From the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon web site
• The Bishop’s Reflections on the Recent House of Bishop’s Meeting and Primates Communiqué
By
Mar 23, 2007, 10:54
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
During this holy Lenten season as a Church we are called to enter into a deeper relationship with God through Christ Jesus. Our recent House of Bishop’s meeting was a challenging, yet overall, a more positive experience, formed through earnest prayer and reflection about our common life together.
Indeed, as members of Christ’s one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church, we are challenged to rekindle relationships of Christian love and more fully realize our call to unity in the body of Christ. During the past few years there have been a number of issues that have caused considerable alarm and stress within our Episcopal Church nationally and throughout the Anglican Communion worldwide. As a constituent member of the Anglican Communion of Churches, the actions of past General Conventions have caused a great deal of misunderstanding and anxiety among many member churches throughout the Anglican Communion. Most notably, the lack of consensus around issues of human sexuality, the inappropriate violation of diocesan jurisdictions, and the need for greater clarity and consensus around what it means to be a separate but constituent member of a global Church has prompted the creation of The Windsor Report and a number of other conversations around themes of Christian unity.
The House of Bishops respectfully sought to receive the recent communiqué of the Primates of the Anglican Communion. The full text of this communiqué may be found on the Anglican Communion website at: http://www.aco.org/primates/downloads/index.cfm. Upon reviewing the provisions of the Primate’s Communiqué, a majority of the House of Bishops felt that some of its provisions, most notably the Pastoral Scheme embodied through the appointment of a Primatial Vicar and Pastoral Council for the Episcopal Church, was inconsistent with the polity and canons of the Episcopal Church, hence, this could not be adopted within the September 30, 2007 time frame indicated by the Primate’s communiqué. The Pastoral Scheme would establish lines of authority outside the United States for overseeing some Episcopal churches. The House of Bishops also, reaffirmed its desire to remain an active constituent member and participant in the life and ministry of the worldwide Anglican Communion and also asked to meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates’ Standing Committee for mutual sharing, learning, and face-to-face conversation. The text of these “Mind of the House” resolutions can be found on the Episcopal Church Website at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_84230_ENG_HTM.htm.
Indeed, much of the conversation around the Episcopal Church in the context of the global communion is a very relational one. There is a strong commitment by our Church to continue to work and listen and respond to the concerns of our global partners in a manner that remains consistent with our own structure and polity as a national church body.
One of the significant themes that was addressed was our Church’s focus on Mission in the context of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. As your bishop, I was blessed with an opportunity to make a presentation and speak with colleagues of the House about themes of environmental sustainability from a global context. Many other topics also clearly drew linkages between poverty, environmental sustainability, and most notably the topic of water in the context of primary access, sanitation, and human security.
As a diocese, in our own way, we will continue to do our very best to accomplish the tasks that are before us in the vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ. I ask that during these times of national and international stress and anxiety, we continue to remain calm and focused in accomplishing the Mission of God. I am fully convinced that in the midst of the stresses of this moment, our Lord will grant to us wisdom, courage, and an opportunity to move into another season of our lives that abounds with grace-filled joy. We must not lose hope, nor should we ever lose courage, for we labor together in our Lord’s Church, and we will be equipped with the necessary tools to accomplish the tasks that are set before us.
In the midst of so many competing and sometimes negative voices that amplify anxiety, we need to continue to be a champion of hope and support for the very least among us. Our focus on mission and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals will enable us to be more effective heralds of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please know how proud and thankful I am for our diocese; I am so appreciative of the wonderful leadership of our clergy and lay leaders in keeping our focus on Mission and our commitment to Gospel-based discipleship. The faithful witness of our churches in the Diocese of Oregon reflects the wonderful working of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Our commitment to the poor and the suffering in many areas of our state is a wonderful example of Christian faith in action and commitment to unity in the body of Christ. By the Grace of God we are so very blessed indeed!
In a few weeks we will have journeyed through Lent to celebrate the Paschal mystery of Easter. I pray that as a people of the Resurrection, we will continue to share Christ’s love and peace to those who are near and those who are far. May our commitment of loving service to one another and to our church reflect the bonds of affection to our God through our Lord Jesus Christ. With hope and thanksgiving, may we reflect upon God’s love for each of us as conveyed in scripture:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution, or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?.... No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35,37-39)
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
+Johncy Itty
Bishop of Oregon