Archbishop of Wales rejects proposed Anglican Covenant
THE GOVERNING Body of the Church in Wales has voted to reject the draft version of the Anglican Covenant following a speech denouncing the document by Archbishop Barry Morgan. Addressing the General Assembly on September 18, Dr Morgan said that while he endorsed in principle the concept of a unifying document for the Anglican Communion, he could not accept the one on offer from the committee chaired by the Primate of the West Indies, Archbishop Drexel Gomez, due to its traditional stance on homosexuality. “The original intention of a Covenant to affirm the bonds of affection was good,” he argued. “The indications now are that many see it as a contract, a means of ensuring a uniform view on human sexuality enforceable by the threat of exclusion from the Communion if one does not conform. I certainly do not want to sign up to that kind of Covenant,he said.Dr Morgan argued that the Lambeth Quadrilateral, a 19th century document designed to foster the reunion of Anglican and non-Anglican Churches, was a better vehicle for uniting Anglican churches. “The Lambeth Quadrilateral of scripture, creeds, sacraments and historic episcopate are no longer sufficient credentials for being an Anglican,” he observed. “A particular view of human sexuality is also required. That devalues scripture by restricting its moral values simply to what it might be saying about sexual relationships and turns the Bible into a kind of rule book where texts can be wrestled out of context.” He also warned that the draft Covenant might interfere with the polity of the Church in Wales and restrict its autonomy. “There will be obvious constitutional implications for us as a Church because we may be asked to subject decisions to primates and this will alter the nature of the Church in Wales and its provincial autonomy,” he said. “Our Constitution allows the Governing Body the authority to change our doctrine. If we pass a doctrine, which the primates think breaches the Covenant, we may face censure.”
Dr Morgan also criticised Anglican primates threatening to boycott the Lambeth Conference next year saying: “They are not willing to come to talk and deliberate with those who differ from them. That seems to me to deny the very nature of Anglicanism. The way some of the primates have behaved does not give me great hope of entrusting the interpretation and the implementation of the terms of the Covenant to them.”
However, Global South leader told The Church of England Newspaper Dr Morgan’s critique of absent bishops would have more bite if he had not absented himself from the Tanzania primates meeting and had not threatened to boycott the emergency meeting of Primates proposed by the Nigerian bishops.
Dr Morgan asked the Governing Body to note the existence of the Covenant process and to invite the Welsh bishops to finalise a response for the Covenant Design Group by the end of the year. The Governing Body did as it was asked and adopted Dr Morgan’s recommendations.
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