Bishops Write About Their Meeting

Updated April 4 - 7:20 a.m. Pacific Time

Here is what the bishops have to say about their March 7-12 meeting at Camp Allen.

Jack Iker of Fort Worth posted this statement about why he wasn't attending the meeting (I've reprinted it here, because I'm not sure how long the link will be good):

A Comment concerning the March 2008 House of Bishops meeting

In recent years, I have increasingly dreaded the thought of attending another meeting of the House of Bishops of TEC, and I will not be participating in the one at Camp Allen in early March. For a traditional anglo-catholic like myself, the HOB meetings have become a toxic environment, and the “spiritual violence” I suffer there is not good for my emotional or spiritual well being. For me, the small-group table discussions are places of hostile confrontation, not support and affirmation.

I am disheartened that I have been unable to secure a future, safe place for this diocese within TEC and am saddened by the fact that the HOB has been unwilling to make adequate provision for us in response to our appeal for alternative primatial oversight.

The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo IkerBishop of Fort Worth

Note: In the concluding Recommendations of its report on this diocese's appeal, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference said, “The Panel also recommends that the Archbishop of Canterbury continue discussions with the Diocese of Fort Worth and with the Episcopal Church with the aim of securing the place of Fort Worth in the Communion.” (paragraph 17d) The report was published Jan. 8, 2007.

Some bishops posted thoughts during the course of the meeting:

• Kee Sloan, Suffragan of Alabama, on March 9
• Christopher Epting, the Presiding Bishop's Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, on March 9 and March 12.
• Porter Taylor, Western North Carolina, on March 12.
• Larry Benfield, Arkansas, on March 7, March 9, March 11, and March 12.

Here are reflections written after the meeting:

Province I

• Connecticut - Jim Curry & Laura Ahrens

Province III

• Deleware - Wayne Wright

Province V

• Northern Indiana - Edward Little
• Southern Ohio - Thomas Breidenthal & Kenneth Price, Jr.

Province VIII

• Arizona - Kirk Smith (As usual, one of the first to write to his dioceses as soon as the House of Bishops meetings are done.)

In case you haven't seen them, here are the Episcopal News Service--and other--reports on the March 7-12 meeting:

• March 7 Daily Account (ENS)
• March 8 Daily Account (ENS)
• March 9 Daily Account (ENS)
• March 10 Daily Account (ENS)
• Lambeth Invitation Not Possible for Gene Robinson (March 10) (ENS)
• Bishop Robinson's Address to the House (March 10) (ENS)
• Report from Bishops Ed Little, Bruce Caldwell and Tom Ely to the House of Bishops regarding conversations about Bishop Gene Robinson's participation at the Lambeth Conference (March 10) (From the Diocese of Vermont web site)
• March 11 Daily Account (ENS)
• House of Bishops statement on Schofield, Cox (March 12) (ENS)
• House of Bishops statement on the Lambeth Conference (March 12) (ENS)
• House of Bishops resolution on 'waterboarding' (March 12) (ENS)
• House of Bishops consents to deposition of John-David Schofield, William Cox (March 12) (ENS)

I'll keep a lookout over the next few days to see who else comments.

Peace,
Jeffri