The proverbial "poop" just keeps piling up around these guys!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Clavier+" <anglican@...>
To: <faithandlife@...>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 8:49 AM
Subject: [FaithandLife] Fw: ACNS3805 Caring for all the Churches


> Here is the pitiful response of the Ecusa HoB to the current situation:
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@...>
> To: <anglican@...>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 8:19 AM
> Subject: ACNS3805 Caring for all the Churches
>
>
> > ACNS 3805     |     USA     |     24 MARCH 2004
> >
> > Caring for all the Churches
> >
> > A response of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church
> > to an expressed need of the Church
> >
> > The church is the Body of Christ. Our life in this Body is a continuing
> action of God's grace among us, by whose power alone we are "joined
> together" in Christ and grow "into a holy temple in the Lord" (Eph. 2:21).
> Through the church's common life in Christ, God intends to signify to the
> world the beginning of a new and reconciled creation.
> >
> > We know the unity with God that Christ has won for humanity, he won
> through the victory of his passion. We are mindful of the suffering of
Jesus
> who, on the Cross and through his resurrection, reaches into every corner
of
> alienated human life, reconciling and restoring to the household of God
all
> who come to him in faith. By God's grace the church is continually called,
> in repentance and hope, to be a trustworthy sign to the world of this
costly
> reconciling power of God. We understand that, in obedience to Christ and
> putting our whole trust in him, we may share in his unity with the Father
> through the Holy Spirit. Communion in the Trinity is the salvation of the
> world. The church, thus, exists for the sake of the world. Therefore, for
> the sake of the world, we have been called "to serve before God day and
> night in the ministry of reconciliation", (BCP, p.521) which is to be
> carried out "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one
> another in love, making ever!
> > y effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
(Eph.
> 4:2-3)
> >
> > We as bishops are not of a common mind about issues concerning human
> sexuality. Different points of view on these matters also exist within our
> dioceses and congregations. In some instances there are significant
> differences between congregation(s) and the bishop and few of our
> congregations are themselves of one mind. As we exercise pastoral
leadership
> in our dioceses, we pledge ourselves to work always towards the fullest
> relationship, seeking, as the Archbishop of Canterbury has said, "the
> highest degree of communion." We are grateful for his leadership and share
> the pastoral concerns expressed by the Primates of the Anglican Communion
in
> their statement of October 2003, "for those who in all conscience feel
bound
> to dissent from the teaching and practice of their province in such
> matters." We have committed ourselves to living through this time of
> disagreement in love and charity and with sensitivity to the pastoral
needs
> of all members of our church.
> >
> > In the circumstance of disagreement regarding the actions of the 74th
> General Convention on issues of human sexuality, we commit ourselves to
> providing and to making provision for pastoral care for dissenting
> congregations, and we recognize that there may be a need for a bishop to
> delegate some pastoral oversight. Oversight means the Episcopal acts
> performed as part of a diocesan bishop's ministry either by the diocesan
> bishop or by another bishop to whom such responsibility has been delegated
> by the diocesan bishop. In other Anglican Provinces, the term "pastoral
> oversight" signifies what we mean by "pastoral care." In our Episcopal
> Church polity, "oversight" does not confer "jurisdiction." We are aware of
> current examples of the delegation of pastoral oversight in the gracious
> accommodations which have occurred in some dioceses.
> >
> > As we together commit to a process for Delegated Episcopal Pastoral
> Oversight, we also recognize the constitutional and canonical authority of
> bishops and the integrity of diocesan boundaries. We are in accord with
the
> statement of the primates: "Whilst we affirm the teaching of successive
> Lambeth Conferences that bishops must respect the autonomy and territorial
> integrity of dioceses and provinces other than their own, we call on the
> provinces concerned to make adequate provision for Episcopal oversight of
> dissenting minorities within their own area of pastoral care in
consultation
> with the Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of the Primates."
> >
> > Sensitive pastoral care does not presuppose like-mindedness. Bishops and
> congregations have frequently disagreed about particular articulations and
> interpretations of scripture and the Creeds while being able to transcend
> their differences through common prayer and celebration of the sacraments
of
> the new covenant. The notion that the bishop's views must be in accord
with
> those of a particular rector or congregation for the bishop to be received
> as chief pastor opens the way to undermining the bishop's pastoral
ministry,
> which must embrace all and "support all baptized people in their gifts and
> ministries." Our theology and practice hold that ordination and
consecration
> provide the gifts and grace necessary for the sacramental acts of a bishop
> to be effectual. (See article XXVI of the Articles of Religion: Of the
> Unworthiness of the Ministers, which hinders not the effect of the
> Sacraments.)
> >
> > As bishops we share a ministry of episcopé as stewards of the mystery of
> faith that none of us possesses alone. We believe it is our particular
> charge to nourish, guard and represent in the church this "unity of the
> Spirit in the bond of peace." We understand this to be for the sake of the
> world and in fidelity to our Lord who gave his life to restore all to
unity
> with God. We recognize and repent of our failures of charity towards one
> another in this shared ministry of episcopé, and we pledge ourselves to a
> sacrificial ministry with one another, valuing in each the presence of the
> Crucified and Risen Christ. While our unity may be strained, we continue
to
> strive for godly union and concord. Our task requires humility, charity,
> mutual respect and a willingness to make every effort to maintain the
unity
> of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
> >
> > In March of 2002 the House of Bishops adopted the following covenant:
> >
> > We believe that the present Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal
> Church are sufficient for dealing with questions of Episcopal oversight,
> supplemental Episcopal pastoral care, and disputes that may arise between
> the bishop and a congregation. We encourage that their provisions be used
> wisely and in the spirit of charity.
> >
> > The provision of supplemental Episcopal pastoral care shall be under the
> direction of the bishop of the diocese, who shall invite the visitor and
> remain in pastoral contact with the congregation. This is to be understood
> as a temporary arrangement, the ultimate goal of which is the full
> restoration of the relationship between the congregation and their bishop.
> >
> > Expanding on this previous agreement, and working always towards "the
> highest degree of communion," we offer the following recommendations in
> order to provide Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight. We expect that
the
> first priority in a relationship between a diocesan bishop and
congregation
> is a striving for unity. As such, it is incumbent upon both the bishop and
> the rector/congregation to meet together, with a consultant, if needed, to
> find ways to work together. If for serious cause in the light of our
current
> disagreements on issues of human sexuality, the bishop and
> rector/congregation cannot work together, we propose the following process
> for Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight.
> >
> > 1) In the spirit of openness, the rector and vestry, or the canonically
> designated lay leadership shall meet with the bishop to seek
reconciliation.
> After such a meeting, it is our hope that in most instances a mutually
> agreeable way forward will be found.
> >
> > 2) If reconciliation does not occur, then the rector and two-thirds of
the
> vestry, or in the absence of a rector, two-thirds of the canonically
> designated lay leadership, after fully engaging the congregation, may seek
> from their diocesan bishop, (or the diocesan bishop may suggest) a
> conference regarding the appropriateness and conditions for Delegated
> Episcopal Pastoral Oversight.
> >
> > 3) After such a conference the bishop may appoint another bishop to
> provide pastoral oversight.
> >
> > 4) If no reconciliation is achieved, there may then be an appeal to the
> bishop who is president or vice-president of the ECUSA province in which
the
> congregation is geographically located, for help in seeking a resolution.
> Those making such an appeal must inform the other party of their decision
to
> appeal.
> >
> > 5) When such an appeal has been made, the provincial bishop may request
> two other bishops, representative of the divergent views in this church,
to
> join with the provincial bishop to review the situation, to consider the
> appeal, and to make recommendations to all parties. If an Episcopal
visitor
> is to be invited, that bishop shall be a member in good standing in this
> Church.
> >
> > 6) When an agreement is reached with respect to a plan, it shall be for
> the purpose of reconciliation. The plan shall include expectations of all
> parties, especially mutual accountability. The plan shall be for a stated
> period of time with regular reviews.
> >
> > The provincial bishop shall periodically inform the Presiding Bishop,
the
> Presiding Bishop's Council of Advice, and the House of Bishops at its
> regular meetings of the progress and results of this process.
> >
> > As bishops of this church, we pledge ourselves to pray and work for
> patience and the generosity of spirit that can enable a pastoral
resolution
> as we live with our differences. As well, we will strive for Godly union
and
> concord as together we seek to be led by the Spirit of truth who, as Jesus
> tells us, "will guide us into all the truth." (John 16:13)
> >
> > ______________________
> > The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church
> > 23 March 2004
> >
> > ___________________________________________________________________
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