Western
Louisiana convention reaffirms commitment to
Anglican Communion Covenant
Saturday, October
10, 2009
Delegates to the annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana, held October 9-10, 2009, reaffirmed the commitment of the diocese to the proposed Anglican Communion Covenant and fully supported diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev'd D. Bruce MacPherson.
Bishop MacPherson is one of the founding bishops of the Communion Partners initiative, formed "to provide a visible link to the Anglican Communion" in a time when The Episcopal Church has taken actions deemed by many as "tearing the fabric of the Anglican Communion."
Bishop MacPherson, has pledged to work together with other Communion Partner bishops according to the principles outlined in the Windsor Report, and seek a comprehensive Anglican Covenant.
Towards that end Western Louisiana's 2006 convention positioned the diocese as a "Windsor Diocese" and has patterned its actions and positions to be "Windsor Compliant."
At
last summer's General Convention of The Episcopal Church, Bishop MacPherson
was one of the drafters and a signatory of the "Anaheim Statement." Signers
of that document: o reaffirmed their constituent membership in the Anglican
Communion, their communion with the See of Canterbury, and their commitment
to preserving these relationships.
• reaffirmed their commitment to the doctrine, discipline, and worship
of Christ as this Church has received them (BCP 526, 538).
• reaffirmed their commitment to the three moratoria requested of us
by the Instruments of Communion.
• reaffirmed their commitment to the Anglican Communion Covenant process
currently underway, with the hope of working toward its implementation across
the Communion once a Covenant is completed.
• reaffirmed their commitment to "continue in the apostles' teaching
and fellowship" which is foundational to our baptismal covenant, and to be
one with the apostles in "interpreting the Gospel" which is essential to our
work as bishops of the Church of God.
On September 1, 2009, Bishop MacPherson was part of a delegation of Communion Partner Bishops that met with Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Their subsequent report on the meeting said: "We encourage dioceses and congregations to study and endorse the Anglican Communion Covenant when it is finally released, and to urge its adoption by General Convention."
The bishop's report also reaffirmed their commitment to "remain constituent members of both the Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church."
During its session Saturday afternoon, October 10, Convention considered proposed resolutions dealing with the Anglican Communion Covenant and the Ridley Cambridge Covenant draft.
The first resolution considered, which was proposed by the diocesan standing committee, was tabled in favor of one offered by St. Mark's Cathedral and authored by Canon Cheryl White, Ph.D., who is Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Western Louisiana and the Very Rev'd Dr. Jacob Owensby, dean of the Cathedral.
During debate of the St. Mark's resolution, the Rev'd T. Whitfield Stodghill, who had expressed reservations about the standing committee resolution, took the floor to ask Bishop MacPherson, "what he needed" to keep moving forward. Substitute language offered by Stodghill was made a part of the St. Mark's resolution.
This action prompted standing committee member, the Rev'd Dr. Mitzi George, to offer additional language which was also made a part of the St. Mark's resolution.
Voting by a show of hands, Convention quickly and almost unanimously, (four "no" votes) adopted the amended St. Mark's resolution.
The resolution adopted says the Diocese of Western Louisiana "fully affirms its commitment to the Windsor principles, including the formation of, and future adoption of an Anglican Covenant as a means of supporting the ongoing work of our bishop and the efforts of the broader Communion to preserve our unity.
The resolution also states "that this Convention supports the ongoing work on the Ridley Cambridge draft including Section 4."
