New York summit concludes

The following agreed statement and subsequent response from the Archbishop of Canterbury were issued at the conclusion of the special summit meeting in New York.

ACNS 4187 | USA | 13 SEPTEMBER 2006

New York Bishops Meeting: A Statement

Issued 13 September 2006, 3 p.m. GMT

A group of bishops met in New York on 11-13 September at the invitation
of the Archbishop of Canterbury and in consultation with the Presiding
Bishop to review the current landscape of the church in view of
conflicts within the Episcopal Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury had
received a request from seven dioceses for alternative primatial
pastoral care and asked that American bishops address the question. The
co-conveners of the meeting were Bishops Peter James Lee of Virginia and
John Lipscomb of Southwest Florida. Other participating bishops were
Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine
Jefferts Schori and Bishops Jack Iker of Fort Worth, Robert Duncan of
Pittsburgh, James Stanton of Dallas, Edward Salmon of South Carolina,
Mark Sisk of New York, Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina, and
Robert O'Neill of Colorado. Also participating was Canon Kenneth Kearon,
the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.

We had honest and frank conversations that confronted the depth of the
conflicts that we face. We recognized the need to provide sufficient
space, but were unable to come to common agreement on the way forward.
We could not come to consensus on a common plan to move forward to meet
the needs of the dioceses that issued the appeal for Alternate Primatial
Oversight. The level of openness and charity in this conference allow us
to pledge to hold one another in prayer and to work together until we
have reached the solution God holds out for us.

ENDS

ACNS 4188 | LAMBETH | 13 SEPTEMBER 2006

Archbishop of Canterbury: Response to New York statement

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has responded to the
statement issued earlier today from the meeting of bishops of The
Episcopal Church (TEC) being held in New York.

Archbishop Williams said:

It's a positive sign that these difficult conversations have been taking
place in a frank and honest way. There is clearly a process at work and
although it hasn't yet come to fruition, the openness and charity in
which views are being shared and options discussed are nevertheless
signs of hope for the future. Our prayers continue.

ENDS