On Thursday afternoon, Council took up discussion of a diocesan statement concerning the Anglican Covenant. After several drafts, the current version of the Anglican Covenant is now being presented to the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church will no doubt discuss it at General Convention 2012. Although a diocese cannot make an official response to the Covenant, only a province of the Communion can do that, The Episcopal Church has invited dioceses to study and discuss the covenant and forward their comments to General Convention 2012.
In response to this invitation, in 2010, Lillibridge asked the diocese to read the Anglican Covenant, and during the past year, some discussion groups were held around the diocese. In November 2010, the elected leadership of diocesan clergy and lay leaders gathered to write a statement in response to the covenant. This statement was brought to the floor of Council this year for the delegates and clergy to discuss and affirm. After 30 minutes of discussion, the statement was adopted and will be sent forward to General Convention in 2012.
Go here for the [pdf]adode reader download, and it is pages 4 and following.
What prevents a TEC diocese from making an official response to the Anglican Covenant? What prevents a diocese from affirming it?
I read the article and see that a statement was adopted, but I am unable to locate the statement. What did it say?
From the elf: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/commission/covenant/final/text.cfm
elf in #2- I think that what Scott K is looking for (or at least what I am looking for) is not the “Covenant” but the actual statement the diocese made about the covenant. All the article in the diocesan newsletter says is that they discussed “a statement” and “adopted a statement” but nowhere does it quote what the statement says. The “unity in diversity” statement they talk about has nothing to do with the covenant- and appears to be a separate resolution altogether.
If you go to the diocesan website for West Texas and enter “Council 2011” in the search box, then follow it to the Council Summary by David Read+, you’ll find a link in his summary to the Statement.
They can affirm it if they like. And I’m sure GC 2012 will say, “Well, isn’t that special,” and carry on along the set trajectory.
Ian+ in #5: Exactly. These diocesan affirmations are about as meaningful as the courtesy resolutions that thank the altar guild for polishing the silverware for the convention Eucharist.
[blockquote]I think that what Scott K is looking for (or at least what I am looking for) is not the “Covenant†but the actual statement the diocese made about the covenant. [/blockquote]
Correct, and with thanks to Doubting Thomas above, here is a direct link to the statement that was affirmed by the Council (PDF): http://council2010.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/statement-regarding-covenant-numbered-ns-1-12-11.pdf
#6, have you actually ever failed to be nice to an altar guild? The result is not pretty. I know one place they started leaving dead crickets in the lavabo. Drove the priest crazy. Beware!