This letter to all clergy was sent by email today.
Dear Friends,
On my way to the House of Bishop’s meeting I spent two days in the Philadelphia airport, one of tens of thousands affected by the ice storm that grounded US Airways flights on the East Coast. I was grateful that Bishop Wayne Wright of Delaware was also there, as we waited on various lines for over seven hours to re-book the flight. We finally made it to Dallas, TX, rented a car and drove four hours to Camp Allen.
Our efforts were repaid by the tenor and seriousness of the deliberations at our meeting.
One of the requests from the Primates’ Communiqué was the appointment of a Primatial Vicar and Pastoral Council. The Presiding Bishop stated previous to the meeting in Dar es Salaam, her willingness to do this in charitable response to the needs of those dioceses who could not, for reasons of conscious, accept her oversight. However, the Communiqué called for the selection of the Primatial Vicar to be made by the Windsor Bishops, and to be accountable to a Pastoral Council, and of which two members would be selected by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As a House, we found this to be unacceptable. The Episcopal Church, by virtue of our constitution and canons, elects and selects its leaders. I would wholeheartedly support the Presiding Bishop’s selection of a Primatial Vicar (or whatever title is appropriate), in consultation with those dioceses who have requested same. In addition, I uphold the concept of accountability. For the integrity of our church, I believe that this should occur internally, with the Primatial Vicar serving at the pleasure of the Presiding Bishop. While the vote of the House was not unanimous, responses crossed "party" lines.
Two additional requests from the Primates' Communiqué were not addressed during this session: a moratorium on consents for bishops-elect who live in a same sex partnered relationship; and to refrain from authorizing same-sex liturgies, blessings, etc. The bishops will receive papers for reading this summer in preparation for our September meeting, at which time we will clarify our position.
Presiding Bishop Katharine held a steady hand on the wheel of the House. She spoke with great clarity, and her answers to questions revealed a deep understanding of the issues and challenges we face.
It is clear that different positions held by our bishops are not easily identified by, "right," "left," "liberal," "conservative" labels. Blogs and websites do not reveal subtle overtones, private conversations, and complex reasons why people vote as they do.
Bishops who support the Windsor Report gathered for a brief session, and plan to meet in August. Again, these bishops hold different opinions on the work before us, but all believe that the Windsor Report remains the best document available to move forward as a Communion.
Our gathering included most of the bishops from Mexico, and those mentioned in our official letter. They reminded us of the cultural challenges of the present age, and the breadth of diversity within the Americas. When the question is, "What do you think?" the answer is relatively easy. When the question is "What do we think," the answer is more complex. When the question is, "What do you think others think," it's best not to answer at all!
The final dinner was marked with much laughter and thanksgiving, regardless of which side you buttered your bread. The women bishops gave me another veiled miter, and Bishop Barbara Harris and I walked down the aisle of the dining room arm and arm, with the other women following. Bishop Harris kept waving her hand announcing, "mother-of-the-bride, mother-of-the-bride."
There are many documents that were used at the House of Bishops meeting, all of which are available to you on the internet or by e-mail through Ty. An additional paper regarding church property issues will be available in the next few days.
Just a remember that on Thursday, March 29th, at 11 AM, the ordained members of our diocese will renew their ordination vows, to which all the baptized are invited to attend. If you plan to stay for lunch, please contact the office.
What a glorious witness we can make to the world, in all its strife and hunger, if we find a way to remain together across such profound cultural and theological differences. Please keep our Church and Communion in your prayers, as it is only by the grace of God that we will find the Divine Wisdom to move through the opportunities that Christ has placed before us.
Faithfully,
+Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of Rhode Island
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