Andrew Gerns has written up a piece in which he thinks through some of the implications of the most recent resolutions from the House of Bishop’s meeting in Camp Allen. He takes some time to unpack the reactions of Bishop Howe (which were reported in a letter Bishop Howe wrote to his diocese):
“It is good to hear that Bishop Howe came away feeling that the group was not being steered or manipulated into pre-planned conclusions. ++Katharine seems to be at home allowing process to unfold and yet does this in a way so that it does not run amok. She is by all accounts a real leader in the best sense. Allowing the House to work through issues will go a long way towards building trust and confidence in one another. If people who disagree can trust that the process has a fundamental integrity, then trust increases and lines of communication remain open. When that happens, the need for outside intervention decreases because the parties become more competent and comfortable working out their differences.
From the perspective of the Network and the AAC this is bad news. Their success depends on the relationships in the House of Bishops (and in the Church at large) to be as contentious, opaque and untrustworthy as possible. Their case, that they are the true carriers of Anglicanism, is strengthened when the Episcopal Church is dysfunctional and co-dependent. The clearer and the healthier we are, the less traction these groups have. These organizations are build in response to despair and anger; they cannot live on hope.
The lesson here is clear: The Church will not prevail in our mission of drawing the whole world to God in Christ by being cleverer by half. We will prevail as we focus on mission, become better differentiated, and call those who would distract us to account for their actions.”
Andrew’s final point is well taken. Even though the conversation between the various parties on the Communion has, up to this point, often had a smoke-filled back-room sort of feel with deals being cut beforehand, the time for that has come to an end. Let’s speak honestly and humbly to each other.
Read the rest here: Reorienting the Conversation Towards Hope
(Via andrew plus.)
