Jefferts Schori explained to her Episcopal Church members that they must not make any drastic moves so that the Church would be able to contribute further to in the drafting of an Anglican covenant.
Speaking live from a webcast in New York, Jefferts Schori said, "If we want to be part of the writing of a covenant, we have some expectations before us."
A studio audience, as well as an interactive audience through email and telephone, questioned Jefferts Schori during the hour-long event.
In particular, a number of gay Church followers asked the Presiding Bishop about how compromising the ECUSA should be to will of the worldwide Anglican Communion, who have told the US House of Bishops to promise not to consent to electing gay bishops, and not to authorise liturgical rites for same-sex unions.
In February, one of the most powerful Anglicans in the worldwide Communion, Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, told that the ECUSA would be requested to leave the Anglican Communion if it refused to make these promises
He told reporters at that time: "If they agree to stop, there will be a huge celebration of the [Anglican] communion. But if they chose to continue with it as a way of life, then they will be told to walk away from the communion."
The 77-million member Anglican Church is looking towards the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference that will take place in 2008, which is expected to deal with the covenant, and offer guidance to the troubled Church.
However, Anglicans should not expect a quick-fix to occur no matter what the results discussions bring about next year, as under the ECUSA's structure, the US Church would not respond to any decisions made at Lambeth 2008, until its next triennial General Convention in 2009.
