The Seven Hath Spoken

So once again our Archbishop of Canterbury meets with the folks who want (though say they don't) to divide The Episcopal Church, some of whom who say that a large portion of TEC is apostate and infected with a virus. Does the ABC deign to meet with the other side of the aisle? No. As we say in French, Quoi de neuf? Makes the blood boil. So Caminante being in a snarky mood, and speaking entirely for herself and no one else and in no official capacity, comments on the recent emission of these seven bishops who want adoption of this entity called an Anglican Covenant (I am getting to the point where I choke on the word, 'Anglican.')

Therefore, at this time we make the following requests of Communion minded members of the The Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion:

1. We encourage dioceses, congregations and individuals of The Episcopal Church to pray and work for the adoption of an Anglican Communion Covenant. [And the blogger here prays and works toward the demise of an Anglican Communion Covenant, sort of 'get rid of Ridley.']

2. We encourage dioceses and congregations to study and endorse the Anglican Communion Covenant when it is finally released and to urge its adoption by General Convention, or to endorse the first three sections of the Ridley Cambridge Draft and the Anaheim Statement, and to record such endorsements on the Communion Partners website. [These bishops are proposing an end-run around General Convention which is the ultimate authority of The Episcopal Church, not congregations or even dioceses for all that we say a diocese is the basic unit.]

3. We encourage bishops, priests, deacons and laypersons of The Episcopal Church who support the adoption of the Anglican Communion Covenant to record such endorsement on the Communion Partners website. [They can record their support for all they want but it is not going to be the authority that makes the final decision toward adoption or non-adoption of this entity.]

4. We encourage dioceses and congregations, in the spirit of GC2009 Resolution B030, to engage in "companion domestic mission relationships among dioceses and congregations within The Episcopal Church." [This sounds most noble but I can't help but wonder what lies behind it, given the rest of this emission.]

5. We encourage Bishops exercising jurisdiction in The Episcopal Church to call upon us for service in needed cases of Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight. [So if you can't stand the PB or a woman bishop you call on them.]

6. We encourage relationships between Communion Partners and primates, bishops, provinces and dioceses in other parts of the Communion, in order the enhance the ministry we share in the life of the Communion. [So let's get some more border crossing going while we're at it.]

7. We invite primates and bishops of the Communion to offer their public support to these efforts. [Mercifully, there are primates and bishops who think this covenant is not worth the paper on which it is printed.]

+Mark J. Lawrence, South Carolina
+Gary R. Lillibridge, West Texas
+Edward S. Little, II, Northern Indiana
+William H. Love, Albany
+D. Bruce MacPherson, Western Louisiana
+Michael G. Smith, North Dakota
+James M. Stanton, Dallas