Statement by the Right Reverend Thomas C. Ely, Bishop of Vermont,
in response to the October 16, 2003 statement
by the primates of the Anglican Communion
October 17, 2003

The statement issued by the primates of the Anglican Communion following their October meeting at Lambeth Palace is clearly a product of an honest, prayerful and yet painful discussion among colleagues of widely divergent points of view who are struggling to remain in faithful communion with one another. I am deeply grateful for their willingness to remain in the struggle.

I find much in their statement that offers hope for our continued fellowship as a communion. The primates affirmed that, “what we hold in common is much greater than that which divides us in proclaiming Good News to the world.” Had this meeting been called to address any of a number of issues of concern to Anglicans other than that of human sexuality, the common ground would indeed be substantial.

Pointing to the bishops’ resolution at the Lambeth Conference of 1998, the primates affirmed not only that “gay and lesbian persons are full members of the body Christ,” but also that the voices and experience of gay and lesbian persons are crucial to the ongoing conversations on human sexuality needed throughout the Communion.

The statement affirms the autonomy of provinces to direct the mission and ministry of the church within the realities of their local contexts. It also acknowledges that the primates may now have a fuller understanding of the democratic nature of the constitutional process of the Episcopal Church. Our polity is quite different than that of most other provinces in the Communion, where bishops are not elected by members of both the lay and clerical orders but are appointed by other bishops.

I also, however, am concerned about some elements of the statement. Perhaps most troubling for me is the expression of fear that “the fabric of our Communion” will be torn apart because some are leading in new directions. The Anglican Communion has historically been strong because it is woven together of a variety of theological, liturgical and cultural threads. It embodies a capacity to come together in a communion of difference, to respect one another’s dignity while acknowledging variations in context, in practice, in governance and even in belief. Each thread contributes to the overall strength of the fabric, perhaps most especially those threads that stand out because of their rarity or even their newness. I hope this characteristic will continue to enrich the Anglican Communion.

The fabric has been strained before, most recently over the decision by some provinces to include women in all orders of ministry. Other provinces—and even some dioceses in our own Episcopal Church—have not taken this step. Though there are now bishops who are women, bishops whose ministry some provinces do not recognize, these provinces and dioceses have not severed communion. I hope they will conclude that it is not necessary to sever communion because of the consecration of a bishop who is a gay man.

I pray that none among us will say to the other, “I have no need of you.” Schism will come to the Episcopal Church only if some among us choose to leave our heritage behind and deny the integrity of who we are as Anglicans and what we offer as our witness in the larger church and in the world. The primates affirm in their statement that the Anglican Communion is strong and capable of engaging in the “process of prayer, reflection and substantial work” needed in order to remain an effective worldwide voice for the reconciling mission of Jesus Christ. That mission is primary, and it needs all of our energy. Let’s get on with it.

Go to Primates' Statement
Go to Diocese of New Hampshire Standing Committee Response
Go to Bishop Ely's Editorial in the Burlington Free Press, October 21, 2003