This was, by far, the best of the choices available.  I think the vote reflects that.

This is from his essay presented to the diocese:

our call to be “one as Jesus and the Father are one” is not a call for “uniformity” - as if we all agree, having the same liturgical practices, having the same theological/ethical positions, etc. - but rather is a call for unity in love, prayer and mission.

So, apparently, it is unity for unity’s sake, regardless of theological or ethical (read moral) differences, or liturgical differences (read SS blessings?). Another party man happy to keep the train rolling on toward the coming wreck. But at least he and his diocese will be riding in the dining car sipping a nice cream sherry.

Chris [#2]: Canon Sutton may well believe theological or moral differences unimportant, but your quote doesn’t prove it.

Orthodox Anglicans don’t hold all the same theological positions. To take only one example, think of Paul Zahl and his critics. Nor do we believe it essential to have exactly the same liturgical practices: there’s lots of room between Low and High.

DioceseMD is diverse, to say the least.  And while low and liberal is our current default state, there are still plenty of high churchmen and anglo-catholics, and a few traditional evangelicals running around.  My impression was not that Canon Sutton found theological differences unimportant, but that what binds us together can endure that which threatens to tear us asunder.

Randall

Irenaeus, context is everything. In the context of what TEC is going through at this moment what else can such a statement mean except the obvious? What could be the probable motivation to say that?

What it means, Chris, is that Maryland is a theologically diverse diocese which has had the potential for some time of going the way of Washington. The clergy is dominated by liberals who have had to be kept in check as it is. That’s the local context. There is simply no way that the diocese would pick someone who like Stanton or Iker; the best we could manage is not to pick someone like Bennison or Chane. You can ridicule that pathetic hope, I suppose, but some of us have to go to church.