Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori began the first plenary session with an announcement that eight bishops had accepted her invitation to serve as episcopal visitors. Other than the names, no further details were given and there was no follow-up discussion.
Some of the eight episcopal visitors who spoke with reporters for The Living Church were equally uncertain of the scope of the proposal or how it would be implemented. None of those surveyed by TLC said they knew the identities of the other seven ahead of time. To a person, they said their primary reason for accepting was a willingness to be helpful at what they considered a critical time.
“The Presiding Bishop is open to considering more episcopal visitor invitations,” said the Rev. Charles Robertson, Canon for the Presiding Bishop. Canon Robertson said the Presiding Bishop envisioned the episcopal visitor plan being potentially applied in a wide variety of circumstances for parishes and dioceses. He noted it would be possible to discuss the plan in greater detail, including a consultative contribution by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, after Archbishop Williams’ final session with the bishops Friday morning.
Of course the question is the extent to which persons seeking this would continue to subject to the authority of a hostile diocesan bishop. If they are fully subject to that authority then all this is smoke and mirrors. In addition there is the question of funding a holstile diocese and TEC.
Things certainly have changed over the years; whether one speaks of “boundary crossings” or “episcopal visitors,” this is a very different ecclesiastical environment from my childhood. It is going to be difficult, I would guess, to develop any level of godly, humble obedience in an landscape so plagued by division and partisanship. Mission and evangelism efforts require far more shared identity and cohesiveness to be successful.
Yes, #2, the holding together of an organization with two religions and expecting mission and evangelism to be coherent is a pipe dream. But, oh, the multitude who are smoking!
They haven’t finished inventing them yet …. and they haven’t finished the legal work before finishing the invention part … but give until GC2009 to get the details worlked out, okay?