During the interfaith blessing of his new Episcopal ministry, (the Litany was written by Edwards) the bishop sat on a chair below the podium to receive the blessings in a ceremony held at the Henderson Convention Center.

Starting with Most Rev. Randolph Calvo, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Reno, other leaders who blessed the Episcopal Bishop included Buddhist Priest Rev. William Bartlett, Jewish Rabbi Elizabeth Beyer, Hindu chaplain Rajan Zed, Imam of Northern Nevada Muslim Community, Abdul Barghouthi, Bahai leader Trip Barthel, Reverend Onie Cooper of Second Baptist Church, and Native American faith leader Reynalda James.

Episcopal Bishops participating in Edwards' consecration were: Kirk Smith of Arizona; Neil Alexander of Atlanta; Jerry Lamb, retired of Northern California, who has been assisting in Nevada for the past year; Robert M. Anderson, Assistant of Los Angeles; Harry B. Bainbridge, III, of Idaho; Barry L. Beisner of Northern California; Michael Garrison of Western New York, a former priest in Las Vegas; Carolyn T. Irish of Utah; Bavi (Nedi) E. Rivera, Suffragan of Olympia; and James E. Waggoner, Jr., of Spokane. Not one single orthodox Episcopal bishop was present.

While Rajan Zed read blessing Sanskrit shlokas from the oldest existing scripture Rig-Veda, composed around 1,500 BCE, Reynalda James brought special water from Pyramid Lake to bless Bishop Edwards. Some of these leaders of various faiths embraced the new Bishop, while others shook hands with him welcoming him to Nevada and wishing him best in his mission. His wife Linda, a law professor at Mercer, watched.

It is this kind of inclusivity that has orthodox Anglicans from the Global South scratching their heads in wonder and amazement. It is why Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola has apoplectic fits. He and the CAPA bishops are preaching a gospel that draws men and women out of spiritual darkness into the light of God's love through repentance and faith, many of whom face open hostility, persecution even death for their faith. The tenth bishop of Nevada (he succeeds Mrs. Jefferts Schori) has invited people, who are need of the gospel, to bless him.

Mrs. Jefferts Schori herself was fast tracked into the diocese with minimal experience as a priest before becoming bishop. When she was bishop of Nevada, her baptized membership was approximately 6,000, with an average Sunday attendance of just over 2,300, for an entire diocese! Christ Church, Plano, an Episcopal parish formerly in the Diocese of Dallas, was bigger than her entire diocese put together! Edwards, on the other hand said Nevada is an exciting, creative, trail-blazing diocese. Really.

And the Archbishop of Canterbury can't figure out why Common Cause exists. He can't figure out why GAFCON is needed. He can't figure out why orthodox Anglican Primates cross diocesan boundaries to rescue orthodox Episcopalians who no longer believe the Episcopal Church is salvageable.

This is why.

What is truly sad is that a Roman Catholic bishop showed up to lay on hands, or at a minimum, bless, by his appearance, this clearly apostate consecration.

Before becoming Bishop of Nevada, Edwards was rector of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Macon, Georgia. Bishop Edwards was a lawyer, has studied at Harvard Divinity School, and has worked with the homeless in New York City. The Rev. Laurie Chappelle of St. Catherine of Siena Episcopal Church organized the consecration. The consecration took place on January 5, 2008.

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