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Episcopal Diocese of West Texas (Use your browser print commands then click back to the webpage.) |
Taken from the General
Convention 2006 online legislation website as of June 28, 2006
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/53785_61652_ENG_HTM.htm?menu=menu71831
FINAL VERSION - Concurred
Resolution A159
Resolved, the House of Bishops
concurring, That the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal
Church reaffirm the abiding commitment of The Episcopal Church to the
fellowship of churches that constitute the Anglican Communion and seek to
live into the highest degree of communion possible; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention reaffirm that
The Episcopal Church is in communion with the See of Canterbury, upholding
and propagating the historic Faith and Order as set forth in the Book of
Common Prayer; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention join with the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the primates, and the Anglican Consultative
Council in making a commitment to the vision of interdependent life in
Christ, characterized by forbearance, trust, and respect, and commend the
Windsor Report and process as a means of deepening our understanding of that
commitment; and be it further
Resolved, That as an expression of
interdependence, the Presiding offices of both Houses work in partnership
with the churches of the Anglican Communion to explore ways by which there
might be inter-Anglican consultation and participation on Standing
Commissions of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.
The Windsor Report is part of a process for maintaining the highest degree of communion possible. The first two resolve clauses of this resolution state this General Convention's desire for full life in the Anglican Communion and to maintain the distinctively Anglican bonds of communion. At their 2005 meeting, the primates requested "all Provinces to consider whether they are willing to be committed to the interdependent life of the Anglican Communion understood in the terms set out in" sections A and B of the Windsor Report (Dromantine Communiqué, paragraph 8). The third resolve addresses this question. The final resolve clause invites members of other Anglican churches into the deliberations of our standing commissions as an expression of our mutual responsibility and interdependence with sister and brother Christians from around the world.
* Resolution is final but status and text are still under review before publication.
*
FINAL VERSION - Concurred
Resolution A160
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, mindful of “the repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation enjoined on us by Christ” (Windsor Report, paragraph 134), express its regret for straining the bonds of affection in the events surrounding the General Convention of 2003 and the consequences which followed; offer its sincerest apology to those within our Anglican Communion who are offended by our failure to accord sufficient importance to the impact of our actions on our church and other parts of the Communion; and ask forgiveness as we seek to live into deeper levels of communion one with another.
This resolution addresses the invitation of the Windsor Report that "the Episcopal Church be invited to express regret" for breaching the proper constraints of the bonds of affection (Windsor Report 134). It concurs with and affirms the language of the House of Bishops' expression of regret, thus signaling our synodical intentions to remain within the Communion.
* Resolution is final but status and text are still under review before publication.
* FINAL VERSION - Concurred
Resolution A165
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General
Convention of The Episcopal Church commend the Windsor Report “as offering a
way forward for the mutual life of our Communion” (Primates’ Communiqué),
and as an essential and substantive contribution to the process of living
into deeper levels of communion and interdependence across the Anglican
Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention commit The Episcopal
Church to the ongoing “Windsor Process,” a process of discernment as to the
nature and unity of the Church, as we pursue a common life of dialogue,
listening, and growth, formed and informed by the bonds of communion we
share ; and urge all members of this church to commit themselves to the call
of greater communion and interdependent life; and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention commend the “listening
process” as recommended in the Windsor Report, “so that greater common
understanding might be obtained on the underlying issue of same gender
relationships” (Windsor Report, ¶135), and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention gratefully acknowledge the
practical steps taken by the Anglican Communion Office to begin a formal
“listening process” across the Communion, and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention commit this church to
participating fully and openly in this “listening process,” both at the
local level and with the rest of the Communion (ACC 13, Resolution 12) , and
be it further
Resolved, that a staff person at The Episcopal Church Center be identified
to forward this listening process in coordination with the cognate person
for the Communion and with our Communion partners.
The Windsor Report has advanced a process for mutual discernment of our common life together in the Anglican Communion. In a similar way, the Anglican Communion has taken steps to fulfill the 1998 Lambeth Conference commitment to a "Listening Process." This resolution commends these two processes and commits the Episcopal Church to participate faithfully in them.
* Resolution is final but status and text are still under review before publication.
* FINAL VERSION - Concurred
Resolution A166
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General
Convention of the Episcopal Church, as a demonstration of our commitment to
mutual responsibility and interdependence in the Anglican Communion, support
the process of the development of an Anglican Covenant that underscores
our unity in faith, order, and common life in the service of God’s mission;
and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention direct the International
Concerns Standing Committee of the Executive Council and the Episcopal
Church’s members of the Anglican Consultative Council to follow the
development processes of an Anglican Covenant in the Communion, and
report regularly to the Executive Council as well as to the 76th General
Convention; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention report these actions
supporting the Anglican Covenant development process, noting such
missiological and theological resources as the Standing Commission on World
Mission and the House of Bishops’ Theology Committee to the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative
Council and the Primates, and the Secretary General of the Anglican
Communion; and that the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church report the
same to the Primates of the churches of the Anglican Communion.
This resolution supports the development of an Anglican Covenant as suggested by the Windsor Report, the Primates' Meeting of February 2005, and the 13th Meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council. It directs appropriate bodies in the Episcopal Church to serve as resources for the development of an Anglican Covenant, and to report to the Episcopal Church regularly as to current covenant proposals.
* Resolution is final but status and text are still under review before publication
* FINAL VERSION - Concurred
Resolution B032
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention affirm that no resolution of the General Convention is intended to affect either the historic separate and independent status of the churches of the Anglican Communion or the legal identity of The Episcopal Church.
* Resolution is final but status and text are still under review before publication.
* FINAL VERSION - Concurred
Resolution B033
Resolved, the House of Deputies
concurring, That the 75th General Convention receive and embrace
The Windsor Report’s invitation to engage in a process of healing and
reconciliation; and be it further
Resolved, that this Convention therefore call upon Standing
Committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint by not
consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose
manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to
further strains on communion.
* Resolution is final but status and text are still under review before publication.