As an active participant in The Conflict for over 30 years, I find it just bizarre that the idea of a non enforceable covenant, twenty years more to go, is any thing but a death sentence for TEC orthodoxy. Does not the good doctor understand that TEO and its apparatchiks will expire from old age before they will consent to another even moderate bishop? Never. Ever Never. In twenty years there will be no Christians in the TEC House of Bishops. To whom, then, will we be able to turn to? The dioceses Dr. Harding enjoin to sign a covenant prior to that time “seeing through of that process” will have long since been abandoned to the TEO.

Refrain from mission work? Abandon the Great Commission while bemused old men dither about? Certainly not, since it represents the only legitimate Anglican mission effort in North America.

I tire of this.

There are times when it seems like Rowan Williams is five or ten years behind the reality that is The Episcopal Church (and in place so many of us once were), but even out of this last meeting seemed to grow closer to getting it, including the challenges that are before the establishment of a new province in North America. That he would actually mention publicly that this is going on and neither dismiss it or ignore it is in fact encouraging.

Thank you for your thoughts that are very helpful. I wish I could share optimism for the Covenant – but it seems highly unlikely that TEC will ever sign a covenant even in theory – and certainly won’t even look at one until Schori is out of office. That in itself, could be quite interesting.

-Mary Ailes