wfn.org | Bishops back away from direct condemnations

[Daphne Mack <dmack@episcopalchurch.org>]

September 30, 2002

2002-221

Bishops back away from direct condemnations of 'inappropriate behavior' by
colleagues 

by James Solheim
jsolheim@episcopalchurch.org 

     (ENS) Faced with a strong "mind of the house" resolution that would
have chastised 
colleagues for "inappropriate behavior" that threatens the unity of the
church, the 
bishops of the Episcopal Church, meeting in Cleveland, asked the Committee
on Pastoral 
Care to find a better way to deal with the issues. 

     The original resolution asked the House of Bishops to express its
"disappointment" 
with the bishop and leadership of the Diocese of Pennsylvania in its failure
to resolve 
issues surrounding the deposition of a conservative rector at Church of the
Good 
Shepherd in suburban Philadelphia. It also pointed to what it called
"extra-canonical 
action" taken by the bishop of Pittsburgh in offering the deposed rector a
position in 
his diocese. 

     The resolution also lamented decisions in the Dioceses of Kansas and
Delaware that 
"went beyond the consensus achieved by the General Convention Resolution
D039 when they 
formally authorized the blessing of same-sex unions." 

     After a long, lively and occasionally confusing debate, the bishops
unanimously 
adopted an amended resolution that removed the specific references. The
resolution 
asked the pastoral care committee to seek a way to deal with "breaches of
collegiality" 
among the bishops and a way for them to "support one another in waging
reconciliation 
within the Body of Christ and to enhance wider consultation and our role as
guardians 
of the faith, unity and discipline of the church." 

     The resolution was presented by Bishop Robert Ihloff of Maryland on
behalf of a 
committee of facilitators who attempted to distill the frustrations and
concerns 
emerging from small group discussions over the weekend. Many bishops
objected to the 
tone and use of language in the resolution. Bishop Paul Marshall of
Bethlehem said the 
resolution did not reflect the spirit of reconciliation that members of the
house were 
seeking because it created a situation of "winners and losers." 

     Bishop Peter Lee of Virginia offered an amendment striking the
paragraphs that 
specifically condemned the actions in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Kansas and
Delaware. 
Bishop Henry Parsley of Alabama, chair of the house's theology committee,
made 
additional suggestions and the amended resolution passed unanimously with
three 
abstentions. 

     During the debate, Bishop William Swing of California said that the
church needs 

some way of dealing with chaos and the need for order--and a way to deal
with 
situations that threaten a breach of collegiality. The final resolution
retained a 
sentence that made it clear that the House of Bishops expects that
depositions and 
other disciplinary actions be "recognized by all bishops of the Episcopal
Church and 
the Anglican Communion." 

     Yet many of the bishops were clear that legislation would not solve the
underlying 
issues. "Votes close off conversation," argued Bishop Catherine Waynick of 
Indianapolis. At one point Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold expressed the 
exasperation of the bishops when he said, "This is where I see the idiocy of
the 
legislative process," which makes it so difficult to "move gracefully" and
instead 
"gets us deeper and deeper into chaos." 

     In the end, Ihloff said that he was "comfortable" with the amended
resolution 
because it "captures the essence of what most groups wanted to say." He
added that 
there was considerable frustration in the group discussions that the bishops
had to 
deal with difficult issues that "distract us from the church's mission." 

     The resolution (unofficial text): 

     Jesus prayed that we be one even as he and the Father are one. By God's
grace, we 
continue to grow in community characterized by Christian reconciliation,
peace, and 
collegiality. That growth, and our episcopal vows, require that we confront
instances 
of inappropriate behavior even as we strive to maintain our unity and our
focus and 
energy on the mission of the church. 

     We believe that the canons, used properly, can be an instrument of
grace and a 
unifying factor in the life of the church. We expect that depositions and
other 
disciplinary actions be recognized by all bishops of the Episcopal Church
and the 
Anglican Communion. 

     In order to support one another in waging reconciliation within the
Body of 
Christ, and to enhance wider consultation and our role as guardians of the
faith, unity 
and discipline of the church, we request that the Committee on Pastoral
Development 
create a proposal for 

     1. dealing with breaches of collegiality; and 

     2. providing assistance to bishops with diocesan situations which
impact the 
larger church. 

     And that the report thereon be prepared and distributed to the members
of the 
House of Bishops prior to the spring meeting of 2003 and be considered at
that meeting. 

--James Solheim is director of Episcopal News Service.