Last fall, the Policy and Planning Commission presented the Vestry with a Report on the ongoing controversies within The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Communion. These controversies largely involve ordination of non-celibate homosexuals, interpretation of Scripture, and breakdown of traditional boundary lines between Provinces.

One recommendation of that Report was that the Parish be regularly updated on ongoing developments related to these issues, particularly as they may affect Pohick Church. As part of that communication effort, I have been asked to provide regular reports in The Pohick Post.

The 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church will take place this month in Anaheim, California. The General Convention is the central governing authority of the Episcopal Church. It meets every three years to set the Episcopal Church’s mission priorities, budget and policies

The Episcopal Church in this country was founded when the first General Convention met in Philadelphia in 1785, and needed to reconstitute the church following the Revolution. With the Revolution fresh in mind, the decision was made to have a bicameral governing body. One house, the House of Deputies,  would consist of priests and lay people, in equal numbers. The other, the House of Bishops would consist of elected – rather than royally appointed – Bishops. This bicameral governing structure was adopted four years later, in 1789, and continues to this day. It is something that makes us very different from other Anglican provinces around the world, which are governed solely by their Bishops.

All bishops, whether active or retired, are members of the House of Bishops. Each diocese elects eight people to the House of Deputies, four priests and four lay people. The “equal representation” nature of the House of Delegates means that Virginia, the largest diocese in the country, has the same number of votes as the smallest diocese. Our Clergy Deputies are: The Revs. Dr. Robert Prichard, Lynne Washington, Susan Goff and Susan Eaves. Our Lay Deputies are Russell Palmore, Cindi Bartol, Russ Randle and John Paul Causey.

The House of Bishops is chaired by the Presiding Bishop, who is elected by the General Convention to a nine-year term. The House of Deputies elects its president for a three-year term, to serve until the next General Convention. Bonnie Anderson was elected President in 2006. As Bishop Jones pointed out to our Vestry when he met with us in June, because of the bicameral nature of the Episcopal Church’s governance, when Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and Ms. Anderson sit across the table from each other, they sit as equals. This, too, is a very difficult concept for some bishops from elsewhere in the Anglican Communion to grasp.

The House of Bishops and House of Deputies meet, deliberate and vote separately. Like the U.S. Congress, to be enacted resolutions must pass both houses in the same language.   

A number of resolutions have been filed in advance of this year’s General Convention. The ones that have gotten the most attention deal with the hot-button issues confronting our church: human sexuality and our relations with other churches in the Anglican Communion.

Various resolutions would repeal or re-visit the resolution “B033” passed in 2006 which urged “restraint” on any new consecrations of non-celibate gay bishops. Advocates feel this “restraint” has not achieved the goal of advancing discussions within the Communion about the appropriate role of gays and lesbians in the life of the church, and that the usefulness of this Resolution has “run its course.” Other resolutions would specifically permit ordination of  non-celibate gays and lesbians, and specifically allow dioceses to develop rites to bless same-sex unions.

The Presiding Bishop has indicated she is not inclined to revisit these issues. Bishop Jones told the Vestry said he senses a significant difference between the House of Bishops and House of Deputies on them: The Deputies are generally more inclined to want further steps toward full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the church, while the Bishops generally are taking a more cautious approach.  Bishop Johnston  has written the same thing, saying “It is possible that we could see the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies showing pointedly different visions for the way ahead at this time. The deputies might well be more ‘activist’ while the bishops could be more moderating.  As a result, one House may contradict the vote of the other on a couple of occasions.”

Resolutions to give initial or provisional approval to the proposed Anglican Covenant also have been introduced; again, the Presiding Bishop has said such a decision is “premature,” as the church has not had enough time to discuss the Covenant, and its wording is not final.

One resolution with potentially significant impact on both Pohick Church and the Diocese of Virginia would bring the entire Episcopal Church into one nationwide, mandatory health care plan. There also are resolutions to study the current configuration of dioceses; take the first steps toward possible revision of The Hymnal 1982, with a goal of publishing a new hymnal in 2018; address such international political issues as the ending the embargo against Cuba and the blockage of the Gaza strip; and many other topics.

For the first time in our history, the Archbishop of Canterbury will attend. His ostensible role is to lead the convention in Bible study, though his presence surely will have an impact on deliberations regarding human sexuality and Anglican Communion issues.

It is important to remember that despite all these controversies, the work of the Church – globally, nationally, and locally – goes on. Hungry are fed; needy are provided for; sick are visited. Episcopal churches, including Pohick, have responded to flood victims in Iowa, and our mission team recently completed another rebuilding trip to New Orleans. Your Vestry is determined to continue our important ministry and mission.

Faithfully,

Don Brownlee
Chairman, Policy and Planning Commission