A minor

I asked Joel Garver the question from my previous post, and here's part of his reply:

Check out Jerome, Letter 146:
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3001146.htm

This was a matter of ongoing discussion all through the middle ages. The dominant view was that the distinction between a presbyter and deacon is one of order, divinely established, while the distinction between a presbyter and a bishop is one of jurisdiction, established by the church, though perhaps with apostolic warrant.

According to the Council of Trent, there are 7 Orders: priest, deacon, subdeacon, acolyte, exorcist, lector, and door-keeper (Session 23). Bishops are a matter of "hierarchy" rather than "order" per se, according to Trent, though Trent does maintain that this hierarchy is divinely ordained.

"Peter Leithart, Irenaeus & Bishops"

Just ran across this post by Taylor Marshall, which seems to assume the (majority?) view that presbyters/priests and bishops are separate orders. Somewhere I picked up the idea that presbyters and bishops are ultimately of the same order, as evidenced by the fact that bishops are not ordained to the episcopate, but rather consecrated. They were already ordained; they're just set apart among the ordained to serve as bishops, as pastors of pastors, cities, regions, etc. I seem to recall that this was a historically held position, although probably the minority (Eastern Orthodox?) view. Can anyone point me to some resources on this?

I keep adding to my GAFCON list below. Added more tonight. Wish I could post some stuff from a restricted email group, but alas. (Much of it's over the top anyway, but that's partly why I wish I could could post it.)

"A Post-Protestant Model"

Ever since discovering this post by Steven Wedgeworth a couple days ago, I keep coming back to it. Take a few minutes and read it. I think you'll be glad you did.

Last night I finally had a chance to start reading GAFCON posts, and I woke up early this morning to read more. I'm especially interested in responses from local Episcopalians, as well as from key leaders. Here's a list of posts in the order I read them (I think):

I have added and will probably continue to add more to the above list as I go along. My own two cents:

I personally think the GAFCON Statement is hugely refreshing and a giant step forward. Not perfect, but I think it will spur all on to love and good works (action). It's not just more of the same, thank God. It's clear and concise, took guts, is deeply spiritual and charitable but has teeth, and it got ++Rowan Williams to respond quickly - and that's a real first! Jesting aside, I think the Archbishop of Canterbury makes some good points, and he seems to have GAFCON's best interests in mind, as does Bishop Wright. [I wrote this before Bishop Wright's second response appeared, and I realize now that it's not that simple.] As impatient as I'm tempted to get with them, ++Williams and +Wright are looking for a long-term solution (e.g. an Anglican Covenant), and that takes time. Great structures don't get built overnight. But I love the GAFCON Statement all the same, especially the confident hope in the last line: "We believe the Anglican Communion should and will be reformed around the biblical gospel and mandate to go into all the world and present Christ to the nations."

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.