This morning I’m off to the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City. This is their three-yearly meeting and it is huge. I’m not much into special relationships. But we have a special relationship with the American church. It’s partly history. They crave history and we have plenty to spare – and the crossover is the consecration of Samuel Seabury,
We also are alike in many ways. In culture, they are a church of many small and independent (minded) congregations. They are also a bit like us in polity. No archbishop – but a Presiding Bishop a bit like our Primus. Part of the interest in this meeting is that it will see the election of a new Presiding Bishop to succeed Katharine Jefferts Schori. That decision will tell us a little bit about the future direction of travel of TEC and there are implications for the life of the Anglican Communion in that. General Convention is remarkably unconnected internally – I see my friend Bishop Andy Jennings quoting Convenor Rev Gay Jennings as saying that it is time to consider a unicameral legislature. At present it is amazingly unconnected internally and that might just mean that bishops become more powerful than they should be.
I’m sort of at home with the American Church. I did what they call their ‘Bishop School’ so I am part of the Class of 2009 with a wide range of friends and contacts. I’ll also be doing a bit on behalf of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Indaba – sometimes called Living Reconciliation – while I am there. And there will be the year group reunion …