wfn.org | [ELO] Executive Council calls Episcopal Church to prayer for bishops headed to Lambeth

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

>Episcopal Life Online
>June 15, 2008

Executive Council calls Episcopal Church to prayer for bishops headed to
Lambeth

Members propose five mission priorities to guide next triennium's budget
development

>By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service] The Executive Council, echoing an earlier call  from
the Presiding Bishop, asked the entire church to pray for the Episcopal
Church's bishops as they head to the 2008 Lambeth Conference.

Also during the final session of Council's three-day meeting in  Albuquerque,
New Mexico (in the Diocese of the Rio Grande), members proposed mission
priorities for the 2010-2012 triennium to guide the deliberations of the
General Convention's Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and  Finance
(PB&F) in developing the 2010-2012 budget.

Resolution NAC033 says Executive Council members "rejoice in the fact  that
Lambeth 2008 is designed to equip the bishops for leadership in God's
mission and strengthening the Anglican Communion through discussion and
conversation grounded in the reading and study of Holy Scripture,  invoking
the presence of the Holy Spirit in all that they undertake, and  respecting
the Biblical admonition that we are all one in Christ Jesus (neither Jew  nor
Greek, male nor female, slave nor free)."

The resolution says that "although these structured discussions will not
include the voice and face of the Bishop of New Hampshire, who has not  been
invited to participate, we pray that his voice will be heard through  those
who are there speaking the truth about The Episcopal Church and hearing  the
truths of others, to the benefit of the wider Communion."

The once-a-decade gathering of Anglican Communion bishops runs July 16  to
August 3 in and around the University of Kent, in Canterbury, England,  the
seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Presiding Bishop Katharine  Jefferts
Schori said earlier during the meeting that about 700 of the 890 bishops
eligible to attend have registered to do so.

Council's resolution concludes by looking forward to the bishops' safe
return "and the opportunity for all of The Episcopal Church to engage  them
in discussions of their experiences at Lambeth 2008 in order to enrich  the
Church's understanding of and consideration of matters vital to our  common
life in Jesus Christ."

During her closing remarks, Jefferts Schori reminded Council members  that
she has called the Episcopal Church to prayer for the Lambeth Conference  on
June 22. She said that she hoped Episcopalians would be "holding all of
those present and not present in prayer next Sunday and beyond."

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_97829_ENG_HTM.htm