Anglican Mainstream

From ACNS

By George Conger, CEN

[...]  While the commitment to the Communion remains strong, there is less of a tie to the current Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England Newspaper has learned.

The tenor of conversation among the boycotting Primates centres round the realisation that Dr Williams is unable, and apparently unwilling, to resolve the Anglican crisis. Dr Williams’ successes in persuading conservatives to go along, will not be repeated this time due to their absence. The “rump” meeting in Dublin 2011 has already been dismissed as illegitimate by some of the boycotting Primates, who represent 40 of the Communion’s 55 million active Anglicans.

Past undertakings given at the 2005, 2007 and 2009 Primates’ Meeting have not been fulfilled one Primate noted. It was not just around issues of human sexuality that action did not follow upon words, but in resolutions ranging from the appointment of an envoy to Zimbabwe to promises to mediate the Brazilian split.

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From the ACI

[...]  Despite claims that the Anglican Communion has around “80 million” members, one must take account of the fact that a stated membership of 25 million in the Church of England actually translates to only about 1 million in church on Sundays. Similarly with a number of other churches. Let’s say the real Communion number is around 65 million. Of these, over 30 million are from the provinces of Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda—churches whose alienation from TEC and now the Communion cannot credibly be questioned. It is clearly the case that the Primates present in Dublin represent substantially fewer than half of the active members of the Communion. Those staying away due to the crisis in the Communion probably represent two-thirds or more of the active members of the Communion.

Assuming a Communion membership of around 65 million, the following chart shows the proportion of Anglicans who are represented at the Primates’ current meeting (about 21 million) and those whose Primates are absent (45 million). By and large, the breakdown goes along Anglo vs. Global South lines. It is beyond time for questioning why Primates are not present or whether they should attend. At issue is the health of the Communion and the restoration of trust. Those present, if they wish to proceed as if this was a representative meeting of the Communion, need to ask what has gone wrong and determine how can it be righted.”

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From ACNS

Day 3

On Day three of the meeting, Primates of the Anglican Communion began to more closely consider ‘primacy’. In small groups they discussed their understanding and experience of the theology and practice of primacy in their Provinces, at the Regional level and at the Communion level. The purpose of the morning was to share in plenary the differences and similarities of primacy in the Provinces of the Communion.

Aspects of primacy shared among all Provinces included the Primate having a ministry of reconciliation and peace building; of linking the local with the global and vice-versa; of being a consensus builder, a symbol of unity in the Province and the wider community; of being a pastor to other bishops; and of having a prophetic voice, to interpret the signs of the times in their local context.

“A Primate is the first among equals,” one Primate fed back to the meeting, “an apostle, a servant, who is often on the road visiting dioceses, carrying and embodying the vision of the Province, the mission of the church and the values that hold that Province together.”

Also many considered a Primate to be someone who represented the voice of his/her Province. One Primate explained to the plenary session that in their small group the Primates had agreed that, “none of us are able to or are inclined to speak for ourselves only, but always after consultation with the bishops, with the synods and council.” He added that there had also considerable conversation around the Primates’ voice as representatives of their Province when they went into other councils that were ecumenical, inter faith or political in nature.

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by David Virtue in Dublin, VOL

At a meeting of global archbishops in Dublin, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams is expected to announce the formation of a new social activist body – A Global Anglican Relief and Development Alliance – in a last ditch effort to deflect the Anglican Communion away from the moral and theological crisis sweeping the communion playing up poverty issues instead.

A dozen orthodox Anglican Primates have absented themselves from a Primates' meeting here in Dublin because of the theological and moral innovations of The Episcopal Church.

For the past year, since the conclusion of the 2008 Lambeth Conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Office have worked together to move forward the recommendation for the establishment of a new way for Anglicans to globally work together for relief and development.

A news release from the Anglican Alliance cites Williams saying that while we (Anglican Communion leaders) cannot agree on doctrine that should not stop us helping the poor. This new Alliance will cost £400,000 ($636,638) a year for three years and be London based. According to the Anglican Communion Office, this recommendation reflects the urgency to combat the scandal of poverty requiring concerted and coordinated Communion action. "This recommendation has greater urgency today than ever before – the global financial crisis has exacerbated in many parts of the Communion a pre-existing socio-economic crisis marked by widespread poverty, under-employment, growth in inequality and difficult social conditions."

However, sources tell VOL that Williams is actually restructuring the mission arm of the Anglican Communion in London with this new body. It is an attempt to keep the communion together as it publicly fragments over pansexuality.

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From ACNS

By David Virtue, VOL

BBC SUNDAY SEQUENCE HOST WILLIAM CRAWLEY: When you hear the word "Anglican Communion" you now expect that phrase to be followed by the words "embattled", "crisis" or "schism". This week, in fact, the leaders of the Anglican Communion — the Primates heading the Communion's provinces across the world — will be meeting in [Dublin] Ireland for what is bound to be described as a "Crisis Summit".

Canon Kenneth Kearon is the Secretary General of The Communion, joins me now from our [BBC] studios in Dublin. Good morning to you.

CANON KEARON: Good Morning.

BBC: Is that an appropriated description: "Crisis Summit"?

CANON KEARON: I don't think that it is. It's going to be an important summit and it is going to try to face some of the very difficult issues facing The Communion today. But there will be, I think, a variety or responses as to actually what are the "big issues" facing The Communion today.

VOL: No it won't. Archbishop Mouneer Anis (Middle East) says the meeting has been "cooked and precooked" with no outcome that is not already a forgone conclusion. Decisions made at previous primates' meetings will not be acted upon and orthodox primates will no longer allow Dr. Rowan Williams to play shuttle diplomacy between the two groups, both of whom have very different gospels. If the "big issues" are faced they will quickly swept under the carpet as there will be no one to oppose Rowan Williams or the liberal Primates present especially Katharine Jefferts Schori.

BBC: How many primates will be coming?

CANON KEARON: There are 39 Primates in the Anglican Communion, which includes the Archbishop of York [John Sentamu] who comes specifically to represent the voice of the Church of England at these meetings. At any one of those meetings there are a number of Primates who can't come for a variety of reasons. For example: health or other diary commitments or whatever. What I think you are referring to is the fact that some Primates have indicated that they don't intend to attend this particular.

VOL: In fact, only 23 have turned up. Some 12 have not, saying they reject the basis of this gathering. Three are not attending for reasons of visa and health.

BBC: They are deliberately staying away?

CANON KEARON: They are, because of the presence of the primate of The Episcopal Church [Katharine Jefferts Schori] and recent developments in The Episcopal Church.

VOL: True. They are staying away because they believe she has "another gospel", not the one cited by the apostle Paul. (See Gal. 1:5)

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David W. Virtue in Dublin   www.virtueonline.org January 25, 2011

Fifteen of the Anglican Communion's 38 archbishops – nearly 40% – have absented themselves from a meeting of the Primates called by the Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss the moral, theological and ecclesiastical crisis in the Anglican Communion.

The Primates are meeting behind closed doors for six days at the Emmaus Retreat and Conference Centre in Dublin. The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, was also invited to allow the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to fulfill his role as president of the meeting.

Among those not attending are:

The Most Revd Eliud Wabukala, The Anglican Church of Kenya

The Most Revd Purely Lyngdoh, The Church of North India (United)

The Most Revd Valentino Mokiwa, The Anglican Church of Tanzania

The Most Revd Daniel Deng Bul Yak, The Episcopal Church of the Sudan. (He cited his country's referendum, but he has also been an outspoken opponent of The Episcopal Church's drift from a Biblical understanding of human sexuality and gave an impromptu press conference at Lambeth 2008 blasting TEC.)

The Most Revd Onesphore Rwaje, L'Eglise Episcopal au Rwanda, (two days after his installation). He is not attending for the same reasons his predecessor Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini would not have attended – the crisis in the Anglican Communion brought on by the sexual innovations of The Episcopal Church.

The Most Revd Gerald James (Ian) Ernest, The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean.

The Most Revd. Mouneer Hanna Anis The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East

The Most Rt Revd Nicholas Dikeriehi Okoh, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

The Most Revd Henry Luke Orombi, The Church of the Province of Uganda

The Most Revd John Chew, Church of the Province of South East Asia

The Most Revd Hector Zavala, Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America

The Most Revd Justice Ofei Akrofi, The Church of the Province of West Africa

Three other primates also could not attend.

The Most Revd Henry Kahwa Isingoma, Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo cited visa problems.

The Most Revd Carlos Touche-Porter, La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico; and

The Most Revd Stephen Than Myint Oo, The Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma) claimed reasons of health.

Read here 

From ACNS

Primates from across the Anglican Communion arrived today at the Emmaus Retreat and Conference Centre in Dublin for the first day of their six-day Primates' Meeting.

The Primates, who are the senior bishops or archbishops of a province of the Anglican family of churches, were invited from all 38 Provinces. The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, was also invited to allow the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to fulfil his role as the President of the meeting.

Several Primates, including Archbishop Maurício José Araújo de Andrade Primate of Brazil & Bishop of Brasilia, said they were looking forward to a positive meeting.

“It is important that in this meeting dialogue continues between the different parts of the Anglican Communion,” he said. “If it is possible to sit together with different ecumenical and interfaith partners, how much more do we need to continue to sit down and dialogue with bishops from other parts of the Communion.”

Read here (includes list of those attending and not attending)

There have been various interests and concerns expressed about the absence of some Global South Primates at the forthcoming Dublin Primates’ Meeting.

Where these Primates are concerned, arriving at such decision was not a sudden or knee-jerk reaction. Both before, and more so after, The Episcopal Church has once again proceeded, against widespread appeals and warnings across the Anglican Communion, not least from the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, to consecrate an openly lesbian Mary Glasspool as bishop. The concerned group of Global South Primates had communicated very clearly with the Archbishop of Canterbury, especially those who were present at the All African Bishops’ Conference (Entebbe, Uganda Aug 2010), in a private conversation with him. They have indicated that it would be extremely difficult – and in fact, quite pointless – for them to be present at the planned Primates’ Meeting 2011.

Unless and until there is unequivocal commitment to honour the agreed basis of Lambeth Resolution 1.10 and implement the decisions of previous Primates’ Meetings (2005, 2007, 2009) expressed in the respective Communiqués, especially that of Dar es Salem 2007, it will only lead to further erosion of the credibility of the Primates’ Meeting and accentuate our failure to honour the work already done by them.

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From ACNS

The Primates who have turned down the invitation to this week’s Primates’ Meeting because of developments in The Episcopal Church are still committed to the Anglican Communion.

In an interview today with BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence programme, Anglican Communion Secretary General Canon Kenneth Kearon told presenter William Crawley that at Communion meetings there are always a number of participants who cannot come for a variety of reasons including health or diary commitments.

Canon Kearon gave as an example of those who would likely leave their decision to attend until the last minute the Primates of Sudan and Australia whose countries are dealing with major issues including a referendum and flooding respectively.

He added that on this occasion some Primates had written to say they would not be attending the Dublin meeting because of the presence of the Primate of The Episcopal Church and recent developments in The Episcopal Church.

“About seven or possibly eight have written to me directly to say that’s the reason why they cannot come," he said. "About two can’t come because of health reasons and there are a few we are not yet sure whether they are coming or not.

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By Ed Beavan, Church Times

At the end of last year, it was announced that ten Primates from the Global South intended to boycott the meeting, in protest at the inclusion of the US Primate after rows over gay bishops and same-sex blessings (News, 26 November).

The Church Times understands that this number might have risen to 14 out of the possible 37 Primates eligible to attend. (There is one vacancy.) The general secretary of the Anglican Communion Office (ACO), Canon Kenneth Kearon, believes, however, that those who stay away, “in protest after developments in the Episcopal Church” in the United States, will number “less than ten”. There might be other absentees because of health or visa issues, he said.

He admitted, however, that numbers would be unknown until the meeting began on Tuesday. “Given that most Primates make their own travel arrangements, and that plans can change at the last minute, it is impossible for anyone to say for certain how many Primates will travel to Dublin for the meeting.”

The ten Primates in the original boycott are understood to be those of Jerusalem & the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, South-East Asia, the Southern Cone, Rwanda, West Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya. A Global South spokesman suggested that another four were likely to stay away. One of these, the Primate of Sudan, has other matters demanding his attention in the wake of his country’s referendum.

The Global South Primates say they are disillusioned with the Archbishop of Canter­bury’s unwillingness to take dis­ciplinary action against the US Church, despite recommendations made at previous Primates’ Meetings. They feel that dialogue has been used as a means to delay a solution to the current crisis in the Communion. Nor do they trust the “Instruments of Communion”, notably the ACO and the Archbishop of Canterbury, to implement any recommen­dations that are made in Dublin. And they object that there has been a lack of consulta­tion, especially over the agenda, in the run-up to the Dublin meeting.

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By Marites N Sison, Anglican Journal

From ACI

The Reverend Canon Professor Christopher Seitz
The Reverend Dr. Philip Turner
The Reverend Dr. Ephraim Radner
Mark McCall, Esq.

The Dublin gathering of Primates—is it a “Primates’ Meeting” when so many are not attending?—is soon to happen. Many are the views on whether conservative Primates should attend, and the reasons pro and con equally many. We hold a range of views among ourselves, but we are unanimous in our hope that the Primates of the Global South will be united in their response.

Moreover, opinions of others are irrelevant at this point: it will be the case that a major block of the Communion will not be represented at the Meeting. To say it is ‘only ten’; or to argue that the Primates don’t represent their Provinces; or to say it should be more; or to question whether the Primates’ Meeting is a bona fide gathering at all – all of this simply shows how degenerated has become the very basic life of the Communion, as measured against what has been a tacit fellowship in charity and mission not all that long ago. One ought properly to conclude that just one Primate not appearing is a terrible thing.

Reasonable people may and do disagree about attendance at this meeting. Still, we are seeing a tragic development and a public scandal, which by now many have become accustomed to if they have not simply turned away.

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By Matt Kennedy, Stand Firm

Later in the week I (and hopefully another one of my fellow SF writers) hope to post a response to some of the recently published ACI articles urging primates to attend the upcoming meeting. Meanwhile, I certainly pray that no primate will be swayed by false cajoling appeals to "hope" and "trust". "Hope" and trust" are certainly biblical concepts but when lifted from the text of scripture, embellished, idealized and then used to trump the actual words of scripture they have no power and no authority to compel the conscience.

There is simply no biblical warrant for participating in a meeting in which unrepentant, defiant false teachers will be seated as if they are legitimate Christian leaders. There are, in fact, very specific biblical instructions about how to deal with false teachers and these instructions do not include meeting with them, sitting down with them, having a chat with them, or seeking anything at all from them short of outright repentance and recantation. And since that has, in this case, been called for repeatedly and rejected repeatedly, these particular leaders are to be treated not as brothers and sisters who err but as those who devour and destroy.

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. [10] If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, [11] for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. (2 John 1:9-11 ESV)

And what of those who purport to be Christian leaders while unrepentantly subverting the truth through his or her actions?

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By George Conger, CEN

The Archbishop of Canterbury has rejected Africa’s call to suspend the Dublin primates meeting, a spokesman for Dr. Rowan Williams’ tells The Church of England Newspaper, and the meeting will go on as scheduled.

On Nov 17 Lambeth Palace confirmed that Dr. Williams had received a letter from CAPA chairman Archbishop Ian Earnest. This letter raised a “concern about the planning process for the Primates’ Meeting and request[ed] that it be postponed.”

“However, given the closeness of the time, and the fact that the majority of Primates have already indicated that they will attend, the Archbishop of Canterbury is not minded to postpone the meeting whose date was set two years ago,” the Lambeth Palace statement said.

Dr. Williams’ decision not to postpone the Dublin meeting, will likely cause a quarter to a third of the primates to stay away, replicating the divisions surrounding the 2008 Lambeth Conference where a majority of African bishops boycotted the meeting.

Read here

Some interesting comments on Titusonenine here

By George Conger, CEN

By George Conger, CEN

The Archbishop of Canterbury has proposed suspending the Primates Meeting—the fourth ‘instrument of unity’ in the Anglican Communion—in favour of holding multiple small group gatherings of like minded archbishops.

In a letter to the primates dated Oct 7, Dr. Rowan Williams suggested that given the “number of difficult conversations” and the threat of a boycott of its meetings, a regime of separate but equal facilitated small groups sessions might better serve the primates’ “diverse” perspectives and forestall the substantial “damage” to the communion a full-fledged boycott would entail.

Dr. Williams also called for a reform of the structure of the meetings, suggesting that an elected standing committee be created and the powers and responsibility of the meeting of the communion’s 38 archbishops, presiding bishops and moderators be delineated.

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By Charles Raven, SPREAD