Global South Anglican

Source: Living Church

6/16/2006

Regency Ballroom, Hyatt Hotel, Columbus, Ohio
June 14, 7:00-10:00 pm.

Two-and-a-half hours into the June 14 Special Committee testimony , and after 68 speakers had testified, the Most Rev. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, rose, without being called by name, and walked to the end of the line of speakers waiting to address the committee.

When he stepped to the microphone, the Bishop of Upper South Carolina, the Rt. Rev. Dorsey Henderson, invited him to speak.

Archbishop Sentamu was speaking without notes. Transcription from tape follows:

“Thank you. Paragraph 134 of the Windsor Report says, ‘Mindful of the hurt and offence that have resulted from recent events, and yet also of the imperatives of communion’, we recommend, we invite, we urge, we advise, in order to create the space necessary to enable the healing of the Communion, with them with acting like a doctor saying that a broken friendship, we need to heal.

And the question/judgment the committee has got to come to is Resolution A160 and A161. Would it actually be sufficient to cure this impaired friendship?

Personally, I think I am doubtful.

Why? Because, Anglicanism has always responded to the challenges by relying on scripture, tradition and reason. Does this resolution actually meet that particular norm? Such a friendship (unintelligible) once thought in the Communion to actually continue in the church here as well. I find that it is scandalous that some other bishops are flying in. So you’ve got to be very careful. Are your resolutions likely to spawn or cure that very, very [great] difficulty?

And if they can’t, what do you do? Well, Michael Ramsey in his book The Gospel and the Catholic Church says ‘The center of Anglicanism, her primary vocation, its witness to the perpetual passion of Christ’s body which must lead according to God’s providence, into the heart of the gospel and in reality engage them with the very sufferings of Christ himself.’

Maybe the committee should ask, do these resolutions show us a Christ who is bearing the marks of crucifixion? Do these resolutions help us, ourselves, to show the marks of our own crucifixion because we are part of the body? Do these resolutions help us be one of those whose tears will be wiped away when Christ returns? That is really the question you’ve got to face.

For if you remember when the Greeks said, ‘we want to see Jesus’, what did he say?

Thank you Father. He immediately talks about his death, his resurrection and ultimately it was when Pilate later said, ‘behold the man’.

So friends, we are following a crucified savior. And you’ve got to ask, in terms of Anglicanism, truth and unity are non-separable. They are part of the same reality.

Do these resolutions help that reality? And if they don’t, then I suggest you go strengthen them. And may God give you such great wisdom […unclear].

It is no question that gay and lesbian is a global question and will have to be resolved some day. But Windsor wanted space to be created. And I am not so sure that yours will create the space for the Communion to stay together.