Kendall Harmon on GC2009 (V): Listen to the Deafening Silence (D)—Self-Criticism

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Just watch and listen at General Convention, especially to the leadership. Where does the problem lie? Almost always elsewhere. Other people or Provinces in the Anglican Communion, the reasserters in the Episcopal Church, and on and on it goes. Say what you want about Katharine Jefferts Schori's opening sermon (and I found many of the critiques wide of the mark), but the locus of blame was elsewhere.

And what do we have today as an example? The Bishop of Lexington, Stacy Sauls, saying in a press conference that the Archbishop of Canterbury's response to D025 was Rowan Williams fault! He doesn't understand what was being said! Ah.

Memo to the Bishop of Lexington: When Rowan Williams and Integrity Understand D025 to intend to repeal B033, the problem does not lie with them. It lies somewhere else, much closer to home.

Now these are only examples, and many more can be given. But do listen closely to the absence of TEC's self-criticism at General Convention 2009. The silence is deafening--KSH.

Update: The media briefing from today, July 13, had Bishop Michael Smith of North Dakota, Bishop Stacy Sauls of Lexington, Sally Johnson of Minnesota, Ernie Bennett of Central Florida, and Emily Morales of Puerto Rico. It is in this briefing in that you can hear Bishop Saul's comments. Go to this website then find the "On Demand" section and thereafter look for the "July 13, 2009 Media Brief" picture and click on it.




Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • General Convention 2009 • * By Kendall

5 Comments
Posted July 13, 2009 at 5:41 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



Kendall Harmon on GC2009 (V): Listen to the Deafening Silence (D)—Self-Criticism

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Just watch and listen at General Convention, especially to the leadership. Where does the problem lie? Almost always elsewhere. Other people or Provinces in the Anglican Communion, the reasserters in the Episcopal Church, and on and on it goes. Say what you want about Katharine Jefferts Schori's opening sermon (and I found many of the critiques wide of the mark), but the locus of blame was elsewhere.

And what do we have today as an example? The Bishop of Lexington, Stacy Sauls, saying in a press conference that the Archbishop of Canterbury's response to D025 was Rowan Williams fault! He doesn't understand what was being said! Ah.

Memo to the Bishop of Lexington: When Rowan Williams and Integrity Understand D025 to intend to repeal B033, the problem does not lie with them. It lies somewhere else, much closer to home.

Now these are only examples, and many more can be given. But do listen closely to the absence of TEC's self-criticism at General Convention 2009. The silence is deafening--KSH.

Update: The media briefing from today, July 13, had Bishop Michael Smith of North Dakota, Bishop Stacy Sauls of Lexington, Sally Johnson of Minnesota, Ernie Bennett of Central Florida, and Emily Morales of Puerto Rico. It is in this briefing in that you can hear Bishop Saul's comments. Go to this website then find the "On Demand" section and thereafter look for the "July 13, 2009 Media Brief" picture and click on it.




Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • General Convention 2009 • * By Kendall

5 Comments
Posted July 13, 2009 at 5:41 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. sophy0075 wrote:

“The silence is deafening.” So dear, dear Kendall, why do you stay within contumatious TEC? Why do you and South Carolina not shake the dust from your feet and leave this ungodly collection of new agers? These folks refuse to hear the truth.

July 13, 5:55 pm | [comment link]
2. Dan Crawford wrote:

Kendall, this has gone on at General Convention since 1997 (and before), at HOB meetings, at Primates’ gatherings which have had Griswold and Schori lecture them, at Lambeth when American bishops whined that nobody in the world could understand the subtleties of American Polity. Why does this seem to so upset you now? Just asking.

July 13, 6:57 pm | [comment link]
3. Tory wrote:

Kendall, my volume was low so I did not hear Sauls say what you claim.  I thought I heard him say that the ABC actually had not read the text of DO25; i.e. that he was commenting on something with which he is not informed.
This is is not the first time SFSauls has sought to educate the ABC.  Nor will it be the first time the ABC ignores him.

July 13, 7:35 pm | [comment link]
4. Sarah1 wrote:

Indeed, dear, dear Kendall, why do you stay within contumatious USA?  Why do you and South Carolina not shake the dust from your feet and leave this ungodly collection of new agers?  These folks refuse to hear the truth.

RE: “Why does this seem to so upset you now? “

Far be it from me to speculate about Kendall Harmon’s emotions, but rather than being upset, he seems perfectly calm and matter of fact. 

It’s good that he’s pointing these things out in an objective fashion so that others may take note of them.

July 13, 7:44 pm | [comment link]
5. Connecticutian wrote:

Having already left for ACNA, this still “upsets me so” as well.  Like watching a loved one pass away from a long and debilitating disease, the foreknowledge doesn’t make it any easier.  Like it or not, I have to admit that TEC is still conclusively “in” the Anglican Communion, and ACNA is still questionably “out”; and so I realize that what one part of the Communion does may have profound impact upon other parts of the Church.  GC2009 is shaping up to be a disgrace, and while I might take some comfort in gloating that I’m not like those TEC sinners (Luke 18:9), I am also wavering between outrage and sadness at what is happening to the Communion because of this orgy of autonomy.

July 13, 8:37 pm | [comment link]
6. cmsigler wrote:

I am not sad.  But that little 5-year-old boy still sits there in the 4th pew from the front, Gospel side, in that small country Va. low church parish.  He’s holding the little black pew edition of the ‘28 BCP and reading right along with the liturgy, just like all of the adults.  He’s standing, then sitting, right next to his now dead Mother.  He’s making a little bit of a stir, probably not too much of a distraction, but not paying as much attention to the Rector’s sermon as he should.  And then he stands with the congregation to sing, this time from the little red 1940 pew hymnal.

I am not sad.  But that little 5-year-old boy is sad.

July 13, 10:57 pm | [comment link]
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