First, said Bishop Duncan, "They told us to go back home and say to everyone that 'what we have been teaching here ...is the teaching of the communion." The Primates' statement, explained Bishop Duncan, made it unequivocally clear that the church has not changed its position on the supremacy of Holy Scripture, or its bar on blessing homosexual relationships. Post-Primates links

* Audio MP3 File of Bishop Duncan's presentation * Second diocesan Post-Primates report March 5 * Central Florida Bishop reflects on meaning of Primates' meeting

Secondly, the Primates said, "Go back to North America and help people make the choice," reported Bishop Duncan. While, he explained, it is true that both the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Church of Canada have a right to order their own lives as they wish, the primates' communiqué states clearly that does not mean churches are free to act in a way contrary to the beliefs of the communion and maintain membership. "It is clear from this meeting of the primates... that to hold the innovations of the general convention of 2003... is to make a decision to walk apart from the communion," added Bishop Duncan.

Thirdly, the Primates told Bishop Duncan and other orthodox leaders to use the "panel of reference" system intended to protect those in serious disagreement with their bishop, or dioceses in serious disagreement with their church. At the moment, said Bishop Duncan, there are some 70 clergy or congregations in the process of seeking pastoral care from overseas bishops. Efforts have begun, he went on, to turn all of those situations over to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the "panel of reference" requested by the primates. The primates believe, said Bishop Duncan, that this will be a body with a clear understanding of the task which is to guarantee the adequacy of protection for orthodox minorities in places where they have been...under duress." Fourthly, the Primates made it clear that the orthodox Anglican witness in North America must be reorganized and reunited. "They are very tired by all of our divisions," said Bishop Duncan. This work is ongoing through the Common Cause agreement which brought together six U.S. groups in the Anglican tradition in June of 2004. Since then, three Canadian groups have begun participating. While all the organizations involved will remain distinct, the Common Cause agreement commits the groups to work together "for the sake of the Gospel," under the chairmanship of Bishop Duncan in his role as Anglican Communion Network moderator.

Finally, said Bishop Duncan, the primates simply said "Grow up!" While difficult to hear, Bishop Duncan said were godly council. Sometimes, he said, in our desire for quick, painless answers to our questions, we forget that "We're in a spiritual battle of immense proportions. In a battle there is going to be a lot of struggle," he explained. The primates, he said, were pointing to scriptures such as 2nd Timothy 4:3-8, which makes it clear that the Christian faith is a struggle, "We'd like to keep the faith, but we have a harder time running the race and fighting the fight," said Bishop Duncan.

Looking ahead, Bishop Duncan predicted that the three year period of effective suspension of the Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion will be a season of "testing" for those in North America. In the diocese of Pittsburgh, he added, he plans to do what he tried to do in the past, both upholding the teachings of Communion, now forcefully restated by the primates, and acting with charity towards those who find themselves in disagreement. "If folks in conscience see things in a way that is contrary, I will explain why I think they are in error, but I will also try to help them be free to be what they need to be," said Bishop Duncan.

END