Clarification, Not Expulsion

From the Living Church:

...Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will offer a revamped primatial vicar plan to the House of Bishops at their meeting next week in New Orleans, sources who have been briefed on the broad outline of the new proposal told The Living Church...

Bishop Iker has insisted that any plan that gives final authority to the Presiding Bishop is not an option. Other conservative bishops, including the so-called "Windsor bishops," might be interested in such a plan, but apparently they are allowing Bp. Iker to speak for them. They are aware, I hope, that Bp. Iker's position is based on misogyny? If they disagree with Fort Worth, they had better speak up.

Any plan that gives veto power to a bishop, or a counsel made up of bishops, from outside TEC, is simply not an option. The House of Bishops have, appropriately, already made that clear.

Beyond that, I hope that our bishops are aware that nothing they might offer Bps. Iker, Duncan, Schofield and Ackerman will be good enough. They don't want to be reconciled. They are determined to leave. Making an offer in good faith is probably the right thing to do, but since these bishops will have left the meeting by that time, I wouldn't spend too much energy on such a proposal.

Then there is this interesting piece from the LC article:

...a senior advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury told The Living Church it was a serious misreading of the primates’ communiqué to say that an ultimatum had been given to the House of Bishops to take certain actions by Sept. 30 or face expulsion from the Anglican Communion. The communiqué had asked for certain clarifications from the House of Bishops, he said, but did not envision a breaching of The Episcopal Church’s constitution.

And giving final authority to anyone outside TEC would indeed be to breach the constitution.

Good to know that what will follow September 30 will be October 1, and not much else. Such knowledge will hopefully free our bishops to not be pressured by threats, but instead join together for a time of prayer and fellowship, as they reason together regarding what God is calling them to do.

J.