The Bishop of Nelson [New Zealand] Writes His Diocese About the Lambeth Conference

I do not know this Bishop but he seems to have a good grasp on matter except he has bought into the EC’s view that the problem is boundary crossing and while they continue the EC will continue with their GLBT agenda.  Sadly, it is the other way around.  He is drained spiritually and does not believe anything was accomplished that will help the Communion to continue….He is right.

Bishop Nelson, “Because I am more convinced than ever that none of this will help us. Those who have stayed away will not agree to it and will continue their ministry in the States. And TEC will continue to bleat that they won’t follow the moratoria while these Africans continue to ignore it.”

His fundamental error is also the ABCs and TEO/et al -  that the boundary crossing is first and continuing cause of the problem.

The reverse is true. 

The sins of TEC/ACoC/CoE et al have mandated emergency measures and have VOIDED their proprietary authority over anyone.

The ball is in the court of the perpetrators of heresy, apostasy, etc. and there it will remain until they REPENT and produce living lasting proof of it by their actions.

Hey folks, I’m hoping very much to be able to post an audio interview with this man and I have to say he’s in no way suggesting “equality” in those two actions.

His tone is that of simply stating what is happening, as in “this happens, and that happens.”

One of the things I’ve learned over these past two weeks of interviewing, listening to audio, transcribing, writing, reading, etc, is that tone is very very different and we can often mistake it.  Having the opportunity to converse with this man makes it clear which way he is thinking, even if it may not be quite clear to the readers in this communication.

If some conservative bishops have used this time to make contact with others, this may not have been the total waste of time it otherwise seems to be.  This good bishop thinks that the Global South movement will be further expanded.  Good.  The sideshows at the fringe” events, and at the marketplace, and apparently all over campus, with the pro-SS activists literally shoving literature and microphones in faces, has made more bishops aware of just how far off the edge these people can be.  This is also good.

(First, please correct me if I am wrong, but this is from Bishop Richard Ellena, of the Diocese of Nelson, correct?)
I join the bishop in his sadness over what Lambeth has become, but I see here some remarkably positive things:
1) The impression one had of NZ (admittedly, all from TEC sources), prior to reading this, was that it was universally in the TEC camp- Victoria Matthews being seen as the most “conservative” of its bishops. Clearly, the bishops of the province are not so universally liberal as one had been lead to believe.  Hopefully, there are more like Bishop Ellena back home.
2)

I have the deepest admiration from the Bishops from the Sudan who came to let their voice be heard and have been treated with the most disgusting abuse from a woman Bishop from New York who labeled them ‘wife-beaters!’

One is relieved to know that there is at least one bishop at Lambeth, aside those from Africa and Southern Cone, who is intelligent enough to have put two and two together, and recognize publicly that these two things were related.  No doubt many bishops saw this, but it will be quite surprising if we find it makes the cut in the final reflections document. One is also led to speculate that, since TEC HoB is the largest in the Communion, there are more Episcopal bishops guilty of spousal abuse than bishops of any other Communion Church.
3)

I am so full of respect for Bishops Bill Love and Mark Lawrence (from within TEC) who are not afraid to stand up and call sin, sin!

One knew these good bishops would be standing for the Truth, it is gratifying to know that at least some other bishops at Lambeth are listening to them, and recognizing their impact.
Many thanks for this message from Bishop Ellena, and prayers for him and his diocese.
TJ

Yeah some “moratoria”.