The result meant the formal establishment of the Network of Anglican
Communion Dioceses and Parishes (NACDP) at its organising convocation in
Texas on Jan 19-20.

The NACDP "will operate within the constitution of the Episcopal Church
an d in full fellowship with the vast majority of the Anglican
Communion," stated its Moderator, the Rt Rev Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh.

"There is now no reason for orthodox Episcopalians to leave
Anglicanism,"20 he told the media at the close of the gathering held at
Christ Church, Plano, Texas.

The NACDP is not "a church within a church" stated the Rt Rev Peter
Beckwith of Springfield, and is "in, but not of" the Episcopal Church of
the Unite d States noted South Carolina delegate, the Rev Canon Kendall
Harmon.

The 10-point charter adopted by the NACDP commits its members to the
"propagation of the unchanging Gospel of Jesus Christ" and to the aid of
traditionalists seeking alternate or "Adequate Episcopal Oversight" who
are opposed20 to the innovations of doctrine and discipline represented
by the consecration as Bishop of New Hampshire of a divorced man living
in a homosexual relationship.

The convocation offered an olive branch to participants from Forward in
Faith, adopting a statement of latitude on the question of the
ordination of w omen that pledges to "honour the positions and practices
on this issue of others in the Network."

"The most significant" aspect, however, of the convocation noted Dr
Harmon "was that we passed [the charter] unanimously."

The genesis of the NACDP arose from a meeting between the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and four American bishops on Oct 17 at
Lambeth20 Palace. The Rev Jonathan Jennings, Lambeth Palace Press
Officer, told The Church of England Newspaper, "Dr Williams encouraged
[the bishops] to pursue any questions of oversight firmly within the
context of their relationship with ECUSA, along the lines envisaged by
the Primates' meeting."

Thirteen American diocesan bishops responded to the Primates' challenge
an d released a theological statement in December justifying their
dissatisfaction with the course taken by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold
and the America n General Convention. The convocation that followed,
however, opened under a cloud of uncertainty and fear following a series
of attacks that labeled the proposed Network "schismatic" and
"fundamentalist".

Though the public face of the meeting was polite and calm, disagreement
arose over how and when to act. Several bishops were unwilling to back
calls f or alternative Episcopal oversight unless and until they had the
full backing of their dioceses.

Others raised concerns over the canonical implications of crossing
diocesan boundaries to provide alternative Episcopal oversight.

The convocation had reached its nadir over canonical wrangling when
Bishop Duncan invited Canon Green to address the stalled gathering.
Canon Green re minded the convocation why they were there and what they
had been called to do. The eyes of the Anglican Communion were on the
convocation, Canon Green said, pleading for "boldness" and "courage",
asking if now was not the time to act, when would it be, and if they
were not the ones to act, who would be ?

"You can talk until the cows come home, but there has got to be some
action," Canon Green told The Church of England Newspaper the next day.

"It was as if a dam burst," Canon Harmon told us. Various participants
later described Canon Green's words as "electric", "Churchillian", and
as an "outpouring of the Holy Spirit" upon the group.

Canon Green also urged the NACDP to put aside differences with the
Anglican Mission in America making a "heartfelt plea for
reconciliation," one participant noted. The AMiA, Canon Green later told
us, "is fully Anglican".

As the Network reconvened on the second day, the delegates united behind
C anon Green's call for action confidently resolving differences over
alternative Episcopal oversight and the ordination of women and
unanimously endorsed the final document.

A copy of the charter and minutes from the meeting, a spokesman for the
NACDP said, were being sent to Dr Williams and Bishop Griswold.

END