Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is in Tanzania facing orthodox [read:faithful] bishops of the Anglican Communion. Things seem to be rather heated from the reports available, but in a show of good news, there is apparently some agreement on oversight of the Episcopal Church and its endorsement of homosexuality. We’ll see.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has said that the creation of a pastoral council to provide oversight to dissenting churches and congregations in the U.S. is “an interim solution that will certainly fall very far short of resolving all the disputes that are before us” but was nonetheless one that would “provide a way of moving forward with integrity.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked Episcopalians to “be of good faith” following the ultimatum issued by Anglican leaders for the American church to state unequivocally by Sept. 30 that it would bar same-sex blessings and stop ordaining gay bishops.
A communiqué released by primates of the Anglican Communion at the end of their meeting Feb. 15-19 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania warned of consequences if the demand is not met but did not spell them out.
At a press conference held shortly after the release of the communiqué, Archbishop Williams indicated that the consequence would not be downright expulsion from the Communion. He said that if the U.S. church cannot “in good conscience” comply with the demand “that has to affect some of the consideration we would want to give about the organs of the Communion.”
Asked whether this included withholding invitations to the Lambeth Conference, he replied, “Among other things, that’ll have to be under consideration. I don’t pre-empt a decision but that’ll have to be discussed.” (The next Lambeth Conference, the decennial meeting of the world’s Anglican bishops, will be held in Canterbury, England, from July 16 to Aug.4, 2008.)
In a recent USA Today interview, Shori makes it clear that she sees two “forms” of Christianity.
She [Shori] sees two strands of faith: One is “most concerned with atonement, that Jesus died for our sins and our most important task is to repent.” But the other is “the more gracious strand,” says the bishop who dresses like a sunrise.
I would conclude that Shori sees the US Episcopal Church as the “gracious” stand and will move from the “atonement” Anglican strand.
