Monday, July 13, 2009

D025 passes HoD; what will the Bishops do?

So, the people of the church think that it's time to recognize the potential of GLBT members at all levels. What will the Bishops do?

James calls it the Gunfight at the GC corral.

One of the San Diego deputies reports the Fat is in the Fire:
But all hell is breaking loose with the conservatives: the General Synod of the Church of England (CofE) which is also in session, has received a motion to change its recognition from the Episcopal Church to the new break away Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), I understand that it cannot be acted on at this meeting of the Synod, but must wait until the next, whenever that is.

Fortunately Madpriest tells us that "6 bishops and 121 members out of 467 members is no where near enough to carry such a wrong-headed motion."

The SD delegate goes on:
The Archbishop of Canterbury, of the CofE, has publicly regretted the action of the U.S. House of Deputies in adopting DO25 and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has responded to the Archbishop by warning the CofE not to stir up schism, declaring it a non-Christian act.

In the meantime, it continues to be the popular belief that the U.S. House of Bishops will kill DO25. Even Bishop John Chane, liberal and pro-gay, has been quoted as saying that DO25 is not helpful and doubts it will pass the House of Bishops. In my humble opinion, such an act by the bishops would be a PR disaster for them and if not resulting in a public booing, a virtual booing just the same. They will lose great influence with the people. It will change everything.
What about the liberal arms of the Cof E, and the liberal churches who agree with this? Where are their voices? I'm pretty sure there are a lot of them on the inclusive side..... funny how the conservatives gt all the press.

4 comments:

Kurt said...

Well, if the bishops mess this up, I can see a BIG backlash against them. Just how it will manifest itself down the road is not yet clear. Maybe an effort by laypeople, deacons and priests to consolidate and merge the HON into one grand Church Assembly.

Kurt in Brooklyn

Kurt said...

HOB--House of Bishops, I mean.

Mike in Texas said...

The bishops passed it by the same 2:1 margin as the HOD.

I am shocked!

They added a small amendment, so it has to go back to the HOD, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Here's the amendment: 'Resolved that this 76th General Convention affirm that God has called and may call such individuals to any ordained ministry within TEC and that God's call to the ministry is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church.'

MadPriest said...

Well, our media is either right wing (The Telegraph and The Times for example or secular and anti-clerical (The Guardian and the BBC for example).

As I said on my blog yesterday. You have to look at the voting patterns of our general synod to get a true picture of the mind of the Church of England.

We are not going to start marrying gay people in church tomorrow but, in my opinion, we are also not going to back Rowan when he moves to exclude TEC from the AC.