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A Response to Resolution ACC 14.11: The Anglican Communion Covenant by the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church

1. Introduction WearewritingastheExecutiveCouncilofTheEpiscopalChurchinresponseto Resolution14.11:TheAnglicanCommunionCovenantpassedbytheMay2009 meetingoftheAnglicanConsultativeCouncilaskingProvincestoconsiderand reportonSectionFouroftheRidleyCambridgeDraft(RCD)anditspossible revision.WearegratefultoACC14forgivingtheprovincestheopportunityto considertheRCDinthehopesofrealizingafullymaturedAnglicanCovenant. ResolutionA166ofthe2006GeneralConventionaskedtheExecutiveCouncilto facilitateTheEpiscopalChurchsresponsetothedevelopmentofanAnglican Covenantthatunderscoresourunityinfaith,order,andcommonlifeinthe serviceofGodsmission.Infurtheranceofthatrole,theExecutiveCouncil providesthefollowingresponsetotheRCDwithspecialattentiontoSection Four. Thisresponseismadeupoffivesections.Followingthisbriefintroductionthere isadiscussionoftheprocessbywhichtheExecutiveCouncilsolicitedinputin thedraftingofthisresponsefromthediocesandeputationsofthe2009General ConventionofTheEpiscopalChurch.Nextisadetailedexpositionofresponses receivedfromacrossTheEpiscopalChurchrelatingtoSectionFouroftheRCD. FollowingthatwillbeadditionalmaterialrelatedtotheAnglicanCommunion CovenantgeneratedbyvariousbodiesinTheEpiscopalChurchbeforeandafter the2009GeneralConvention.Thedocumentconcludeswithapresentationon thenextstepsthatTheEpiscopalChurchenvisionsasourchurchsongoing participationinthedevelopmentofanAnglicanCommunionCovenant. 2. Process Uponreceiptoftheletterof28May2009fromtheSecretaryGeneralofthe AnglicanCommunionaskingthatSectionFouroftheRCDbeconsideredby eachprovince,PresidingBishopKatharineJeffertsSchori,PresidentoftheHouse ofDeputiesBonnieAnderson,andChairoftheExecutiveCouncilsTaskForce ontheAnglicanCovenant,RosalieSimmondsBallentine,communicatedwiththe BishopsandDeputiestothe2009GeneralConventioninaletterof29June2009

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askingeachdeputationtoconsidertheRCDandreportbacktotheExecutive Councilby1September2009(Seeattachedletterof29June,2009).Tofacilitate thediocesanconsiderationoftheRCDwithparticularattentiontoSectionFour, theExecutiveCouncilsTaskForceontheAnglicanCovenantproducedSix StudyQuestions(Seeattached). TheExecutiveCouncilsTaskForcereceived34responsestotheSixStudy Questionsfrombothdiocesandeputationsandfromindividualdeputies.Full deputationresponseswerereceivedfromAtlanta,theConvocationofthe ChurchesinEurope,Massachusetts,Michigan,RhodeIsland,Northern Michigan,SanJoaquin,Springfield,andWesternNewYork. 3. Responses to the RCD with Attention to Section Four WeobservethatasweapproachthethirddraftofanAnglicanCovenant,weare beginningtoaddresssomeofthemostdifficultmattersandsubstancerelatingto suchacovenant.WhilethetaskathandwastorespondspecificallytoSectionIV, commentsonthedraftcovenantasawholearesointerwoventhatseparatingthe twoisdifficult. Themajorityofdeputationsandindividualdeputiesthatrespondedarenot convincedthatthecovenantinitscurrentformwillbringaboutdeeper communion.SeveralstatedthattheoverallideaofacovenantisunAnglican. Onewentasfarastosaythatthedocumentincorporatesanxiety.However, anotherdeputyobservedthatthecovenantisapresentationoftheChristian communityasadynamicspiritualbodyinwhichGodgivenfreedomis inextricablyboundupwithGodgivenaccountability. Themajorityofrespondentsdonotsupportthefourthsectionofthedraft covenant.Onedeputationstatedthatsection4isdisturbingbecauseitcreatesa systemofgovernancecontrarytoourunderstandingofAnglicanismand establishesapunitivesystemexecutedbyaselectcommittee.Ontheotherhand, adeputationfeltthatthefourthsectionisimportantbecauseagovernance sectionisneededtomaintainacovenant. Manyindividualsandsomedeputationsraisedquestionsaboutinternal contradictionsinthedraft.Someresponsesnotedthetensionbetweenautonomy

 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 ofprovincesandhavingsomecentralbodyintheAnglicanCommunionthat wouldensurecompliancewiththeAnglicanCovenant. Inadditiontotheabovebroadconcerns,thefollowingspecificissueswere raised:

Severalcommentsexpressedconcernaboutthesilencingofpropheticvoices bytheproposednecessityofseekingasharedmind.Thereisthesensethat thissharedmindmightmeanauniformityinwhichdifferencesarenot tolerated.Onepersoncommentedthatasharedmindisnotourgoalas Christians.OurgoalistoputonthemindofChrist.Onedeputationfelt thattherewasacontradictionbetweenstatementsaffirmingdiversityand autonomywiththosesuggestingthatcertaincontroversialactionsmightbe deferredwiththethreatofrelationalconsequences. Thephraserelationalconsequencesraisedmanyquestions.Somefeltthat thiswasaeuphemismforpunishment.Onepersonexpressedconcernthat thereisnotsufficientprovisionforhearings,dueprocessoralistening processbeforejudgmentmayberendered.Ontheotherhand,adeputation feltthatthisphraseremainsintentionallyambiguoussoastoallowthe processesandprocedurestodeterminetheconsequences. SomeresponsesworriedabouttheincreasedpowerabrogatedtotheJoint StandingCommittee(nowunderstoodastheStandingCommitteeofthe AnglicanCommunion)thatconstitutionallyhasnothadsuchauthority. Thereissomeconcernthatthenewstandingcommitteecouldbecomeafifth orasuperInstrumentofCommunion.Ifthereweretobeabodythat determinedmembershipandimplementationofacovenant,deputiesand deputationsfeltthatshouldbeexclusivelytheroleoftheAnglican ConsultativeCouncil.Onedeputationexpresseditsfearsabout4.2.2because thepowersweresoilldefinedastoendangertheveryessenceof Anglicanism.Further,somealsowonderedwhowoulddefinethehighest degreeofcommunionandwhatthismeans. Mostresponsesfoundthattheconceptofchurchin4.1.5oftheRCDwas confusing,specifically:doestheword,churchmeanotherAnglicanbodies

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4 thatarenotpartofthescheduledmembershipoftheACCordoesitreferto ecumenicalpartners?Asonepersonwrote,Theuseofotherchurchesin Section4.1.5isparticularlyunclearanditalsoseemstobeaimedatadifferent purposethantheoverallcovenantproposal.Thisindividualsuggests creatingaglossarytofleshoutthisandotherbroadbrushterms.Other personsqueriedwhetherchurchmeansaparish,oranAnglicanreligious order,oracompetingprovinceinageographiclocationcanjoin.Ifaprovince inonegeographicareachosenottosigntheCovenant,couldanew provinceinthatgeographicareadoso?

Somedeputationsanddeputiesfocusedonthelackofattentiongiventothe laity.Asnotedinourresponsestopreviousdraftsofthecovenant,therole andauthorityofthelaityallthebaptizedagainisneglected.One deputationobservedthatSection3.1.3neglectstheprimacyofbaptism. Onedeputationsuggestedthatinlieuofusingtheword,covenant,the documentshouldbecalledaDeclarationofCommunion. Anotherdeputationwonderedwhatwouldconstituteenactmentofthe covenant.Nodrafthasspecifiedwhoisneededorwhatpercentageofthe AnglicanCommunionneedstosignonforthecovenanttogointoeffect.This deputationsuggested3/4membershiptoaffirmthecovenant.

4. Additional discussions related to RCD TheExecutiveCouncilisawarethatreactionstotheRCDarenotlimitedtothe responsesreceivedtotheSixStudyQuestionspreparedbytheExecutive CouncilsTaskForce. Inresponsetosomeactionsofthe2009GeneralConvention,36activeandretired bishopsofTheEpiscopalChurchhavesignedtheAnaheimstatement,partsof whicharegermanetoTheEpiscopalChurchsdiscussionsrelatedtothe AnglicanCommunionCovenantprocess.Specificallythestatementsays,We reaffirmourcommitmenttotheAnglicanCommunionCovenantprocess currentlyunderway,withthehopeofworkingtowarditsimplementationacross theCommuniononceaCovenantiscompleted.

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InthesemanydiscussionsandintheExecutiveCouncilsformalresponsesto boththeNassauandSt.Andrewsdrafts,itisclearthatTheEpiscopalChurch takesveryseriouslyitsroleasaconstituentmemberoftheAnglicanCommunion andiscommittedtoparticipatinginthedevelopmentprocessesoftheAnglican CommunionCovenant.

5. Next Steps The2009GeneralConventionofTheEpiscopalChurchreaffirmedTheEpiscopal ChurchsongoingcommitmenttoparticipateinthedevelopmentofanAnglican CommunionCovenant.MorespecificallyResolution2009D020statesthe following: Resolved,theHouseofBishopsconcurring,Thatthe76thGeneral ConventionoftheEpiscopalChurchcommendtheAnglicanCovenant proposedinthemostrecenttextoftheCovenantDesignGroup(the RidleyCambridgeDraft)andanysuccessivedraftstothediocesesfor studyandcommentduringthecomingtriennium;andbeitfurther Resolved,ThatdiocesesreportontheirstudytotheExecutiveCouncilin keepingwithResolution2006A166;andbeitfurther Resolved,ThatExecutiveCouncilprepareareporttothe77thGeneral ConventionoftheEpiscopalChurchthatincludesdraftlegislation concerningthisChurchsresponsetoanAnglicanCovenant;andbeit further Resolved,Thatdiocesesandcongregationsbeinvitedtoconsiderthe AnglicanCovenantproposeddraftasadocumenttoinformtheir understandingofandcommitmenttoourcommonlifeintheAnglican Communion. AsthehighestlegislativeauthorityofTheEpiscopalChurch,theGeneral ConventionisthebodythatwillultimatelydecideTheEpiscopalChurchs positionwithrespecttoitsparticipationinanAnglicanCommunionCovenant. TherearesomeinTheEpiscopalChurchandbeyondwhowanttoprejudgeThe GeneralConventionsdecisionontheAnglicanCommunionCovenant.Wefind suchpredictionsandpronouncementsprematureandunhelpful.

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AsdirectedbyResolution2009D020,theExecutiveCouncilcontinuesits commitmenttofacilitatingTheEpiscopalChurchsresponsetotheAnglican CommunionCovenant.WeontheExecutiveCouncilentrustthisworktothe leadingoftheHolySpiritandlookforwardtothenextthreeyearsaswegrow moredeeplyintoourcommonlifeintheAnglicanCommunion.

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