Despite dire predictions of a confrontation over a range of sensitive issues in the life of the Episcopal Church, the annual spring retreat of bishops ended on March 12 with general agreement that it had been one of the deepest and most honest encounters many of them had experienced.

The overall theme of the retreat was reconciliation - and the way that the theme was handled was credited by many bishops for creating a much better climate for dealing with tensions over the issues. Building on their earlier study of globalisation at last fall’s meeting in Vermont, the bishops used their time at Camp Allen near Houston to study different areas of reconciliation as both the mission of the church and as integral to the role of a bishop.

"We started with personal dimensions of reconciliation and then considered ourselves as a community of ministers of reconciliation—bishops of the church," Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold said in a press conversation at the end of the retreat. "We asked who we are as people reconciled to God in Christ and, out of that reconciliation, how we are caught up in a context of continued reconciliation."

"Then we moved from personal to the communal or ecclesial level of reconciliation and in that context looked at some of the concerns in the life of the church. But we also recognised that the church is called to be a reconciling force in the world so we turned our attention to global matters such as world poverty, disease, disparity between rich and poor in this country, our relationship to the larger Anglican Communion,” he added. “They are all interactive. We must engage all these dimensions of reconciliation at the same time."

Griswold’s leadership was cited by several bishops. Robert Ihloff of Maryland said that he "put things in a theological perspective, consistently leading us spiritually and theologically to think out our issues on a Scriptural basis."

Bp Griswold said that the presence of representatives from other churches and other contexts was very helpful, "a special gift because they serve as reminders of the larger fellowship and they present the Gospel from a variety of contexts." In reporting to the Church Center staff following the retreat, he related a story of how Akinola dealt with several dioceses caught in conflict. "He visited them, removing the signs of his episcopal authority, prostrating himself on the ground and asking them to accept his ministry of reconciliation."

During the press conversation, bishops expressed deep appreciation for what had happened. "There is a commitment to understand and respond to the fact that we are people of privilege living in a time of extreme challenge, that global poverty and the situations of our sisters and brothers around the world is critical for us is a continuing agenda," said Bp Walmsley, who said that this was one of "the most remarkable meetings" he’d attended in 22 years in the House of Bishops.

Some bishops, looking to future meetings, expressed some eagerness and even impatience to move on to even larger issues. Bishop Chester Talton of Los Angeles, who chairs the planning committee, said that one of the most positive and important changes is that the meetings were beginning to focus on world issues.

The bishops shaped another covenant at their meeting - committing themselves to a list of specific issues as "next steps in reconciliation." Included are a reduction in global poverty, hunger and disease; addressing the gap between rich and poor in the United States; candid dialogue among Abrahamic faiths; efforts to empower partnerships among the provinces and dioceses within the Anglican Communion.

The Presiding Bishop greeted the commitment of the bishops to global issues. "Our reconciliation as a community of faith is not for ourselves but for the sake of the world. It was therefore important that having reflected upon our life as a church we turned our attention to the global issues that effect us all, remembering that Christ came not to save the church but the world," he said. "I think it is fair to say that the real energy came to the fore in our global discussions. Many bishops eagerly welcomed the opportunity to move on to matters that have significance beyond our self-preoccupation."

Article from: ENS by by James Solheim and Carol E Barnwell