Based on conversations among the leadership teams of St Charles and St Stephens parishes a plan was drawn up and all the parties signed on to it. Furthermore the process of departure was shepherded by resources within the Anglican Communion Network and ably aided as well by the Western Dean, The Rev. William Thompson. ACN determined that both parishes would come under the oversight of Recife Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti and he generously welcomed them in early October of 2004. Their new archbishop would eventually be the Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone.

Two years later in the spring of 2006 both congregations were ready to conclude the question of property ownership with the bishop. The two sides brought together their attorneys and a special warden and together they sat down with the bishop and his representatives, which included the chancellor and a small group in St. Stephens who wanted to remain Episcopalian. They wanted continued use of the St. Stephen's property and were not prepared to walk away from it. "It was a tense moment with the possibility of everyone losing," said Clark to VirtueOnline.

But a spirit of goodwill prevailed and both parties agreed on several points. "One of the points was that we needed to be Christian, that it was unchristian to involve the courts, and that we needed to be good stewards of what really belonged to God," said Clark.

"We had been doing [Rick Warren's] purpose driven ministry in our community and it seemed wrong not to sustain that," he said. "Since 2003 we have been focusing on the most important call of the church which is to live out The Great Commandment and the Great Commission."

The bishop agreed. Complicating the issue however was the small group of Episcopalians from St. Stephen's (they were without a rector) who did not want to leave either the property or the TEC. "It looked bleak. A retired judge - a Roman Catholic - acted as a mediator and pointed out to the Diocese of Olympia that we had not left the Anglican Communion but only the Episcopal Church." Also present was the moderately orthodox Bishop of Northern Indiana, the Rt. Rev. Ed Little.

Bishop Little had had conversations with Bishop Vincent and saw both sides of the situation. "Between all the parties we really wanted to come up with a solution. It was a tense but amicable time."

The agreement generated was to answer only those concerns brought to the table. The agreement ensured that both churches would be treated by the Diocese of Olympia as independent Anglican ministries. While Bishop Cavalcanti was recognized by Bishop Warner as the Spiritual authority of both Anglican Parishes, it was ultimately agreed that the agreement was between the two parishes and the Diocese of Olympia. With this in mind, the question of who owned the properties would not be determined or debated until 2014.

Clark told VOL that no money had or would be exchanged during the duration of the agreement. "We are not paying rent; we will not pay an assessment to Olympia. In the interim if we invest in capital improvements they are considered in the agreement as the property of St Charles and St Stephen Anglican Parishes and if the property is ever turned over to the Diocese of Olympia, the diocese would reimburse the parishes for those capital improvements."

The agreement also sought to bless those who had chosen to remain with The Episcopal Church and who now called themselves St Stephen's Episcopal Church. The agreement provides them use of the building for worship based on a yet to be held conversation with St Stephens Anglican Parish. Bishop Sandy Hampton would provide oversight. Bishop Little could be called upon to act as a mediator in any dispute.

A new bishop could not undo the legal agreement, said Clark. It is a binding contract. Bishop Vincent retires in 2007 and a special convention will be held to elect a new bishop. Furthermore, Clark said Bishop Warner had not deposed either he or the Rev. Carol Harlacher, who was Rector of St Stephens at the time of the Churches departure from TEC."

Clark noted that in the original agreement the remnant Episcopal group objected to having the Diocese of Recife name on agreement and this was removed.

The covenant was approved by the Diocesan Standing Committee and Mrs. Schori, the Presiding Bishop.

"There has been too much argument, too much litigation too much public rancor emanating these days from our part of the religious community," said Rvd Clark. "Vincent Warner and I both wanted to change the way disagreements were resolved and I think we did that. Now we look forward to moving ahead and focusing on worship, ministry, evangelism, community, and Christian formation. We want to be the best Sacramental Purpose Church in our region. We are moving ahead now."

Bishop Cavalcanti will come to confirm as well as ordain a deacon some time in 2007. Both churches have been under his ecclesiastical care since before the Windsor Report was published in 2004. Now is the time to fully celebrate that.

Said Rvd Clark "We have been doing some great ministry for years. Our conversation with the Diocese of Olympia since leaving them has not deterred us from that. We have held two wonderful Purpose Driven Church Campaigns and St Charles and our North American Churches have sent over 60 lay and clergy persons to Saddleback's annual spring Purpose Driven Conferences as we refocus on being churches which will please God. Also we have helped start two new parochial missions which are loosely linked with St. Charles in the Pacific Northwest." Both are fully Network and Recife churches.

St. Stephen's recently brought on a new priest; the Rev. Paul Orritt a Canadian from Calgary, Alberta. He is also part of the Canadian Network.

The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, has come out in full support of the covenant agreement. "I commend Bishop Warner for trying to provide space and time for healing to occur. He has provided us with a very significant example of servant leadership."

It was a good and fair settlement," said Duncan Clark.

Recently Bishop Cavalcanti made Clark the archdeacon of the North American Recife churches of which there are presently five congregations. St Charles has four priests for the nearly 200 member congregation, plus two deacons - one a transfer from TEC and one from a continuing tradition church.

END