[Episcopal Diocese of Maryland] The sky is not falling! You may have heard news reports the Episcopal Church has been sanctioned by the Anglican Communion. In truth it was the primates and presiding bishops from the 38 autonomous churches meeting in Canterbury that voted to suspend us from serving on committees within the organizational life of the Communion.

The Anglican Consultative Council is the body that can take such actions, not the primates. This is not the first time that we have been asked to refrain from participating in the governance of the Anglican Communion.

Please read or watch our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s message on the meeting. He reminds us, “…the Anglican Communion is a network of relationships built on mission partnerships.”

That means St. John’s-Mt. Washington’s relationship continues with a ministry in Uganda as will other parishes who have similar mission partnerships within the Anglican Communion. And it means our efforts will continue with the Diocese of Nakuru, Kenya, to support a joint ministry at St. Andrew’s International Community Church/Anglican-Episcopal in Baltimore.

We will always seek to build and strengthen our mission partnerships throughout the Anglican Communion. Differences in conviction have no power to threaten the unity given us within the Body of Christ.

Let us focus on Bishop Curry’s conclusion in today’s statement: “We are part of the Jesus Movement, and the cause of God’s love in this world can never stop and will never be defeated.”

Faithfully,

+Chilton R. Knudsen
Assistant Bishop of Maryland