First ECUSA Press Briefing - Calls for the use of 'TEC' instead of 'ECUSA'

I'm here live in the press room for our first press briefing. The first briefing is basically an orientation for the press concerning General Convention and introducing the spokespersons for the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. Right now they are taking questions regarding procedures more than anything substantial. This will change as GC continues. The room is full now of press, but it's anticipated that more press is arriving once the Windsor Report hits the floors of both houses. The next major event is the Special Committee Open Hearing on Wednesday night.

The Columbus Dispatch is now asking about the fact that most of the Anglican Communion does not elect women bishops and since ECUSA has a nominee for PB that is a woman how will that affect the Anglican Communion if she is elected. None of the official briefers wanted to take the question initially. Now Tobias Haller, Deputy Spokeman, says that women bishop are being warmly received when they go abroad. Bishop Gordon Scruton spokeman for the House of Bishops, says its difficult to know what would happen.

Canada and the US have women bishops, New Zealand has had a woman bishop in the past but doesn't now. No other province has women bishops.

Sarah Knoll-Williams (Deputy), Sergio Carranza (Bishop) are the other spokespersons.

Integrity just came by with press passes for the primier of "Voices of Witness" tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Trinity Church here in Columbus. I saw a preview of this video and wondered which side it really helps more. Not sure how that video will play at Lambeth.

It's interesting that there is a push to stop calling ECUSA "ECUSA" and instead call it "TEC." The ECUSA leaders seem to want create the impression that ECUSA is actually something akin to a "mini Anglican Communion." How many times have I heard that "TEC" is made up of "16 nations." Normally those "sixteen nations" are ignored at GC - why now all the emphasis?

Why all this emphasis that ECUSA is not just Episcopal Churches in the United States (despite the fact that this is the name of the church - in fact, it's really name is PECUSA)? They seem to want to get it across to the press here that ECUSA has all these other satelite churches from other countries in the fold (including the American Church in Europe, which crosses the boundaries of other Anglican churches like Spain, by the way - but let's not mention that). It does seem that they want to create an impression that ECUSA is a mini-Anglican Communion on its own. Who needs the Global Anglican Communion when ECUSA's got one of their own?

So watch out for the use of "TEC" and "Sixteen Nations" - it sounds like a mini-Anglican Communion to me, with the USA at the helm. Wonder how Rowan Williams feels about that?
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