The Primates, who met in London from July 16-18, concluded its findings by demanding that the US House of Bishops "reconsider their position" and conform to the recommendations of the primates' Tanzania communique.

The steering committee also demanded an end to the pursuit of civil litigation by dioceses of the Episcopal Church to recover their property from disaffected congregations attempting to take that property and join other Anglican groups. In February US bishops were asked by the Primates to "confirm" that the Tanzania resolution essentially puts a moratorium on litigation in place.

The communique also called for an end to "public rites" for blessing of same-gender relationships. The primates also urged the HOB to accept the call for a pastoral council to provide alternate pastoral oversight to clergy and congregations who want to stay in The Episcopal Church, but not under its ecclesiastical wing.

In their communique, the Global South Steering Committee stated unequivocally that unless the Episcopal Church is disciplined as required by the Tanzania Communique and other statements, the Global South bishops would not be attending Lambeth next year in Canterbury.

The Primates' steering committee also blasted the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, for accepting an invitation to attend part of the Fall US House of Bishops meeting in New Orleans, saying it undermines the integrity of the primates' communique.

The Global South group also warned that they were exploring what they called "additional pastoral provisions" for Canadian Anglicans who disagree with a recent decision that same-gender blessings are "consistent with the core doctrine" of their church. The Canadian General Synod narrowly defeated an effort to allow diocesan bishops to authorize such blessings. The group also declared support for the Common Cause Partnership, which is working for an "Anglican union" to achieve a new "ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA."

The group of seven primates criticized resolutions made in March by the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops and in June by the Executive Council, which they say "rejected the underlying principles and requests" of a communique issued after the February meeting in Dar es Salaam.

The House of Bishops said in March that the pastoral scheme "would be injurious to The Episcopal Church." On June 14 the Executive Council also declined to participate in the scheme, and passed a resolution (EC012) that "respectfully requests the Presiding Bishop to decline as well."

The February communique called for the Episcopal Church "to effect a moratorium on the election and consent to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate who is living in a same gender union until some new consensus in the Anglican Communion emerges."

The primates said they were concerned about the adequacy of the response by the US House of Bishops to the Tanzania communique. "We strongly urge the scheduling of a Primates' Meeting for this purpose at the earliest possible moment."

The committee concluded its statement warning Dr. Williams that they would not attend the 2008 Lambeth Conference. "It is impossible for us to see how, without discipline in the Communion and without the reconciliation that we urge," to participate in Lambeth 2008.

To date the Province of Rwanda and its bishops have said they would not be attending Lambeth. The Province of Uganda has also said they will not attend unless invitations of those who consecrated V. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire are rescinded. The Province of Nigeria is considering the same action.

So far eleven offshore bishops have, or are about to be consecrated for orthodox Anglican congregations in North America, ratcheting up critical decision-making by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Anglican Communion Network meets later this month in Ft. Worth/Dallas to weigh its options to remain in The Episcopal Church. Common Cause partners meet later in September to weigh their options as well. A new province might well be in the making.

The prevailing issue is well summarized by Dr. Chris Sugden of "Anglican Mainstream" when he wrote "globalization is an effective judgment of God on the idolatry of the nationalism of the Anglican community. In Anglican expressions of the faith, the universal of the commonality of the faith (the gospel) informed the particular cultural expression of the faith. But culture now trumps the gospel in The Episcopal Church, as does geography when it claims that its polity (way of ordering the church) is sacrosanct."

There can be little doubt that a full-scale schism is almost assured unless The Episcopal Church repents of its past actions and present course.

END