Boston Conference Report on the Power of Bishops

Lively discussions about role and power of bishops in churches highlighted sessions at Anglican-Lutheran Society Conference held September 20-23, 2002, at (Roman Catholic) Espousal Conference Center in Waltham, MA, with over fifty participants from five countries. conference was sponsored by North American region of Anglican-Lutheran Society in cooperation with New England Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Six excellent speakers addressed power of bishops, from Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic perspectives in North America and Europe. Thoughtful questions and spirited discussions followed each presentation. Participants heard about these churches' understandings of church is governed with varying traditions on authority and oversight. Differences within churches on these issues were noted, as well as varying meanings for same word. Dr. Michael Root (Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH) spoke twice, on how bishops became a problem for Lutherans and on historical and evangelical episcopate in light of 'Called Common Mission.' He said that when Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopted CCM, which brought it into full communion with Episcopal Church in USA, ELCA committed itself an historic and evangelical episcopate, yet saw itself as still bound by commitments of Lutheran Confessions on this question. Episcopacy does not by itself constitute church's apostolicity. It is desirable not as by itself constituting apostolic continuity of church, but as one element in that continuity.... A truly historic and evangelical episcopacy is both a sign and an embodiment of continuity in apostolic Root pointed often-overlooked paragraph 17 in CCM in which Episcopal Church endorses Lutheran affirmation that historic catholic episcopate under Word of God must always serve gospel and that ultimate authority under which bishops preach and teach is gospel itself. Thus, Episcopal Church agrees establish and welcome ... structures for collegial and periodic review of ministry exercised by bishops with a view evaluation, adaptation, improvement and continued reform in service of gospel. Root noted that he has learned from Anglicans expression the church episcopally led and synodically governed, which he believes is applicable to both Lutheran and Anglican churches, even if embodied in a variety of forms. In history of Episcopal Church, U.S.A., Rev. Dr. Ian T. Douglas (Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA) cited emphasis on the calling of bishop as first and foremost a He credited Rt. Rev. George Washington Doane, a nineteenth-century bishop of New Jersey, with a central role in bringing Episcopal Church a more catholic understanding of church as mission. Since 1835, Episcopal Church has said that mission and church are inseparable. Thus, The bishop's calling, world and church, is be chief missionary. As such she/he proclaims world promise of new life in Christ's resurrection. At same time bishop is called be a leader in church that serves and promotes unity of body. This bi-directional call, world and body of Christ, is not easy. In both spheres, bishop must seek and serve God's reconciling, redemptive mission. If she/he does not, then authority and power of episcopate is lost. Without a primary commitment God's mission, bishop cannot be bishop. 1998 Lambeth Conference signalled a turning point in Anglicanism, Douglas claimed, adding that churches in Southern Hemisphere would not stand idly by while their sisters and brothers in United States, England and other dominantly Anglo contexts set agenda. …