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Day Eight (Tuesday June 20, 2006)
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by the Rev. Donna Ross, ECR Communications
Coordinator
Today, June 20, the House of Deputies approved
two resolutions dealing with the response of the
Episcopal Church to the
Windsor Report.
First, the House of Deputies concurred with a
resolution (A166) already passed by the House of
Bishops. Through this vote, the Episcopal Church
has agreed to join a process aimed toward defining
a Covenant between all provinces of the Anglican
Communion.
Next, deputies agreed with the Bishops’ wording of
a second resolution (A159), which affirms the
Episcopal Church’s commitment to interdependence
in the Anglican Communion. This resolution
reaffirms "the abiding commitment of the Episcopal
Church to the fellowship of churches that
constitute the Anglican Communion and to seek to
live into the highest degree of communication
possible."
The language in resolution A166, which survived an
attempt to change the word “covenant” to
“conversation,” says the measure is “a
demonstration of our commitment to mutual
responsibility and interdependence in the Anglican
Communion.” This resolution directs the Executive
Council's international concerns committee and the
Episcopal Church's representatives on the Anglican
Consultative Council to follow the process of the
Communion for developing an Anglican Covenant and
making regular reports to Executive Council.
Tomorrow, June 21, is the last day of this 75th
General Convention. A great deal of legislation
still waits to be reviewed, and since General
Convention meets every three years, measures not
addressed today will have to wait for the 76th
Convention in 2009.
Tomorrow’s first “order of business,” however, is
the final Convention Eucharist, in which departing
Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold will preside and
Presiding Bishop Elect Katharine Jefferts Schori
will preach. Your deputies, alternates, ECW
delegates, volunteers and visitors look forward to
this final Eucharist with joy and anticipation.
Following the Eucharist, the House of Bishops will
join the House of Deputies for an unusual joint
session, dedicated to discussion of a final
measure responding to the Windsor Report. That
measure (A 161) failed today in the House of
Deputies by a 2-1 vote. A161 would have urged
dioceses to refrain from electing bishops in
same-sex unions, and to cease from authorizing the
blessing of same-sex unions; it also asked bishops
who had authorized rites of blessing to apologize
to the rest of the Anglican Communion.
Following that joint discussion, if there is any
time remaining, deputies and bishops will
separately address resolutions dealing with issues
of peace and justice, and other ongoing work of
the church. If time remains at the end of the day,
each House will have the opportunity to concur
with the work of the other House.
On the last day of Convention, your deputies from
El Camino Real once again ask for your prayers:
for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for the
energy to address the problems of our church and
our world, and for the stamina to see this
Convention through to the end. |
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