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Theology of Confirmation on House of Bishops' Agenda
CAMP ALLEN (3/14/2005)--The House of Bishops has completed about half of its seven-day agenda for the its spring retreat at Camp Allen, a camp and conference center located about 70 miles northwest of Houston and owned by the Diocese of Texas. The meeting is closed to visitors and the press, but a few details have emerged.
Along with a response to the communiqué from the recent primates’ meeting, the bishops are also discussing proposed revisions to the Title IV disciplinary canons and a discussion on the theology of confirmation. Among the changes being considered is the elimination of confirmation. A committee of bishops charged with preparing a series of working papers on the topic stated that the topic is “both more far-reaching and more complex than may at first seem to be the case.
“Confirmation as a requirement for participation in the governance of the Church, for ordination, and other aspects of the life of the Church has tended to create difficulties, confusion, or has been simply ignored,” the Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg, Bishop of Eastern Oregon, wrote in an introductory draft paper. “The confusion is compounded in terms of polity, liturgical actions, and the definition of ‘member’ by ‘reception’ and ‘reaffirmation.’”
In another draft paper, the Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley, Jr., Bishop of Alabama, said before de-emphasizing the significance of confirmation in the Episcopal Church, another issue must be raised: “Is it not incumbent on us to ensure that persons chosen for leadership in the Episcopal Church have received substantial formation in the Anglican tradition and have a relationship with the bishop?”
Among the invited guests at the House of Bishops’ retreat is the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt. Rev. Nigel McCulloch, from the Church of England. The House of Bishops’ spring retreat concludes March 17 with an all-day Planning Committee meeting.
The Living Church Foundation
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