ACC embraces Windsor Continuation report

One view of this action: The Council narrowly rejected calling for the Episcopal Church to allow parishes and dioceses to walk away with buildings and trust finds intact - this is disturbing since one expects a higher number of church leaders would have seen the danger to their own churches from this kind of schism-encouraging measure.

 

On a broader front, it seems the Council is committed to maintaining the status quo: a re-braded "listening process," more small group meetings among bishops, and keeping  moratoria on same-sex blessings and consecration of partnered gay bishops in place.

 

How this appraoch will fare at the Episcoapl Church's 2009 General Convention remains to be seen.

 

The last "listening process" failed to gain much traction. Few, if any, of the critics of teh American and Canadian churches made any effort to listen to LGBT people. Even at the Lambeth Confernce, few of the critics deigned to attend any of the evening activites designed to let them hear the voice of LGBT Anglicans from across the Communion. A case has yet to be made that the "new" Listening Process will gain any more ground than the "old" Listening Process.

 

--

The Anglican Consultative Council has embraced the Report of the Windsor Continuation Group. An effort to include a moratorium that would have forbidden the Episcopal Church from going to court to maintain control of its property was defeated 33-32, but the moratoria on same-sex blessings and consecration of partnered gay bishops have been approved.

In other news, Bishop James Tengatenga of the Diocese of Southern Malawi in the internally divided Province of Central Africa was elected to succeed Bishop John Paterson of Auckland, New Zealand, as chair of the council. Tengatenga was a member of the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates Meeting and is regarded as a moderate.

Colin Coward reports that the ACC substituted the word "affirms" for the word "notes" in section b.

Votes have also been cast to choose the next chair of the Anglican Consultative Council, but results have not been announced. MORE