[via e-mail]

Bishops from the Anglican Communion Network, the Anglican Mission in the Americas (including the Anglican Coalition in Canada), the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, the Anglican Network in Canada, the Anglican Province of America, Forward in Faith North America and the Reformed Episcopal Church are invited to attend the first-ever Common Cause Council of Bishops in Pittsburgh, PA, September 25-28. Two of the Common Cause Partners, the American Anglican Council and Anglican Essentials Canada, are not ecclesial jurisdictions and do not have bishops. Several other Anglican jurisdictions are currently in the membership process.

Since its formation in 2004, Anglican bodies connected to each other through Common Cause have committed to working together for “a Biblical, missionary and united Anglicanism in North America.” Together, they have crafted a common theological statement and articles of federation. Both are being considered and adopted by each Common Cause Partner.

“By the time we meet, the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church will have given its response to the Anglican Communion as to its decision to ‘walk apart.’ By contrast, I expect our gathering to signal a new level of ‘walking together’ both with each other and with the wider Anglican world,” wrote Anglican Communion Network Moderator and Common Cause convener Bishop Robert Duncan. The meeting, said Bishop Duncan, is the result of many years of work toward Anglican unity, work responding to resolutions of both the Lambeth Conference of Bishops and The Episcopal Church’s General Convention.

Bishop Duncan went on to describe the purpose of the gathering as fivefold.

1) to take the Common Cause Partnership to the next level of development in mission together;
2) to showcase ministry initiatives of any of the partners that might be shared with all the partners (e.g., The Anglican Relief and Development Fund);
3) to share understandings of the purpose and role of bishops such that some common guidelines for the making of bishops relative to numbers of communicants and congregations might be developed;
4) to consider whether a permanent Common Cause College of Bishops might be created, in order that ever greater levels of communication, cooperation and collaboration can be built; and
5) to initiate discussion of the creation of an “Anglican Union” among the partners, moving forward the vision of the Primates of the Global South for a new “ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA.”

“The Council of Bishops lacks the voice of the laity. It is not a full synod of the Common Cause Partners, but it is the next step agreed upon by the Common Cause Roundtable. While it is not the end of our journey, it does continue the trajectory of ever greater unity and ever closer cooperation between those of us who know Jesus as the only Lord. In the challenging weeks and months ahead, let us say our prayers, do the work before us and trust ‘that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new,’” said Bishop Duncan.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • - Anglican: Latest News • Anglican Communion Network

1. Timothy Fountain wrote: Wow - glad to see this.  Shows that the leaders of the Common Cause entities are not ego driven clerics dancing around the mitre tree (a common break-away problem), but servants of the servants of God.  Pray for their effort. May 31, 10:49 am | [comment link]

2. Katherine wrote: A very positive sign. May 31, 10:54 am | [comment link]

3. Eugene wrote: So where are the rest of the “Windsor Bishops”?  Hope they get invited as well.  Also it is good to see that there will be some sort of limit to the number of Bishops.  As it is the PECUSA has far too many Bishops for the number of members. May 31, 11:23 am | [comment link]

4. seitz wrote: Does anyone know which of the Network Bishops are involved in this? May 31, 11:54 am | [comment link]

5. plainsheretic wrote: Interesting. This meeting will overlap the meeting of ECUSA’ house of bishops- Sept 20-25. Is Duncan refusing to participate in his on house? Will he snub the Archbishop? Is it October 1 in Pittsburg?  I suggest a new Youtube daytime soap opera- Meetings of the Bishops, As the bishops turn….. something along those lines. the suspense is just killing me. May 31, 11:58 am | [comment link]

6. KAR wrote: This is good news. May the Lord be with them and protect this meeting from all evils, especially that evil in each of their hearts. May the Lord be glorified in this meeting and it help unify these diverse groups. May 31, 12:11 pm | [comment link]

7. Chris wrote: the 28th is btw the last business day of the month - an intriguing choice of dates considering the Primates’ Sep. 30 deadline…. May 31, 12:43 pm | [comment link]

8. billqs wrote: Finally, some good news.  I think this is what the GS primates have wanted to see.  Some sort of cohesive, organized group of orthodox Anglicans willing to take a difficult stand. May 31, 1:28 pm | [comment link]

9. John Wilkins wrote: Not ego driven?  We’ll see if any of them would give up their mitres for the sake of proclaiming the gospel. May 31, 1:53 pm | [comment link]

10. Phil wrote: Perhaps not, John.  We know Gene Robinson won’t. May 31, 2:13 pm | [comment link]

11. MJD_NV wrote: We’ll see if any of them would give up their mitres for the sake of proclaiming the gospel. What, like this guy John? So much for ego driven. May 31, 2:51 pm | [comment link]

12. Cennydd wrote: And why should they give up their mitres to preach the Gospel, John?  My bishop does just fine, and he hasn’t given his up! May 31, 7:20 pm | [comment link]

Registered members must log in to comment.