Chinnis also applauded improvements in the decision-making process, particularly the increased effectiveness she attributed to the work of the cognate committees. Many bishops were part of the Committee 25 process, which dealt with matters of sexuality, and the House of Bishops is expanding its theology committee to include laity and clergy. Perhaps we can even consider the results as pearls adorning the Body of Christ, a result of the patient labor of God's people in search of God's will. As changes occur in the church, she said, people can grow uneasy. In a building there must be tension between structural elements, or it will collapse under its own weight.
Tension gives stability and balance to the life of the church.
One tension she addressed at some length is that between the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. She cautioned the deputies to vigilance. She noted that bishops have a smaller, closer-knit community. They meet at least twice a year and, at least in the past 10 years, have been intentionally building community. Technological advances such as e-mail and Web sites will increase opportunities for creating communities, Chinnis said.