As a result of 16 meetings in 10 days we returned with a heady mix of impressions of the Episcopal Church.   Enthusiastic,  mission oriented,  committed, godly and rooted in Christ's gospel of generous welcome.    We've met a wide range of Episcopalians,  lay and ordained,  and received nothing but courtesy and warmth of welcome.     There was a strong sense of alienation and isolation from the rest of the Communion fed by lack of contact -  both ways - which is concerning given the significance of the Episcopal  Church (TEC)  in the life of the Communion.  Above all we come away with a sense of the vital necessity of strengthening the bonds of friendship between us. 

Our trip began in New York where we were guests of Canon George Brandt at St Michael's in Manhattan.  We had meetings with parish clergy and concerned lay people, staff from the Episcopal Church Center at 815 Second Avenue (the 'Church House' of TEC), and with leaders of Integrity on the East coast.  From there we went to Providence, Rhode Island, where Fr Scott Gunn hosted a meeting with a good number of folks from the diocese.  After lunch with Bishop Wolf and her husband we moved on to Cambridge, Mass and a visit to the Society of St John the Evangelist on Ash Wednesday.  From there we went to Chicago, where we were hosted by the Rector of the Church of the Atonement, who again gathered a varied group of people who were keen to engage with us.  After a meeting with co-ordinators from the Chicago Consultation we moved on to our final destination, San Francisco, where  we had a very full schedule - worship at St Gregory of Nyssa and Grace Cathedral, a congregational discussion, a seminar with seminarians at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, meetings with local clergy and lengthy conversation with our gracious hosts Donald and Ellen Schell.

Friendship is perhaps the most important and the most underrated ingredient in intelligent dialogue and a way in which people who don't understand one another can come to recognise that of God in each other's experience.  St Teresa of Avila understood our calling to become friends of God which is the basis of Communion. 

There's a familiarity in the life of the Episcopal church which is both comfortable and strange.  We attended an "Experimental Evening Prayer”  in the Church Divinity School of the Pacific - one of the seminaries of TEC which was remarkably similar to "experimental” worship at an ordination course in England - not very experimental,  really,  but full of devotion and seriousness.    There's a familial understanding of spirituality and mission which might surprise those in the UK who see TEC as a dangerous bed of wild liberalism.  At the heart of its ecclesiology is the Baptismal Covenant,  about which Louis Weil spoke so powerfully at Drenched in Grace.   But it also has a strong sense of engagement with the world it seeks to serve in the way that many of our parishes do.

Why did we need to travel thousands of miles and produce tons of CO2 to discover this?    Because it's in face to face encounters between friends that a deeper truth is uncovered,  and the time spent in conversation builds the understanding between us.  So,  for instance,  it wasn't until our last day and a long conversation over breakfast with Rick Fabian that we began to understand the real complexities of the history of TEC and how it is impacting upon the present.   According to Rick,  during the Civil War the Episcopal Church held itself together by remaining silent about slavery;  as a result it lost most of its black congregation,  so unity was gained at the cost of justice.     That's clearly had an impact on the current debate over the place of lesbian and gay Christians in the church;  TEC is no longer willing to betray a part of its congregation for the sake of something which has caused it profound damage in the past.

So,  in short,  it's a failure of conversation and listening to one another's story which has led to the situation we're in.    Not just between provinces but within them, and one thing we thought we were able to bring to the conversations we had was our experience of attempts within the Church of England to build bridges between conservative and liberal which are beginning to bear fruit.  It's hard to demonise your friends and we've learnt that this has taught us that it would be good to spend more time cultivating good relationships both between the US and the UK but also more widely across the Communion. 

One thing we did spend time on was developing the plans for the inclusive presence at the Lambeth Conference.  Very good meetings with Integrity and the Chicago Consultation at which we represented both the St Anne's Network and IC enabled fruitful planning to take place, and it's quite clear that the overriding intention for our groups at Lambeth is to build exactly the kind of friendships which are so important,  both across theological divides and between the like-minded.   

Godly conversation.  Worship and prayer.  The life of the communion.  If we're to salvage something good out of the past ten years' controversy,  that must be the place to start.  Plans are afoot for more meetings across the Atlantic,  but it shouldn't stop there,  and our hope is that many different people,  groups, parishes and organisations throughout the UK and beyond will be encouraged to engage seriously with Christians in other provinces.   With God's help, we will. 

Plans are shaping up for

The Lambeth Conference - 21st July - 1st August

Soon I shall be contacting you , and all those who signed up to help at "Drenched in Grace”, to see if you are able to help at the Lambeth Conference with attendance on the Inclusive Church Stall in the Charities tent in the Market Place; at a seminar we are hosting "Inclusive Church: Anglican Welcome” ; at an evening on the issue of The Covenant ; at a Eucharist and party over the middle weekend , and possibly , to relax , at Shrek 2!

We have had good offers of help with a daily newsletter at the Conference from members of Integrity and with running the Communications Centre from members of Changing Attitude for which we are very grateful.

Living Christianity

Many thanks to all of you who responded wanting to receive this Course. Three parishes have been running pilots and I shall edit the results and send the course to you before Easter. It is a five session course , with two extra sessions if wanted , on the Experience of God in our Lives and in the Eucharist. Please would you identify yourself when you ask fro the course if you are willing to run a pilot in your parish or community between Easter and Ascension Day or at some point during the summer. Thanks!

Inclusive Church Seminars

We are creating seminars to take around the country - hopefully first to Gloucester , Greenbelt and Manchester - about Inclusive Imperative: Anglican Identity , looking at our roots in the New Testament , in the history of the Church of England and then moving on to look at the work of Inclusive Church and its partner groups today.

Inclusive Church Day Workshops

Taking on board the feedback from Drenched In Grace we also want to create two half day workshops, for November and February, about Inclusive Language and about Sexual Ethics. Watch this space!

Clare

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