The 13th triennial Anglican Consultative Council opened with housekeeping items and a distinction noted about the withdrawn North American delegates being seated separately. After morning worship, ACC chairman, the Rt. Rev. John Paterson of New Zealand formally opened the first session and introduced the new ACC General Secretary, the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon.

Canon Kearon then explained the seating system. Delegates, members of the primate’s standing committee and ecumenical observers were assigned to the center of the auditorium, Canon Kearon said. Visitors, including representatives from American church groups, such as Affirming Catholicism, the American Anglican Council and the Anglican Communion Network, were seated behind the delegates. Press and staff were allotted their sections, while a fifth section was given to the six observers from the American and Canadian churches.

The segregation of the North American observers at the first session included not only loss of voice and vote, but also a number of the traditional social amenities of ACC meetings. The six do not participate in the daily bible studies. They have been housed separately and the dining privileges extended to the Americans and Canadians are on par to those extended to visitors and the press.

The ACC constitution creates three tiers of membership; large provinces such as the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Nigeria are allocated three seats (bishop, priest and deacon). Tier two provinces, such as Wales or the West Indies are allotted two seats. Tier one provinces, such as Burundi and Mexico are allotted a single representative who is often the primate.

Starting with the tier three members, Canon Kearon began roll call, asking each member to stand and speak. When Canon Kearon reached Canada in tier one, he announced that the Canadian and Episcopal Church delegations had been withdrawn before asking them individually to rise and introduce themselves. The final delegate to arise, the Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam, Bishop suffragan of New York, reminded the council that the Episcopal Church included more than just the American nation and she listed the overseas dioceses by name.

(The Rev.) George Conger is in Nottingham, England reporting for The Living Church from the triennial meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council.

See the latest update from the Anglican Communion News Service here

Read an account from the first session by Episcopal News Service here

Full Coverage From the ACC Triennial:

· Council Somber After Vote to Exclude North Americans

· ACC Suspends North American Churches

· Vote on Resolution to Expel North Americans Scheduled

· Communion's Spotlight is on Presentation Panels

· Archbishop Says Common Ground Still Exists

· Status Quo at ACC Holds on Second Day

· Withdrawn Status of North Americans Noted

· ACC Opening Session Surprise

· ACC Meeting Opens with Dinner and Orientation

· Bishop Roskam to Serve in Two Capacities at Nottingham

Photos from Nottingham

· U.S., Canadian representatives seated apart

· The Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, ACC secretary general

· The Rev. Canon Michael Burrows of Ireland

· New Zealand Bishop John C. Paterson, chairman of the ACC

· Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams

· Bishops Moxley and Roskam

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