the Word of God, because it has the capacity to be comphrehensive, but there are limits to our actions and to our decision or else they threaten the bonds of unity that hold us together. The Covenant is a base for mutual respect and to how our freedom is limited by the freedom of the other. If we are all eager to be humble in this process, communion will grow for Jesus Christ himself is love for the salvation of all people.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4425309.ece

Vatican official: Anglican Communion must stay true to Scriptures

A Catholic News Servcie Story about Cardinal Walter Kasper's address to to Lambeth.

"Offering "Roman Catholic Reflections on the Anglican Communion," the cardinal told the bishops he spoke "as a friend" representing a church committed to dialogue with Anglicans and praying that the Anglican Communion does not split as a result of differences over ordaining women and over homosexuality.

The ordination of women bishops, the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of an openly gay bishop in some Anglican provinces are seen as practices that will make Roman Catholic-Anglican unity impossible, in addition to straining relations among Anglicans."

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803911.htm

Apparently everyone is behaving, well, badly.

From the "Did I say that Out Loud" Department. The Suffragan Bishop of New York goes way out -

"The Rt. Rev Catherine Roskam (pictured), Suffragan Bishop of New York, said domestic violence is deemed acceptable in some parts of the world and that "even the most devout Christians" are guilty of it."

In the article in the Lambeth Witness, a newsletter produced daily during the meeting by the gay campaign group Inclusive Church Network, Bishop Roskam said: "We have 700 men here.
"Do you think any of them beat their wives? Chances are they do. The most devout Christians beat their wives."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/2474383/Woman-bishop-claims-church-leaders-from-ethnic-minorities-beat-their-wives.html

This is the commentary with Bishop Beckwith's comments.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/07/30/do3010.xml

Another Conservative Bishop gets the Consents and is Consecrated (Thought that wasn't supposed to happen again)

In spite of the continued assertion, by those who wish to realign, that a conservative Bishop will never get consents from Standing Committees and Bishops in the future, Paul Lambert did. This is an article from the Diocese of Dallas anticipating the consecration which took place on July 12. Paul is currently at Lambeth.

http://www.episcopal-dallas.org/news_bishop_suffragan.html

Presbyterian Property Dispute in Western PA

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article on the property dispute between a local congregation and the Washington PA Presbytery.

"In ongoing property litigation over Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church, Washington Presbytery has filed a countersuit against the Rev. L. Rus Howard and a church treasurer, demanding return of all church property and rent for use of the buildings.

The dispute involves two congregations that each claim to be Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church.

The larger group has occupied the property since a 207-26 vote in November to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the more theologically conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08212/900461-85.stm

The Economist on Lambeth and Africa

Another look at Anglicnaism in Africa and its effects on the coomunion.

"It is true that Africa’s Christianity, even among august denominations like the Anglicans, is more passionate than it is farther north. Apart from the contest with Islam, this also reflects the need to offer as intense an experience as do the Pentecostalists. On the other hand, many African Anglicans love the idea of an episcopate that goes back to the dawn of the Christian era, something the Pentecostalists can’t provide. In Kenya, Anglicanism offers social cachet; and in Rwanda, Anglicanism attracts those who prefer the Anglophone Commonwealth to the Francophone past."

http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11791572

Rowan's second address

Rowan takes his brothers and sisters to task over the recent unpleasantness in the church.

"What we seek to do in our context is to bring Jesus alive in the minds and hearts of the people of our culture. Trying to speak the language of the culture and relate honestly to where people really are doesn’t have to be a betrayal of Scripture and tradition. We know we’re pushing the boundaries — but don’t some Christians always have to do that? Doesn’t the Bible itself suggest that?"

The Text can be found here-

http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2008/07/lambeth-diar-10.html

Form the Guardian -

"What was seen as "confused or reckless innovation" in some provinces was felt by others to be a "body blow" to the integrity of church mission, he said. "The reaction to this is in turn felt as an annihilating judgment on a whole local church, undermining its integrity and pouring scorn on its witness. We need to speak life to each other and that means change.""

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/30/anglicanism.religion

From the London Times -

"Dr Williams accused the bishops of too often “pouring scorn” on the witness of the Church, undermining its legitimacy as a result. He advocated the adoption of a covenant of belief to prevent disintegration, and called for bishops to be more generous to each other in the struggle to maintain unity of the 80-million strong Anglican Communion."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4425899.ece