The Rt. Rev. Robert M. Duncan, Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network; the Rev. Canon Martyn Minns, rector of Truro Parish, Fairfax, Virginia; Diane Knippers, President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy; Mr. Hugo Blankingship, legal advisor to the American Anglican Council; and Dr. Michael Howell, alternate deputy to General Convention 2003, presented remarks and participated in a question and answer session.

ECUSA made a similar presentation and was represented by the Most Rev. Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop; the Very Rev. George Werner, President of the House of Deputies; Mr. David Booth Beers, Chancellor of the Episcopal Church USA; Mrs. Barbara Braver, Assistant to the Presiding Bishop for Communications; the Rt. Rev. Arthur Williams, former Vice-President of the House of Bishops; and the Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, President of the Presiding Bishop’s Council of Advice.

“I am grateful to the Lambeth Commission for their invitation to present our grave concerns and recommendations,” said Bishop Duncan, ACN Moderator. “We were given a fair hearing on a par with ECUSA. The Commission clearly understands that the actions of the Episcopal Church have created chaos within ECUSA as well as the Anglican Communion.”

“Archbishop Eames made it clear that the principal issue the Commission was assigned to address was how the Anglican Communion could re-shape its life in light of a Province (the Episcopal Church in the United States) that has rejected the clear counsel and stated teaching of the Communion. The secondary issue the Commission struggles with – though not its stated assignment – is how deeply it is appropriate to enter into resolutions of the internal dispute within this Province,” he added.

In addressing a way forward, Bishop Duncan outlined six specific recommendations for consideration by the Commission: Acknowledge that the schism ACN describes has occurred; observe that the minority in North America is at one with the majority of the Communion and with the undivided voice of evangelical and catholic Christianity; implore that the minority not be forced to submit to the aggressive and uncompromising innovators who insist, under plans like delegated episcopal pastoral oversight, that the endpoint is “reconciliation” [i.e., “submission”]; ask the Archbishop of Canterbury to give immediate protection and provide structural relief to that minority; recommend some form of discipline of ECUSA sufficient to return it to recognizable Anglicanism; and propose some core covenant or inter-Anglican code of canon law establishing broad limits to innovations against received Faith and Order, for consideration and adoption by any province desiring full membership in the Communion.

Other presenters noted dissonance in the Episcopal Church including issues involving breach of trust on the part of ECUSA, a sense of betrayal on the parish level and negative ecumenical ramifications. In addition, speakers addressed the untenable argument that advocacy for homosexual behavior is comparable to civil rights issues.

Speakers also shared their alarm over survey results showing that episcopal teens were less likely to believe in God than average American teens. In addition, they explained that the Church must counter, not accommodate, many North American cultural trends regarding sexuality and marriage.

“The Commission emphasized that their primary focus is to look to the future of the Anglican Communion, and we pledged to do our part to help the Communion move forward,” Bishop Duncan continued. “We remain committed to the rebirth of orthodox Anglicanism in North America, will continue to faithfully pursue that goal and remain grateful for the Commission’s encouragement.” The Lambeth Commission is expected to issue its report by late September or early October this year.

In deference to Lambeth Commission, the presentations will be released to them for posting on the official website and may be accessed at http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/lambeth.asp

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