Global South Anglican

Biblically orthodox Anglicans will meet twice in Pittsburgh during the next three weeks to cement ties among conservative Episcopalians and several factions that have left the denomination over the past 130 years.

WHEREAS the Bishop and Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in good faith appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates of the Anglican Communion, and the Panel of Reference for immediate alternative Primatial oversight and pastoral care so that a unifying solution can be found to preserve an authentic Anglican community of witness within the United States of America and provide pastoral and apostolic care to biblically orthodox Anglicans in this country regardless of geographical location

A Response to Ephraim Radner and ACI on the Anglican Communion

“The Communion needs to come to a more sober estimate of itself and submit again to the authority of the written Word of God. It is incumbent upon the Primates to set servant models for the rest of their bishops, and reform the Communion Office and Instruments accordingly.”

We urge you to recognize this is a necessary measure to prevent further loss of members, money, and ministry. Such Oversight will provide temporary structural stabilization to allow us to focus once again on the twin priorities of the Diocese: the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

More here (latest from Fort Worth)

And the earlier requests from other Dioceses here

The Ramsden Sermon delivered before the University of Cambridge by Dr Brian Stanley, Director of the Henry Martyn Centre for the study of mission and world Christianity, Cambridge, is now online on Fulcrum.

A senior Roman Catholic scholar launched an attack on a ‘sensationalist’ response to what is being loosely called ‘witchcraft’ in Britain, when he addressed an international symposium at Westminster Central Hall (Monday 22 May), hosted by Jesus House for All Nations, flagship church of the African-derived pentecostal Redeemed Christian Church of God denomination.

More at Fulcrum

“It is therefore very difficult for Bishop Kunonga to be regarded as capable of functioning as a bishop elsewhere in the Communion,” he said. Archbishop Williams also pressed the Primate of Central Africa, the Most Rev. Bernard Malango, and other leadership in the province to bring the case to a conclusion in a way “consistent with justice, transparency and truth, so that the damage to the health and credibility of the church can be addressed.”

We realize that the Archbishop of Canterbury has a limited sphere in which to maneuver. We do not seek the impossible. We ask for some pastoral strategy whereby we might come under his primatial oversight and pastoral care (or that of another appointed by him) until such time as the primates’ meeting and the other instruments of unity of the Communion are enabled to consider our predicament and offer us help and protection.

How can we enable one another to discern? I think America and Britain need to be more critical of the empire building attitude that is endemic to the present structures. They need to rediscover their places within a catholic Communion. The future of the Communion cannot be but multipolar: a Church with Provinces in different places in the world. This is why the Primates’ Meeting – rather than Canterbury – is more appropriate in assuming the role to be the focus of unity of the Communion. 

Among the most significant considerations before the upcoming Annual Council of the Anglican Communion Network (July 31 – August 2 in Pittsburgh) are a “Theological Statement” and a “Mission Covenant Declaration,” proposed by the Common Cause Roundtable.

Info and photos of Archbishops/Primates.

A response to ECUSA’s decisions at the General Convention 2006 - by Michael Poon

“What the resolutions conveyed is clear. What remains unclear and needs clarification is ECUSA’s plans in light of their decisions to walk apart –...To rephrase Williams’ words, there needs to be some careful disentangling of what ECUSA do in the Convention (which is alarming) and what they don’t say in the resolutions (which is already clear).”

“Amongst conservatives in the United States , two different understandings of Communion and how to maintain it appear to be vying for ascendancy in our present season...”

There are also further comments and a heartfelt plea by Ephraim Radner here. 

“There continues to be confusion about the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh’s status in the Episcopal Church,” said Bishop Duncan, “I will say again what we have been saying for months now. We have no plans to be anything but faithful, orthodox, Anglican-Communion-bound Episcopalians, today, tomorrow and the day after that. We are the Episcopal Church in this place and we are going to continue being what we always have been.

Catch up on it over at Thinking Anglicans.

So at the very least we must recognise that Anglicanism as we have experienced it has never been just a loose grouping of people who care to describe themselves as Anglicans but enjoy unconfined local liberties. Argue for this if you will, but recognise that it represents something other than the tradition we have received and been nourished by in God’s providence.

...we call upon the Bishop to appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury for a direct primatial relationship with him for the purpose of mission, pastoral support and accountability

"Do I understand what you are saying?" - An Open Letter to Bishops and Delegates who participated In General Convention 2006.
"I was able to observe the House of Bishops and House of Deputies briefly first hand during the convention and I have followed closely the proceedings on the internet and through the media. Below are some conclusions I have developed as a result of my observation both by following the official deliberations and through more informal conversations."

A bit hard for Jesus to be our Mother when the church is his bride, and to confuse the categories like this is a great foolishness, and of course it’s one thing for Julian of Norwich in that tradition to say something like that; it’s another thing entirely for the presiding bishop of a church which is going through a tumult because of human sexuality to make a statement like that. Well, it was deliberate.

Over at Sydney Anglicans Net

As a result, we sadly conclude that, although questions remain as to what will happen in practice, by responding inadequately to the Windsor Report, TEC has chosen to walk apart from the rest of the Communion

The conduct of this General Convention reveals to what extent the Episcopal Church really is an unstable and dysfunctional body as, despite three years to reflect on the actions of GC 2003 and over 18 months to consider the Windsor Report, it proved incapable of giving a response even partly in line with the Report until the last minute and then only under great pressure.

Read the rest here

Liberalism fails to bring a critical practical reason to bear on the present world. In its pursuit of doctrinal reconstruction it treats the moral questions of the age as moral certainties, it views the indeterminate shapes of the present as sharp outlines. It may even imagine that in the present it can find some kind of speculative counterweight to correct a bias in past and transcendent reality. Instead of looking to the world as a frame within which to serve God and neighbour, it looks to it for a demonstration that in the past reality was misunderstood.

Read the rest at Fulcrum. You can download the PDF copy here. 

They are considering the drastic action after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, delivered a strong warning to liberals that they could be marginalised from the Anglican Church if they are unable to subscribe to more traditional doctrine over the issue of homosexuality. A delegation of influential liberals flew out to the American Church’s General Convention in Ohio last month to discuss building closer ties with their counterparts in the United States.

We will update this list as we become aware, including dioceses and parishes. Do email admin@globalsouthanglican.org or post the relevant information in the comments section. 

Arguably, this is the lowest ebb of our beloved but beleaguered Church since perhaps the Civil War if not the American Revolution. However, I believe the future for faithful, orthodox Anglicans currently in ECUSA hasn’t been brighter for a long time.

"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Standing Committee of this Diocese requests our Bishop to intentionally and deliberately explore avenues for alternative primatial relationship and, as appropriate, oversight, notwithstanding this Diocese’s status as a constituent member of the Episcopal Church."

This will be the sixth TEC diocese requesting for alternative pastoral oversight. The full statement from the Standing Committee.

Read Bishop Peter Beckwith letter: PDF. or in HTML version