At the end of the day, the bishops emerged with nothing decided. But Bishop J. Neil Alexander, of Atlanta, was optimistic that they would soon produce a winning document.
“My own feeling is the statement will be shaped in such a way that it will be well received by the leaders of the Anglican communion and also be well received by the majority of the members of the Episcopal Church,” Alexander said.
That remains to be seen. According to several sources, the bishops have agreed on content that is unlikely to appease conservatives.
They will reportedly reiterate that they will show restraint in consecrating openly gay bishops, but they will not rule it out altogether.
They may say they will not officially perform same-sex blessings that are not authorized ”” yet, nearly a dozen dioceses openly permit them. And they will back a proposal that would let the presiding bishop appoint a few bishops to be ambassadors to the unhappy conservative congregations.
But that falls short of the independent oversight conservatives had wanted.
“The 2-million-member church caused an uproar four years ago by consecrating an openly gay bishop.”
The numbers used to be 2.4 million, then Schori quoted 2.2 million, now NPR cites 2 million. Is the media finally recognizing that the numbers, inflated as they are, are going WAY down?
I think NPRs comment that the vast majority of Anglicans around the world will create their own church if the American Episcopal Church insists on its doctrines and practices being shaped by American hedonism. For as an Egyptian Anglican bishop observed–it is the Episcopal Church which is creating its own religion and church–and it is barely recognizable as any sort of Christianity–Evangelical, Catholic, or Orthodox.
The first senetence of the above comment (#2)should have ended with the words “is very wrong.”
I’ll wait ubtil Sept. 30 is passed but I’m not holding my breath to the time Bp Alexanders idea of what will happen in New Orleans.