Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The Episcopal Church's Second Strike

http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/379983446.html

[Christian News Wire] 20 June 2007--The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church met from June 11–14 in Parsippany, NJ. It agreed with the House of Bishops' recommendation to reject the Anglican Communion primates' (i.e., leader of Anglican provinces) proposed pastoral scheme that partially aimed to meet the needs of orthodox Anglicans within the Episcopal Church. It did not recommend that, as requested by the primates, the House of Bishops provide assurances by September 30 that the bishops will cease authorizing same-sex blessings and refuse to consent to future consecrations of openly gay bishops living in same-sex relationships. The council instead passed a resolution with a paragraph asserting that decision making concerning the primates' requests rests with the church's General Convention, which does not meet again until the summer of 2009.

IRD Director of Anglican Action Ralph Webb released the following:

"This was strike two for the Episcopal Church's leadership. Last March, the bishops tragically recommended that the Executive Council reject the primates' pastoral scheme. Now the Executive Council has gone even further, suggesting in its statement concerning its 'commitment to common life in the Anglican Communion' that the primates had no authority to either set a September 30 deadline or make any 'demands' of the Episcopal Church.

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