The Pastoral Forum – oversight for churches not getting on with their parents
In the Press Conference today, Bishop Clive Handford expanded on the proposal of the Pastoral Forum. These are based on notes of what he said and while accurate do not claim to be word for word what was said.
It sums up what has been called for by Windsor, Dromantine, and Dar-Es-Salaam.
The Archbishop of Canterbury appoints the members. A Bishop will be the chair and the membership will recognise the breadth of the communion and in terms of view,.
It is a body which could respond quickly where there is a pressure point in the communion. It is suggested that as the covenant process unfolds, this could be included in the covenant as a mechanism for achieving reconciliation.
Provinces like Uganda that have been involved in interventions will all be included in the moratoria. We are seeking to find a way of healing the breach caused by these interventions.
Oversight by the forum will be a safe space into which these bodies ( which have left their own provinces) can come. They will not be dependent on primates in other provinces. They will have a real link to the pastoral forum. They are being held in trust till the day when they can return to their parent bodies.
It is like a member of a family not getting on with their parents at the moment. An unt or an uncle can take them under their wing and work for the restoration of family. It gives us a basis on which to draw breath and go forward.
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