"The spirit of the House was thoughtful and collegial," Bishop Roskam said. "As we deliberated we had on our hearts and on our minds our Anglican brothers and sisters and the people in our dioceses whom we serve.
"While this was not dealt with by resolution, great concern was expressed about human rights violations for gay and lesbians, particularly in Nigeria, and the need for us as Anglicans and Christians to advocate against it."
Recapping the March 20 agenda, Bishop Roskam said: "The Anglican Communion was very much in our consciousness this morning as we began our day with a report from bishops who had attended the recent meeting of TEAM, 'Toward Effective Anglican Mission' in South Africa.
"More than 400 people from 32 provinces gathered in Boksburg to engage conversation and mutual exchange concerning mission in the Anglican Communion, especially as expressed through the Millennium Development Goals.
"It was a moving presentation bringing us face to face once again with our own affluence as a nation and the abject poverty of other parts of this world.
"We appreciated once more the gift of our Anglican partners as companions on the way serving God's mission.
"We also heard a report from TEAC (Theological Education in the Anglican Communion) which stressed the importance of theological education, especially with regard to the Anglican tradition.
"While we have many resources to share with many parts of the Anglican Communion, we also need to look to our Anglican brothers and sisters in the developing world for theological reflection in their contexts.
"Bishops for a Just Society reported on its work of advocacy for justice and peace. We were brought up to date in particular on the farm bill and encouraged to keep apprised of legislation through the Public Policy Network. We discussed ways to make the work of Bishops for a Just Society more integral to our meetings.
"The afternoon business session began with acknowledgement of bishops in transition, including a report from the Church Pension Group regarding retired clergy. We acknowledged the most senior bishop present, and remembered four who had died.
"Then we spent the rest of the afternoon considering resolutions addressing issues raised by the Primates' Communiqué and the reports of the Covenant Committee which we had received the previous day."
[Source: ACN]
