A Common Goal?

Many American bishops have devoted a great deal of time and money to trying to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to end various forms of world poverty and oppression. This emphasis seems now to be shared by the Anglican bishops meeting at the Lambeth Conference who marched en masse through London last week in a "walk of witness"
against global poverty.

In a press conference before the Lambeth meetings began, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori indicated that she thought Anglican unity could be found in such "issues of life and death;" sexuality debates in comparison were much less important.

It will be interesting to see if Bishop Jefferts Schori's prediction will be proven true. The MDG's already seem somewhat dated and, in any case, it is hard to believe that we won't always have the poor with us. On the other hand, the Presiding Bishop has a point in considering these issues more central to the Gospel message. --J. Douglas Ousley

What's Happening at Lambeth?

Everyone is asking me what is going on at the Lambeth Conference.

Like most people stateside, I am relying on various Internet sites and blogs for news. The official Episcopal Church site has a lot of special coverage, including videos of many speeches and comments. For the first time there is a team of "Blogging Bishops" (God help us) and they are contributing to the Lambeth Journal. The Episcopal Diocese of New York is also relaying a blog by our own Suffragan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam.

As for what is happening, my own hope is that there will be some reconciliation or at least an uneasy truth. The likelihood of that happening, given the anger on both sides and the love of some activists for media coverage of their own pronouncements, seems small.

Pray, brothers and sisters, for the Church. --J. Douglas Ousley

Really Looking for Communion?

The Lambeth Conference of (most) Anglican Bishops begins in a few days and as usual, there will be calls from all factions for unity and dialog.
My own suspicion is that most progressives and traditionalists are wholly unwilling to compromise and therefore conversation will be pointless and unity elusive. Progressives will call for everyone to speak at the same table--but with the implied agenda that if conservatives will only listen, they will change their minds and agree with the liberals. Traditionalists will fear this gambit and in addition will fear that giving up on any of their issues will lead to the collapse of the church.
This divisiveness is hardly new but it seems to me to be more rigid than ever. May God have mercy upon us. --J. Douglas Ousley