Global South Anglican

On Feb. 17, 2007, the Rt. Rev. Robert Ihloff, bishop of Maryland, withdrew an invitation for a visit from Archbishop of West Africa the Most Rev.  Justice Akrofi. He did so by publishing the letter on the internet in the midst of the Primates’ Meeting taking place in Tanzania.

Archbishop Akrofi with six other primates had issued a statement to explain why they continued to decline taking communion with the Presiding Bishop of TEC. Read here

Since the time of Bishop Ihloff’s letter, which circulated the Anglican blogs and Internet widely, Archbishop Akrofi has responded twice in two separate letters, found at the links below. Bishop Ihloff’s original invitation withdrawal is also below for reference.

Archbishop Akrofi writes: "Since your original letter appeared on the internet, it is my wish that this letter like my earlier quick acknowledgement are also put on the internet. Our communications should be equally public knowledge for the sake of posterity. The typical African that I am, whose epistemology and ontology are characteristically communitarian, I wish that those who come after us to take up our story will have the facts and possibly learn from it."

Read here

Feb. 27, 2007 Letter from Archbishop Akrofi (West Africa) to Bishop Ihloff

AbpAkrofi_2-27-07.pdf

April 4, 2007 Letter from Archbishop Akrofi-West Africa to Bishop Ihloff

AbpAkrofi_4-4-07.pdf

Ruth Gledhill’s blog Justice badly done by here

These striking words were said by the new President Bishop of the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East The Most Revd Mouneer Hanna Anis at his recent investiture in All Saints Cathedral, Cairo. The service was full of colour, sound and drama which emphasised the diversity of musical and liturgical traditions that exist in this Province.

On the power of the primates..

It’s not a question of central authority. The primates do represent their churches. And although people have said this is prelacy as opposed to democracy the fact is every primate of the Anglican Communion works within a synodical and consultative system. Every primate within the Anglican Communion is elected. My own experience as I travel round the Communion--as I speak with people on the ground--it’s not as if their primate doesn’t represent what they are saying. Second point: the primates cannot make decisions for any province. Where we’ve come to is the primates’ meeting felt it needed to spell out possible consequences of continuing division or diversity in practice and to suggest some ways in which the unwelcomed consequences might be avoided. Those proposals are there on the table but they can’t be imposed, of course.

We are a group of academic theologians serving in parishes or theological institutions who are committed to the welfare of the Anglican Church of Canada, and we are writing to you out of grave concern for the integrity of our Christian community.

...the Church’s public use of the Bible represents the Church as defined in some important way by listening: the community when it comes together doesn’t only break bread and reflect together and intercede, it silences itself to hear something. It represents itself in that moment as a community existing in response to a word of summons or invitation, to an act of communication that requires to be heard and answered.

Three new Fulcrum articles for Holy Week and Easter are now online:

1. Spirituality Workbook - Fulcrum review by Philip Seddon of the book by David Runcorn

2. The Pause - poem and meditation by Graham Kings

3. Jesus is King: Reflections for Holy Week and Easter Week by Stephen Kuhrt

Rowan Williams and Elaine Storkey speaking on ‘Being Disciples’ on 27 April 2007, 2.00pm-9.00pm.