Friday at the Annual CANA Council

PM UPDATE: What a packed-filled afternoon filled with more seminars and teaching and presentations, including a riveting presentation on the persecuted church. The evening continued with a seminary dinner sponsored by Trinity School for Ministry followed by worship (see above for a short clip) and compline.

In the midst of all this, we got news from the Fairfax Court on the scope of the October trial which seems to be limited now to the topic of the votes.

Tomorrow indeed is the legislative day and we anticipate perhaps receiving some news from abroad.

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SHORT REPORT: Have arrived in Akron for the CANA Council and it's a packed house. In fact, the session on the Prayer Book was so jammed that people were standing out in the hall listening to the session led by Bishop Martyn Minns because all the seats and floor space was filled to capacity.

There are lots of sessions going on - from sessions focused on evangelism, social justice, and mission partnerships, to church planting, healing, raising up the next generation of leaders, and an instructional session on the Eucharist service.

The legislative session will be tomorrow, mindful that the GAFCON Primates Council are also meeting in England right now. With tip of the tinfoil to Transfigurations (who took the photo as well!), here are the draft resolutions currently on the docket for tomorrow's legislative session:

RESOLUTION NO. 1-Establishment of the Great Lakes Region as a Region of CANA

RESOLVED, that the Convocation Council recognizes that the Great Lakes Region has been duly established as a region within the Convocation the Convocation of Anglicans in North America ("CANA"), in accordance with Section 5.3 of the Bylaws of CANA.

RESOLUTION NO. 2-Regarding the Global Anglican Future Conference

RESOLVED, that the Convocation Council hereby expresses its gratefulness to the majority-world Anglican leaders recently gathered at the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem, who stood in solidarity with all Anglicans who struggle against revisionist forces in the Anglican Communion. We also hereby express our appreciation to the CANA bishops, the bishops' wives, and others for representing CANA at GAFCON. We echo their endorsement of the Statement on the Global Anglican Future and the confessional Jerusalem Declaration. We commit ourselves to pursue the GAFCON goal to "reform, heal and revitalize the Anglican Communion and expand its mission to the world." We endeavor to support the emerging GAFCON movement and its Primates Council.

RESOLUTION NO. 3-Regarding Recognition by the Primates Council of the Global Anglican Future Conference of a New Anglican North American Province

RESOLVED, that the Convocation Council hereby supports the Common Cause Partnership (CCP) desire to embrace the invitation by the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) leadership to recognize CCP as an emerging Anglican province in North America. As we set forth plans for the future of Anglicanism in North America, our prayer is that our Common Cause federation will continue to grow and mature as an Anglican province.

As you can see, Draft Resolution #3 has to do with the hope for the emergence of an Anglican province in North America. There were some hints of this even at Lambeth (exactly how do we live in escrow, anyway?). We are also mindful that the CANA Counsel and the Counsel for the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church are in court today before Judge Randy Bellows regarding the scope of the trial in October.