Global South Anglican

A statement arising from the visit of some Global South Primates to China, 21-30 October 2007

“We saw the historical relics of early Christian missions in the 7th century (Nestorian fathers) and the 16th/17th century (Jesuit missionaries like Matteo Ricci). We rejoice in those opportunities for the sharing of the Christian faith in China, but even more so in legacy of Protestant missions that began two hundred years ago with Robert Morrison’s arrival in Canton, China, on September 7, 1807. By the grace of God, the opportunities are even greater today...”

Ed: A communique will also be released soon. News was released earlier that it was posted but it was held back as some parts of it were still being revised.

Fulcrum’s articles and analysis of TEC & New Orleans can be accessed here

We welcome the comments from the Archbishop of Canterbury, contained in a recent letter to the Bishop of Central Florida, where he reminds us that “the organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such,” calling this a “basic conviction of Catholic theology.”

“It should be understood that the Archbishop’s response to Bishop Howe was neither a new policy statement nor a roadmap for the future but a plain response to a very urgent and particular question about clergy in traditionalist dioceses in TEC who want to leave TEC for other jurisdictions, a response reiterating a basic presupposition of what the Archbishop believes to be the theology of the Church.

The primary point was that – theologically and sacramentally speaking – a priest is related in the first place to his/her bishop directly, not through the structure of the national church; that structure serves the dioceses. The diocese is more than a ‘local branch’ of a national organisation. Dr Williams is clear that, whatever the frustration with the national church, priests should think very carefully about leaving the fellowship of a diocese. The provincial structure is significant, not least for the administration of a uniform canon law and a range of practical functions; Dr Williams is not encouraging anyone to ignore this, simply to understand the theological priorities which have been articulated in a number of ecumenical agreements, and in the light of this not to increase the level of confusion and fragmentation in the church.”

The original letter from Ab Williams can be read here.

The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia is meeting in Canberra. This evening, Tuesday 22nd October they had a discussion on the Episcopal Church.

The exchange between Bishop John Howe (Central Florida) and the Archbishop of Canterbury gives some further insight.

“Any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church. The organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such…. I should feel a great deal happier, I must say, if those who are most eloquent for a traditionalist view in the United States showed a fuller understanding of the need to regard the Bishop and the Diocese as the primary locus of ecclesial identity rather than the abstract reality of the “National Church.” - Abp Williams

Bishop Howe’s pastoral letter here

Archbishop of Canterbury reply here.

A lengthy report but carefully done and worth the read. Read it here (PDF) or the online version at Fulcrum here

Dozens of conservative parishes will start ordaining their own clergy in an open revolt against their bishops if the Church of England continues its liberal drift, the Archbishop of Canterbury has been warned. Dr Rowan Williams was told that evangelicals would increasingly defy Church rules and their own bishops by parachuting in outsiders to carry out irregular ordinations of “orthodox” candidates. The warning came from Reform, a 1,700-strong evangelical network, which is setting up structures to allow it operate as a resistance movement within the Church.

“When the report was issued, Canon Paver noted, it was in such haste that she was shocked. “ It wasn’t in the time frame we were led to believe when we went to New Orleans. It was my understanding that it was to be a report only to the Archbishop of Canterbury and therefore it did not need to be finalized so quickly.”

An interesting report from Kendall Harmon at T19 about “A Conversation with Elizabeth Paver, member of the ACC Standing Committee”. Read here.

From a comment (#37) at T19 on two other members of JSC.

“Philippa Amable from West Africa is a longtime and very dear friend and mission partner of the Episcopal Church who just recently spent nearly a week with a group of TEC bishops in Madrid focusing on mission.  I would be surprised if anyone who knows Philippa would believe she would object to the conclusions presented here.  She certainly signed the report to the Primates earlier this year finding that TEC had already complied with two of the three requests presented to it by the Windsor Report.

Jolly Babirukamu, similarly, has been a longtime friend of TEC, a member of the Anglican Peace and Justice Network that is convened by the ACO and chaired by TEC, and was a vociferous speaker at the ACC meeting in the summer of 2005 in opposition to cutting off all of the lifelines of communion between TEC and the Provinces that disagree with TEC.  I would suspect that the reason Jolly did not respond to this is that the Anglican Peace and Justice Network is currently in the midst of its biennial meeting, in Burundi, well out of phone/blackberry connectivity. “

Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda called the report ‘severely compromised, and the gross conflicts of interest it represents utterly undermine its credibility.’ He said the Primates did not envision the ACC inserting itself in the process while the US was ‘considering our requests. Yet, members of the [JSC] met with Presiding Bishop Schori in the course of the preparation of their House of Bishops’ statement in order to suggest certain words, which, if included in the statement, would assure endorsement by the [JSC].

We believe TEC′s response does not meet the requests of the Primates from Dar es Salaam, not merely for clarification but for repentance and turning back from their clear intention to affirm same-sex blessings and the consecration of practising homosexuals to the episcopate. They have continued to widen a gap of their own making. As a result the fabric of the Communion is torn almost beyond repair. 

Uncertainty is now over. The decisive moments have passed. Irreversible actions have occurred. The time has come for sustained thought about a different future. The Anglican Communion will never be the same again. The Windsor process has failed, largely because it refused to grapple with the key issue of the truth. A new and more biblical vision is required to help biblically faithful Anglican churches survive and grow in the contemporary world.

Sometimes what you don’t say speaks more tellingly than what you do. One famous case is that of the dog that didn’t bark in the Sherlock Holmes story “Silver Blaze.” The dog did not bark because the crime was an inside job and the malefactor was known to him. Some such case applies to the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church in their latest Statement from New Orleans. - The Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll

We, delegates of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, gathered at Hotel El Monaco, Quatre Bornes, Mauritius between the 2nd and 5th October 2007 for the tenth meeting of the Council under the chairmanship of the Most Rev’d Peter J. Akinola. We represent eleven of the twelve Provinces of CAPA* as laity, clergy, bishops and archbishops and we issue this Communiqué from our meeting.

A message from the new CAPA chairman.

The CAPA Primates’Communiqué, Mauritius, October 2007

Note the various proposals…

Anglican Communion Institute Response to the New Orleans House of Bishops Statement with brief reflections on the report of the Joint Standing Committee.

Read it all here

Archbishop Orombi and Bishop Jefferts Schori are two of the five primates on the joint standing committee. Archbishop Orombi said he was suspicious that the joint standing committee presence would prevent an honest response from the Episcopal bishops, and therefore he declined to attend.

We cannot take seriously a statement from TEC that merely pledges “as a body” to not do something. TEC betrayed the Anglican Communion when it elected and confirmed as bishop a divorced man living in a same-sex relationship. We were further betrayed when its Presiding Bishop agreed to the Communiqué from the 2003 emergency Primates’ Meeting that he deeply regretted the “actions of the…Episcopal Church (USA),” and immediately proceeded to assert at a press conference that he would preside at that consecration. He then explained that the Primates believed their statement “as a body,” but individual primates were free to disagree.

I am very grateful for the warm welcome from and hospitality of the Presiding Bishop and other Bishops from The Episcopal Church in America (TEC). I was invited to participate in the House of Bishops (HOB) meeting as well as the Joint Standing Committee, as a member of the Primates Standing Committee.  It was a wonderful and unique opportunity to be able to listen to the TEC Bishops in New Orleans and learn about the Church in America.  I was also very grateful for the opportunity I was given to address the HOB. 

From his PA:
“Please find attached the response of Bishop Mouneer to the House of Bishops of TEC.  It is worth mentioning that the JSC sent out their draft report while Bishop Mouneer was in Syria and Lebanon with the Archbishop of Canterbury.  Upon his arrival he asked for two days in order to study this draft before responding.  By the time he responded, they had already published their official report (which you can find on the Anglican Communion website).  Bishop Mouneer is incredibly disappointed and grieved by these actions of the ACO.”

Joanna Emad Mikhail
PA to Bishop Mouneer

The Report of the Joint Standing Committee to the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop Mouneer Anis, a member of JSC has responded. 

Bishop Makgoba will succeed the Most Rev Njongonkulu Ndungane as archbishop, and will assume office on Jan 1.

AMiA welcomes Common Cause Partnership
"As the Common Cause Partnership enters this new phase of unity in faith and order, the Anglican Mission remains unwaveringly committed to its purpose, call, and mission - reaching the 130 million unchurched in the USA and Canada with the transforming power of Jesus Christ.  We also rejoice in the possibility of a higher level of unity as we move forward with this vision.” More here

Embarking on a hazardous route to a desired holy Destination - Peter Toon
“Those Bishops who are going to make the major sacrifices—perhaps the only ones of the 50 to make any very obvious sacrifices if this movement goes forward—are those presently within The Episcopal Church (the bishops from dioceses like Pittsburgh & Quincy & Fort Worth & others?). If dioceses led by their bishops vote to leave the Episcopal Church as a unit (or as a majority unit) the implications in terms of personal and family “safety” will be immense, for the leadership of the Episcopal Church will spend—if true to form—its last available funds to hound and hurt them by whatever means are available.” More here

More news on Common Cause can be found here

A response to recent statements from The Episcopal Church House of Bishops and the Common Cause College of Bishops from Anglican Mainstream in Britain and Ireland

Andrew Goddard’s analysis on the New Orleans response of the Episcopal House of Bishops.