Truly, your editor appreciates the difficulties of the scribe's vocation, having practiced it for pay since the age of...well, let's just say the age of accountability. One of those hardships is that of mandatory remote viewing, wherein a reporter must discern from afar not only the actions but the intentions of a group of diverse and complex individuals (e.g. Episcopalians) because budgets and the rising cost of travel will not permit them to attend every meeting in person.
The Episcopal Church's Office of Communication tries valiantly to relieve some of this stress by providing telephone access to news conferences...subject, of course, to the many vicissitudes of technology, which may or may not oblige us ("Can you hear me now?"). So it was yesterday in Parsippany...and thus we have some interesting results:
Episcopal council rejects key demand from overseas Anglicans, risking split from fellowship
By Rachel Zoll
ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 14, 2007
NEW YORK – A key Episcopal panel defied conservatives Thursday, saying that Episcopal leaders should not cede authority to overseas Anglicans who want the church to halt its march toward full acceptance of gays.
It’s all here …
Anglican Demand for Change Is Rebuffed by Episcopalians
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: June 15, 2007
The executive council of the Episcopal Church announced yesterday that it would not comply with demands from leaders of the global Anglican Communion to retract the church’s liberal position on homosexuality and create alternative supervision for disaffected conservative Episcopalians.
It’s all here …
Anglicans' demand on gays is rebuffed
Top Episcopal officials instead say they'll take up the issue at their General Convention -- in 2009.
By K. Connie Kang
Los Angeles Times
June 15, 2007
A top Episcopal Church panel on Thursday turned down demands from overseas Anglican leaders to stop consecrating openly gay bishops and blessing same-sex unions.
It’s all here …
Overall, just a little more sturm und drang than strictly warranted by the facts. Now compare and contrast the version written by a reporter who was actually on site for the whole shebang.
Executive Council declines to participate in Primates' 'pastoral scheme,' says only Convention makes policy
Members 'respectfully ask' Presiding Bishop to decline as well
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
June 14, 2007
[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church's Executive Council told the Anglican Communion June 14 that no governing body other than General Convention can interpret Convention resolutions or agree to deny "future decisions by dioceses or General Convention."
The Council declined to participate in a plan put forward by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in February for dealing with some disaffected Episcopal Church dioceses.
The statement, titled "The Episcopal Church's Commitment to Common Life in Anglican Communion," "strongly affirm[ed] this Church's desire to be in the fullest possible relationship with our Anglican sisters and brothers."
And that's all here. No defiance, no marching, no rebuffing or splitting or refusal to comply. Just a simple reminder to all concerned, please, that we do things differently here on Turtle Island...
I rejoice in the strong voice of our Executive Committee. It settles the dust raised up by strident voices in the Global South and the conservatives here at home. It sounds as though Provinces like Nigeria and Kenya have already made up their minds and are unwilling to sit at the table.
I have always felt that the Episcopal Church is more of experiment than anything else, an experiment of the Kingdom of God, for she is willing to move into places band by those who are fearful. I love the Anglican Communion, and our place in it, but I will easily let go of it if it means that we could no longer minister to those who need to feel welcomed.
Posted by: Wm. Thomas Martin | June 15, 2007 at 04:21 PM