[Diocese of Texas] Doyle Attempts To Soothe Parishioners Regarding the ABC’s Pentecost Letter

from Stand Firm by Sarah Hey

Bishop Doyle starts out by attempting to perceive great similarities between Rowan Williams's and Katherine Jefferts Schori's stances -- see, they're not so different!

And hey -- if you folks could just settle down and send in those pledges for our Mission and Ministry that would be great. It's the pledges that are our symbol of unity in diversity.

You simply must read the entire piece, over on the Diocese of Texas website:

What I have read over the years and know about Archbishop Rowan Williams is how important the Anglican Communion is to him, and how he believes its unity and its diversity represent the very internal and holy life of the Trinity. Living this life in communion with God and one another is essential if we are to present Jesus Christ to the world through our lives and ministry.

Same yet Different
In reading and listening to our Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, and especially in her recent pastoral letter, I see some of the same themes. She very much believes in an Anglican Communion, rooted in a Godly community, working in diverse contexts to present Jesus Christ to the world. She represents well the Episcopal Church on the matters of sexuality. She also echoes themes I hear from other bishops around the Communion. In many ways, both the Archbishop and the Presiding Bishop hope for and long for a common mission and ministry that is beyond where we stand today. Their differences in how to lead, in large part, illuminate for our whole church the differences in style, culture and strategy about how we move forward together. . . .

. . . I believe today and tomorrow the Diocese of Texas will remain firmly planted in the center. We are planted in the center of the Divine community of the Trinity. This place of clarity about our call to be Church and to be in mission together is clear and compelling. We may indeed be pulled to one side or another from time to time, but we live blessedly in the middle, not for the sake of compromise, but for the sake of comprehension. Texans have always leaned into the task of understanding the face of Christ in our neighbor. This is especially true when we are able to have the space for conversation that is focused on mission and ministry.

Our diversity and relationships with one another is a visionary gift. The Diocese of Texas can seek not only to explore this gift in ever deepening ways but can seek to offer this gift to the greater Church and world.

Is it possible that the people and clergy of our diocese might work together committed to the incarnational reality of Christ present in the breadth of our expressions through mission and ministry? Can we work towards building the capacity to be in conversation between diverse provinces and dioceses from around TEC and the Communion? We are large enough, diverse enough and have a unique way of standing together no matter what the argument of the day may be. Can we help to bring our divided community and Communion together?

It can be hubris to think we have the solution; and, goodness knows Texans don't need any help with their pride! Nevertheless, I believe in our own diversity, and in our love for our particular expression of the faith, we have a unique opportunity to offer the leadership and an example of unity our Church needs at this particular time.

This letter from the Archbishop marks a moment in the life of the Church, but only a moment. We are responsible for discerning our work in the midst of the whole and helping to close the gap between where we are today and where God invites us to live tomorrow: the community of God.

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