Recent goings on

A few notes.

The House of Bishops has approved (yesterday) interim Eucharistic sharing with the United Methodist Church. They have also approved the use of the Revised Common Lectionary (which would replace the current prayer book lectionary). Both measures move to the House of Deputies now. As I write this, the deputies are debating the lectionary measure.

The House of Deputies has approved on of the Windsor Report response resolutions, A159. It's a kind of motherhood-and-apple-pie resolution that says we like the Anglican Communion and we want to converse with them. That resolution goes to the bishops now. Other WR resolutions are still pending in the special committee. Depending on which rumor you believe, the committee is either wordsmithing at this point, or they are stalled in complete disagreement. We'll see in a few days.

The bishops heard a guest speaker this morning.

From this morning's media briefing: (Text here is from the Episcopal Church's communications office)

Today the House of Deputies is expected to elect the next vice president of the Deputies. The pre-filed nominees are the Rev. Gay Jennings, Diocese of Ohio; the Rev. Brian Prior, Diocese of Spokane and the Rev. Robert Sessum, Diocese of Lexington. Since Bonnie Anderson, the newly elected president of the House of Deputies, a lay deputy, church canons call for the vice president to be a clergy person.

Brief Wisdom:
"Theologically, the sacrament of ordination is of indelible character - once a bishop, always a bishop." Bishop Ed Little, Northern Indiana, responding to a question from Virtue Online regarding the question of repudiating or reversing the consecration of Bishop Robinson of New Hampshire.

Today's briefing panel included the Rev'd Tobias Haller, Diocese of New York; Sarah Knoll-Williams, Diocese of Kansas; Bishop Edward Little, Diocese of Northern Indiana and Bishop Rob O'Neill, Diocese of Colorado

During the morning legislative committee hearings June 16. . .

Canons
The committee may refer a proposed revision on the church's Title IV disciplinary canons to an interim body for further work. After working for several days to attempt to rewrite resolution A159, committee vice chair Stephen Hutchinson of the Diocese of Utah said they have run out of time. "There's not a capacity to put it together and have it credible and workable," he said. The committee will consider a referral resolution at a hearing June 17 at 7:30 a.m. in the Union D room of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Consecration
Deputy members of the Joint Legislative Committee on Consecration of Bishops on June 16 voted to recommend that the General Convention consent to the ordination and consecration of the Rev. Barry Beisner as bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Northern California. However, a minority report will be attached to that recommendation when it is filed with the House of Deputies Secretariat, either late in the day June 16 or during the morning of June 17. Bishop members of the committee did not make a recommendation on Beisner's election. The Bishops members did, however, make recommendations on the other five bishop elections the committee has considered. The House of Deputies consented to those five nominees on June 15.

National and International Concerns
The committee heard testimony on resolution B013, regarding ending genocide in Uganda (B013). Bishop Macleord Baker Ochola, II, retired bishop, Diocese of Kitgum, Uganda, spoke about the "unliveable, unspeakable situation" in Northern Uganda. The Rev. Emmanual Sswerwadda of the Church Center's Africa Partnership Office urged the committee to "move cautiously to understand the issues on the ground," noting that peoples other than the Acholi of Northern Uganda, who are specifically identified in the resolution, have been affected by the violence in the region. The committee also heard testimony on A016: "U.S. Policy Toward Cuba." A number of people spoke passionately about the affects of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, including Bishop Leo Frade of Southeast Florida. Testimony was given on resolutions B014 and D020, which both deal with the war in Iraq. Resolution D016, which addresses a pre-emptive military strike against Iran, was also addressed.

Social and Urban Affairs
The committee has condensed five resolutions focused on slavery and reparations to three: A123 focusing on slavery and reconciliation and studying the "complicity" of the church in the Institution of slavery and how "recompense" can be made; C011 proposing a task force of the Executive Council to study, document and report on the enslavement of Africans and their descendants; and A127 which would endorse of the concept of restorative justice as a "fresh means" of achieving "wholeness" in the church.

Special Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Resolution A165 on the Listening Process was discussed and refined by the communion at a June 16 morning meeting. The clarity and conciseness of language was given particular attention and the committee discussed ways to incorporate some direct language from the Windsor Report and other official documents. The committee will next meet in Union B/C in the Hyatt Regency immediately following today's afternoon legislative sessions.

A hearing on the remaining resolutions is set for 7:30 a.m. June 17. They
include: A168: "Human Rights for "Homosexual Persons," A169: "Amend Canon
III.1: Quadrilateral and Exercise of Ministry," and D017: "Marriage Rite in Book of Common Prayer for Same-Sex Couples."