“Does the Anglican Communion matter to you?”
by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Clark Ely, Bishop of Vermont
Mountain Echo
June 2007

Does the Anglican Communion matter to you? Do the role and place of The Episcopal Church within the Anglican Communion matter to you? If your answer is yes, then please come to one of the conversations I have scheduled around the diocese to discuss the issues and questions raised in the new study document, Communion Matters.

The House of Bishops Theology Committee prepared Communion Matters to be a resource for the bishops, dioceses and people of the Episcopal Church to assist in our consideration of the communiqué issued by the primates of the Anglican Communion at the conclusion of their meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in February 2007.

The preface to Communion Matters states: “The Communiqué needs to be seen as a part of the ongoing Windsor process, ‘a pilgrimage towards healing and reconciliation,’ as the preface to the Windsor Report described it in 2004. This study document summarizes this process, describes why such a process is important, and examines aspects of the special character of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. It also poses questions for our corporate reflection to assist the bishops as they prepare for the fall meeting of the House of Bishops, which will include conversations with the Archbishop of Canterbury, members of the Standing Committee of the Primates’ Meeting, and members of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council.”

The communiqué, a letter I wrote in response to the communiqué, a response by our General Convention deputies and the full text of Communion Matters can all be found here on the index page for the February Primates' Meeting. You can request a printed copy by calling the diocesan office at 802-863-3431 or by sending an email to adminasst@dioceseofvermont.org. Parish clergy, the Diocesan Council, the Standing Committee, the deputies to General Convention, and those Diocesan Convention delegates for whom we have an email address, have all received an email with Communion Matters as an attachment.

All bishops received Communion Matters in early June, and they were asked to hold conversations in their dioceses in advance of the September House of Bishops meeting, when we will continue the discussion about the communiqué that was begun at our March meeting. We will pay particular attention to specific requests from the Primates that the bishops of The Episcopal Church, 1) “make an unequivocal common covenant that the bishops will not authorize any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in their dioceses or through General Convention,” and 2) “confirm that the passing of Resolution B033 of the 75th General Convention means that a candidate for Episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consent; unless some new consensus on these matters emerges across the Communion.”

In an effort to make sure that I go to the September House of Bishops meeting having listened to the thoughts, feelings and concerns of the people of the Diocese of Vermont, I have arranged for six conversations throughout the diocese over the course of the next several weeks [see below]. While the summer months may not be the optimum time for these conversations, it is really the only time we have. I hope you will choose to be part of the conversation. If you cannot be present for the conversations, I would also welcome your written responses to the questions posed in Communion Matters.

The Anglican Communion does matter to me, and I think the conversation about the questions and issues raised in Communion Matters needs to include the voices of the people of Vermont. There is much at stake in all of this, so I hope you will gather with me and with one another for one of these conversations.

Faithfully,
+ Thomas

Communion Matters Conversations

Saturday July 7, 2007, Saint Barnabas Church, Norwich, 3-5 p.m.
Sunday July 8, 2007, Christ Church, Island Pond, 3-5 p.m.
Thursday July 12, 2007, Saint Luke’s, Saint Albans, 7-9 p.m.
Saturday July 14, 2007, Saint Stephen’s, Middlebury, 3-5 p.m.
Tuesday August 7, 2007, All Saint’s, South Burlington, 7-9 p.m.
Thursday August 9, 2007, Saint Mary’s in the Mountains, Wilmington, 7-9 p.m.