Some Thoughts on the Conference by Neff Powell

Tuesday morning we had a deeply moving joint meeting of bishops and spouses on the issue of the abuse of power, using the story of the Rape of Tamar, II Samuel 13:1-22, as our Bible study and focus our our conversations.  The men (bishops and spouses) were seated on one side of the room, women (bishops and spouses) sat on the other side of the room.  When one of the spouses objected to this arrangement, the leader explained that there are spouses at the Lambeth Conference who do not feel physically safe to speak in front their spouses.  That statement served to point out that abuse is not limited to "those other people." 

The archbishop delivered a second Presidential Address Tuesday after Evening Prayer.  It seems to me that the archbishop came to Lambeth with the idea of the Covenant firmly in mind and he has not wavered.  Listening to his address last night left me frustrated and depressed.  I woke up profoundly annoyed.  Speaking with several other bishops, two lay persons outside of the House of Bishops, and getting some time reflect and pray has calmed me.  The Bible study group on Wednesday was a tonic,  and the Indaba Group a good place for several of us to raise some of our concerns.  I met with the Secretary of the Anglican Communion to share my concerns about the archbishop's leadership.  I felt that my concerns were heard and may make some difference.  One point he made is that he felt that the American bishops loyal to the Episcopal Church have been sparing in their feedback to the Archbishop and the Anglican Communion leadership.

In fairness to the Archbishop, I am sure he is doing the best he knows how to do.

I continue to reflect, digest, pray, and consult on what is happening. Except for the Covenant and Windsor Continuation process and that kind of activity, the heart of the Lambeth Conference is profoundly life-giving.  For example, Tuesday the Province of Myanmar (Burma) led Evening Prayer.  During that service they showed a video of the life of the diocese and the effects of the cyclone that brought us to tears. 

I do remain utterly convinced that God is in charge of all creation and will win out in the end.  In the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia we do have the full range of opinions regarding the matter at hand, yet we remain committed to mission and ministry together both inside our borders and throughout the world, with particular emphasis on Sudan where we have had a thirty-year relationship. 

While Dorothy was on an outing with the spouses, she visited the Charles Dickens' museum where Kay Jones (Diocese of Virginia) and she saw a copy of Charles Dickens' Last Will and Testament.  These thoughtful words of Dickens are always appropriate as we go forth in life and mission:   

"I commit my soul to the mercy of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and I exhort my dear children humbly to try and guide themselves by the teaching of the New Testament in its broad spirit, and to put no faith in any man's narrow construction of its letter here or there. Signed this 12th day of May, 1869."

Hold us in your prayers as you are in mind. Grace and Peace from Canterbury and the Lambeth Conference,

Neff