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Hallo again to all.
This has been a milestone week in the Anglican Communion, but, perhaps because everyone has been so busy stoning those miles, there's not much of a written record to which we can direct your attention.
In the News Centre you'll find reports on the General Synods that have just ended in Canada and England, on the Ugandan army ending a witch hunt in Tanzania, and various other topics. But about half of the stories in the News Centre have something to do with bishops.
In the USA people are challenging the authority of bishops and taking bishops to court over church buildings.
In Britain people are whingeing about the expense of bishops and wondering aloud just what it is they're good for.
In Africa bishops are actively trying to lead people away from conflict and disease.
In Canada bishops were dancing around a hockey rink, but not until they promised
the Provincial government that they would lead no-one into acts of licentiousness.
And, of course, all over the world this week, bishops were confirming, ordaining, visiting parishes, worrying about diocesan budgets, and laundering purple shirts.
It seems obvious at first glance that our collection of bishops—our
episcopate—is the core of our church. And whether you think that the ruin of the church will come from retired bishop John Shelby Spong
or retired bishop Harry Goodhew or retired bishop David Jenkins (nearly everyone manages to disagree with at least one of them), you must
surely believe that the vast majority of our episcopate are people who have devoted their lives to embodying (literally) what is Anglican
about our church.
To discern the future roles for our bishops in the church and in the world is, at least partly, to discern the future of our church.
See you next week.
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| Cynthia McFarland cmcf@anglicansonline.org |
reid@anglicansonline.org |
Last updated: 15 July 2001
URL: http://anglicansonline.org/