And of course, Katherine Jefferts Schori will nominate herself to serve on the Crown Nominations Commission, won’t she?

Or Stacy Sauls.

It will be nice to look back on use of the word ‘indaba’ and smile, as it goes the way of the ‘hoola hoop’.

An “episcope”: is that a magnifying lens to spot ever-diminishing numbers of Episcopalians in America?

Wait: I read it wrong. Italics would have helped me to recognize that they’re trying to use Greek. So: the gift of bishops. Gift? As in Trojan Horse?

I think that TEC is probably all too full of itself on the bishops thing. I might have more confidence these days in the congregational side of its historic polity. But “bishops in apostolic succession”: that’s a stretch, though I was taught to take it very seriously in my childhood. But today I’m not sure what TEC thinks it means by it.

By any objective measure, The Episcopal Church is going out of business.  You would think the bishops would be running around with their hair on fire trying to do something about that.  Or, at least display some mild sense of urgency.  But no.  Instead there is blathering about indaba, and meditations and reflections.  Could somebody at least appoint a “Committee to Turn Out the Lights?”

No lights left to turn off, Dorpsgek.  Their lampstand has been removed.

#4—I was pretty much thinking the same thing.  When I read this I was thinking about the “historic Episcopate” as one of the bonds that holds us together.  The current TEC HoB is heading into “historic” at the speed of light.  There are a (very) few exceptions, but it is really sad that this bunch is the best we can produce.

Chris,
Most of the African bishops I know do not smile when the word ‘indaba’ is used - they find it offensive that a word from their continent has been used to deny them a voice in the Communion. What is more the word originally designated a conversation which was not merely ‘meaningful’ but which actually resulted in a decision. The whole thing is cynical.
Grant

Bishop Daniel Martins has five very interesting updates here:
http://cariocaconfessions.blogspot.com/

Grant, better for you to lead with this fact than me. You are of course correct.

There is one thing that bothers me about the Crown Nominations Commission, and it is this:

Since the Throne of St Augustine…...the See of Canterbury…...is the seat of the English Church…...the Church of England…...why is there all of this talk of of non-Church of England clerics and laity being appointed to serve on the Commission?  The Archbishop of Canterbury has historically been the ecclesiastical head of the English Church, and not other Churches of the Communion, which are in the charge of their own archbishops and primates.  Therefore, why are other Churches of the Communion even represented on what is essentially an English commission?

1. The vast majority of members of the CNC are CofE people. Hard to see how one rep outwith the CofE can be a major thing.
2.  The ‘Throne of St Augustine’ as you refer to its historical sense was a part of the one catholic western church. It is that no more, but instead has been the location from which missionaries launched forth into all parts of a commonwealth to spread the Gospel. Unless we are to stop the clock, what Canterbury now is, includes a role vis-a-vis a Communion of 80M. Here Peter Jenkins is certainly correct in his concerns.

It may not be “major,” but if Schori has anything to say about the list of candidates, she’ll try to use her influence to ensure that a liberal like ++Williams is on the list.

I fired Jeffort Shori as my bishop several years ago in an email and actually got a response from 815.  I Told her she was not qualified to be my spiritual adviser and certainly not the head of a national church. I also removed the Episcopal Church from my Trust.  More people should do this. It would have an effect on on the downward plunge of my prior church.

I went you one better several years ago, little searchers:  I told her that she was not qualified to be a deacon…...never mind a ‘bishop.’  I never got an answer, of course, but I do know that the email was received.