The bishops of the Episcopal Church agreed on March 15 to a temporary moratorium on all episcopal consecrations as part of a six-point “Covenant Statement” designed “to contribute to a time for healing and for the educational process called for in the Windsor Report.” Elections for bishops in the dioceses of California, Central Ecuador, El Camino Real, South Carolina, Southern Ohio, Southwest Florida, Tennessee, and West Texas (suffragan) will be affected.

By endorsing the covenant, the Episcopal Church “is technically and temporarily in compliance” with the Windsor Report, Bishop John Howe of Central Florida explained to The Living Church. By withholding their consents from all consecrations, the bishops argued that they were only being fair.

“We believe that Christian community requires us to share the burdens of such forbearance; thus it must pertain to all elections of bishops in the Episcopal Church,” the covenant stated. At press time, a separate statement to all Episcopalians was scheduled to be released as the bishops concluded their March 11-16 spring retreat at Camp Allen near Navasota, Texas. The meeting was closed to visitors and the press.

The covenant seeks to reaffirm the Church’s intent to “remain in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury and to participate fully” in the life of the Anglican Communion and took form early in the meeting after Bishops Bertram N. Herlong of Tennessee and John B. Lipscomb of Southwest Florida invited Bishop John B. Chane of Washington to join them in seeking to find a compromise.

These are the members of the working group that brought the Covenant before the House of Bishops:

C. Franklin Brookhart of Montana
J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles
Roy F. Cederholm, Jr., of Massachusetts (suffragan)
John B. Chane of Washington
Michael B. Curry of North Carolina
Clifton Daniel III of East Carolina
Philip M. Duncan II of the Central Gulf Coast
Duncan M. Gray of Mississippi
Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr., of Upper South Carolina
Bertram N. Herlong of Tennessee
Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., of Ohio
W. Michie Klusmeyer of West Virginia
John B. Lipscomb of Southwest Florida
Alfred C. Marble, Jr., of Mississippi (retired)
V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire
Stacy F. Sauls of Lexington
Catherine M. Waynick of Indianapolis
Geralyn Wolfe of Rhode Island

Plenary discussion on a response to the Windsor Report began in earnest on March 11 as all sides laid out their respective positions and a number of bishops stressed their desire to seek a common mind. One bishop used the metaphor of a “sailing ship” to describe the house, arguing that opposing forces of wind and ballast need be kept in check to prevent the ship from capsizing—arguing that both sides needed the other to be the true Church.

Later that day, Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire suggested a line of advance first raised by retired Bishop Otis Charles of Utah, [TLC, Dec. 12] that should a ban be enacted, it be extended to all prospective bishops and not just “gay” bishops.

Eventually, the working group presented its six-point plan, and following considerable discussion it was finalized and adopted by a near unanimous vote.

‘Out for Blood’

The deliberations were not without stress. In remarks at the opening of the meeting, Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold identified by name six Episcopalians for having detrimentally influenced the course of the recent primates’ meeting in Northern Ireland [TLC, March 20].

The devil is a liar and the father of lies and the devil was certainly moving about Dromantine, the site of the primates’ meeting in Northern Ireland, the Presiding Bishop said, according to accounts from several bishops who spoke to TLC on the condition that their names not be revealed. The primates were “out for blood,” Bishop Griswold told the bishops.

The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh; the Rev. Canon Bill Atwood, general secretary of the Ekklesia Society; the Rev. Canon Martyn Minns, rector of Truro Parish, Fairfax, Va.; the Rev. Canon David Anderson, president of the American Anglican Council; the Rev. Canon Kendall Harmon, canon theologian of the Diocese of South Carolina; and Diane Knippers, president of the Institute for Religion and Democracy, were singled out for opprobrium by the Presiding Bishop for their behind-the-scenes roles at Dromantine.

Not present during the Presiding Bishop’s remarks, Bishop Duncan was allowed a point of personal privilege to respond to the Presiding Bishop’s charges. Bishop Duncan told the House of Bishops he had not manipulated the global south primates nor used nefarious means to influence their deliberations. After Bishop Duncan finished, Bishop Robinson said, “I don’t believe a word of what you said. I just can’t believe you,” and repeated the charges of inappropriate meddling that had been leveled by the Presiding Bishop.

The senior diocesan, the Rt. Rev. William Swing, Bishop of California, noted that the exchange between bishops Duncan and Robinson was illustrative of the personal dynamics dividing the House of Bishops. In a private exchange after the session, Bishop Robinson explained to Bishop Duncan that he did not consider him to be a liar. Bishop Robinson, according to Bishop Duncan, said he did not believe him because there is not much trust in the current environment.

--The Living Church.