The Church of England Newspaper reports reactions to the House of Bishops’ Statement

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/index.php/2007/09/28/the-church-of-england-newspaper-reports-reactions-to-the-house-of-bishops-statement/

[Anglican Mainstream] 28 Sep 2007-- The House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church took many observers by surprise, but it still provoked mixed reactions from across the Church. While the compromise eight-point statement was being heralded by many as just enough to avert schism, at least in the immediate term, it was derided by both liberals and conservatives.The Rt Rev Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh, said that the final statement from the House of Bishops was more about manoeuvre than movement. “The American church is moving in one direction. The Western church is moving in one direction. The classic church stands where it has always stood,” he said.

The Rev Canon Chris Sugden, of the Anglican Mainstream group, said orthodox bishops, dioceses and clergy in the USA had appealed constantly to the Archbishop of Canterbury to help them, yet had received no help. He said: “The Archbishop of Canterbury’s own position is ambiguous with the news that he will be leading a communion service in London for those living in direct flouting of his own House of Bishops guidelines. The liberal leadership sees compromise as a permanent state of affairs. But compromise is not an end but an activity towards an end. The members of the church in the orthodox networks want to get on with the mission of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God based squarely on the authority of the Bible. They do not find space for or leadership given to this from the current liberal hegemony that runs the instruments of communion of the Anglican Communion.”

Rod Thomas of the conservative Reform group, said the Church needed stronger leadership from the Archbishop of Canterbury. He said: “I think he genuinely tried to avoid it [schism], and nobody doubts his graciousness and desire to see people in conversation with one another. But what we needed was leadership and not conversation.”