The Amusing Spectacle of Virginia’s “Windsor Dialogue Commission” & Peter Lee’s “Legacy”

from Stand Firm by Sarah Hey:

Anglican Mainstream pointed me towards the report of the faux "Windsor Dialogue Commission."

What makes it so amusing is that the "dialogue" is nothing more than a discussion about "when we can go ahead and enact same-sex blessings" . . . but named "the Windsor Dialogue Commission." Of course, since the Windsor Report based its entire prescription on Lambeth 1.10 -- which served as its foundational assumption -- naming a same-sex blessings commission the "Windsor Dialogue Commission" is nothing more than rank propagandistic lies.

So here's what the Diocese of Virginia says about the "Windsor Dialogue Commission" [sic]:

In its report to the 2008 Council, the R-5 Commission recommended, among other things, that a new commission be appointed "to identify the practical steps necessary to provide for the pastoral care and spiritual support of same-gender couples in committed monogamous relationships."

Accordingly, the Bishop appointed the Windsor Dialogue Commission in February of 2008 with the following charge:
• To encourage and continue a process of listening pastorally and prayerfully to all persons in the church concerned about the place of gay and lesbian members of the church, involving gay and lesbian persons themselves in that listening process;
• To seek to discern signs of an emerging consensus in the Diocese of Virginia regarding the issues identified in that listening process;
• To encourage and continue the commitment of the Diocese of Virginia to the processes recommended in the Windsor Report and to recommend ways the Diocese of Virginia may strengthen its support of an engagement with the wider Anglican Communion;
• To engage members of the Diocese of Virginia in educational and discernment events that will contribute to broader understanding and strengthened unity.

And surprise surprise surprise:

"Based on these six groups, with four overwhelmingly positive experiences and two characterized by feelings of impatience for not addressing issues of liturgy and blessings, it appears that there is progress towards an emerging consensus in the Diocese of Virginia for the support of same gender unions."

For sheer gall and spectacle there's nothing like Peter Lee -- dissembling, divisive man that he is -- appointing a same-sex blessings commission and calling it the "Windsor Dialogue Commission" -- when its entire purpose is in direct and utter contradiction to the Windsor Report. May as well call a forced Ukrainian famine a "Five Year Plan."

What are the ultimate consequences, though, of this kind of lying? It means that Peter Lee -- for all of his Pravdaesque propaganda -- will go down in history not as a "unifier" or a great "center aisle" negotiator. In fact, despite his pretensions and his fantasies, he failed to "unify" his diocese. He will go down in history as The Bishop Who Lost The Traditionalists And Split His Diocese -- from top to bottom and from east to west.

And the self-serving man who wanted so very badly to be perceived as The Great Centrist . . . a man who thought he could sweet talk people who disagreed with his rankly heretical theology into unifying around his person rather than around truth . . . turns out to be The Great Divider, The Great Diocese-Splitter, and The Great Preener.

That's his legacy.

And the good thing is . . . many many many Episcopalians, like this one, know that legacy full well.