"He wrote about it three years ago, too. It's an idea that's found some traction in some parts of the worldwide Anglican Communion, but not a great deal of traction in other parts."

Questioned about what she liked and didn't like about the model, Jefferts Schori said, "We don't all believe everything in the same way. We never have and never will. There are parts of the Anglican Communion that don't ordain women and think it wrong to do so, yet we remain in communion and relationship and in mission partnerships together."

"We've always had a variety of ways of being in relationship together, and I don't think that will change," she said.

The Presiding Bishop said the Anglican Communion is composed of 38 individual church bodies. Each of those provinces in the Anglican Communion is autonomous. They each govern themselves. They are in relationship with other members of the Anglican Communion because of a shared heritage, their shared form of worship and, to a large degree, their shared theology and understanding of Scripture and tradition.

Questioned on what will happen if Episcopalians in the dioceses of Minnesota and Los Angeles elect a bishop from candidate pools that include priests in same-gender relationships, despite warnings from some Anglicans overseas to not elect more gay bishops Jefferts Schori said each diocese makes its own decisions. If such a person were to be elected, she would have to wait and see what the consent process produces.

"Each diocese, in producing a slate for an episcopal election, is very careful in thinking about the qualities of the person they seek in their next bishop, their particular gifts, leadership capacity, the ability of that person to be a holy example for the people of that diocese. I assure you the diocese in electing processes are very careful about that work."

Asked if she drew comfort from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's recent step towards rostering gay clergy this summer, Jefferts Schori replied, "These issues are facing all Christians, all people of faith, and the Jewish community has wrestled with this as well. They're not going to go away. Particularly in the North American context, they are significant. They're not issues we can ignore. . . . We don't all believe everything in the same way. We never have and never will. There are parts of the Anglican Communion that don't ordain women and think it wrong to do so, yet we remain in communion and relationship and in mission partnerships together."

Asked why in the North American context in particular, she replied, "It's simply the state of the cultural discussion and the church's engagement in that. It's not a matter of such import or open conversation in parts of Africa. It is in South Africa -- the Anglican Church in South Africa is having similar kinds of discussions. The church in Japan, Mexico and New Zealand and Australia is also having these conversations. It depends on where you are. . . . For the same reasons that issues of polygamy are of significant import to the church in Kenya or the church in Uganda, but not to the church in North America."

Questioned on the shrinking diocese of Central Pennsylvania -- down 14 percent since 1997 and now numbering about 15,000 -- and what can be done to stanch these losses, Jefferts Schori replied that it was a combination of demographic, communities shrinking for economic reasons, and the need to make young people, growing up, understand their role in the church and made to feel welcome as full members of the church from the very beginning. "Part of the role of the church also is to reach out to others in the community who do not have a faith tradition or an active Christian membership to spread the gospel there."

Asked about the continuing hemorrhaging of TEC and if people will continue to leave the church over sexuality issues, Jefferts Schori said that people have always decided to pursue their spiritual journeys elsewhere -- some people -- at times of controversy. "Certainly, the same kind of thing happened when the church began wrestling honestly with the place of African-Americans in the church and the place of women in the church. At the same time, we tend to attract others who find our stances positive, so there is a give and take."

Questioned on why ten Episcopal nuns from a convent in Catonsville, MD, left TEC and joined the Roman Catholic Church over recent decisions of the church on homosexuality, Jefferts Schori said that one did remain within the Episcopal Church.

"I note the interesting dilemma that that situation raises. They would not have the freedom to make that kind of a decision once they were in the Roman Catholic Church. They do have the freedom to make that kind of a decision within the Episcopal Church. Religious orders are independent bodies within the Episcopal Church. They're not like a congregation or a diocese, and they can vote to affiliate with another body. Once they're in the Roman Catholic Church, they will not have that ability."

The presiding bishop will be visiting the 24-county Diocese of Central Pennsylvania from Friday through Sunday.

END