The Path of The Episcopal Church 2/20/2008
Resolution of the Diocese of Fort Worth
Archbishops Commission Appointed

Bishop Iker’s Report
The Primates’ Statement

Bishop Griswold’s Word to the Church
Bishop Griswold’s Letter to the Primates 10/23/03

Canon Atwood's assessment of the Primates' Statement
What to do in Church


The Path of the Episcopal Church
This is a .pdf file (you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it) giving an overview of the trajectory of the Episcopal Church over the past 40+ years. It contains links to supporting documentation. Click here


 

The Report of the Lambeth Commission has been released.
To download the full Windsor Report:
click here

RESOLUTION REGARDING THE CONSECRATION
OF VICKY GENE ROBINSON AS BISHOP COADJUTOR
OF THE DIOCESE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

adopted at the
21st Annual Convention of
the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth,
Nov. 8, 2003

Results of Balloting by Orders:

Clergy: Total voting: 69 For: 57 (82 percent) Against: 12

Laity: Total voting: 125 For: 103 (82 percent) Against: 22

WHEREAS the consecration of V. Gene Robinson as Bishop Coadjutor of New Hampshire is a violation of the clear teaching of Holy Scripture, the unambiguous and consistent moral teaching of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, the constitution of the Episcopal Church of the USA, and Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference on Human Sexuality;

and

WHEREAS the decision was made to proceed with the consecration in determined and callous disregard of the clear warning articulated in the October 16, 2003, statement of the Primates of the Anglican Communion, which was signed by Frank Griswold;

and

WHEREAS, by the consecration of a declared and sexually active homosexual as a bishop, the diocese of New Hampshire and those bishops who participated in the consecration have separated themselves from the teaching of the Anglican Communion, have broken fellowship with us, and departed from the unity of the Episcopal Church and of the worldwide Anglican Communion;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the 21st Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth repudiates the consecration of V. Gene Robinson and recognizes it as a schismatic act which has created a breach in our communion with the Diocese of New Hampshire and those Bishops who participated in it,

AND THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we declare our commitment to work with those Bishops, Dioceses and congregations and those Primates and Provinces that will now move forward with a realignment of the Anglican Communion; we reaffirm the authority of Holy Scripture and our intention to continue faithfully to uphold and propagate the historic Faith and Order of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church under the sovereignty of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 


ACNS 3652 | LAMBETH PALACE | 28 OCTOBER 2003

Anglican Communion - Commission announced

[ACNS source: Lambeth Palace] The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has announced the makeup and the terms of reference for a Commission to look at life in the Anglican Communion in the light of recent events. It is to be made up of members appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and will be chaired by the Most Revd Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh.

The Commission, which is expected to begin its work early in the New Year, was formed as a result of a request from the recent Primates meeting at Lambeth Palace to the Archbishop of Canterbury. It will take particular account of the decision to authorise a service for use in connection with same sex unions in the Diocese of New Westminster, Canada, and the expected Consecration of the Revd Canon V Gene Robinson as Bishop Co-adjutor of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church (USA) on Sunday, November 2nd.

Membership of the Commission has been drawn up by Dr Williams in consultation and reflects the breadth and diversity of the Anglican Communion as well as providing substantial canonical, theological and ecclesiological expertise. The Commission was requested by the Primates to report within twelve months (that is, by October 2004) to the Archbishop of Canterbury in preparation for ensuing meetings of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council.

Dr Williams said that the Commission's main task would be to offer advice on finding a way through the situation which currently threatens to divide the Communion:

"The Primates were clear that the Anglican Communion could be approaching a crucial and critical point in its life. The responses of Provinces to developing events will determine the future life of our Communion in a profound way and we need to take time for careful prayer, reflection and consideration to discern God's will for the whole Communion. This Commission, under the Communion's longest serving Primate, is intended to contribute to our finding a way forward."

Dr Eames said he was deeply conscious of the challenge: "I am conscious of the importance and the delicacy of the work the Commission will have to undertake. It is important to see the whole of the task - we have not been charged with finding the answers to the questions of sexuality, but with assisting the Communion to respond to recent developments in our churches in North America in a way which is fully faithful to Christ's call for the Unity of his Church."


The full mandate and membership list follows:

The mandate

The Archbishop of Canterbury requests the Commission:

1. To examine and report to him by 30th September 2004, in preparation for the ensuing meetings of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council, on the legal and theological implications flowing from the decisions of the Episcopal Church (USA) to appoint a priest in a committed same sex relationship as one of its bishops, and of the Diocese of New Westminster to authorise services for use in connection with same sex unions, and specifically on the canonical understandings of communion, impaired and broken communion, and the ways in which provinces of the Anglican Communion may relate to one another in
situations where the ecclesiastical authorities of one province feel unable to maintain the fullness of communion with another part of the Anglican Communion.

2. Within their report, to include practical recommendations (including reflection on emerging patterns of provision for episcopal oversight for those Anglicans within a particular jurisdiction, where full communion within a province is under threat) for maintaining the highest degree of communion that may be possible in the circumstances resulting from these decisions, both within and between the churches of the Anglican Communion.

3. Thereafter, as soon as practicable, and with particular reference to the issues raised in Section IV of the Report of the Lambeth Conference 1998, to make recommendations to the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council, as to the exceptional circumstances and conditions under which, and the means by which, it would be appropriate for the Archbishop of Canterbury to exercise an extraordinary ministry of episcope (pastoral oversight), support and reconciliation with regard to the internal affairs of a province other than his own for the sake of maintaining communion with the said province and between the said province and the rest of the Anglican Communion.

4. In its deliberations, to take due account of the work already undertaken on issues of communion by the Lambeth Conferences of 1988 and 1998, as well as the views expressed by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in the communiqués and pastoral letters arising from their meetings since 2000.


The members of the Commission are:

* Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland, Chairman,
* The Revd Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director of Faith, Worship and
Ministry, the Anglican Church of Canada,
* Bishop David Beetge, Dean of the Church of the Province of Southern
Africa,
* Professor Norman Doe, Director of the Centre for Law and Religion,
Cardiff University, Wales,
* Bishop Mark Dyer, Director of Spiritual Formation, Virginia
Theological Seminary, USA,
* Archbishop Drexel Gomez, Primate of the West Indies,
* Archbishop Josiah Iduwo-Fearon, Archbishop of Kaduna, the Anglican
Church of Nigeria,
* The Revd Dorothy Lau, Director of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare
Council,
* Ms Anne McGavin, Advocate, formerly Legal Adviser to the College of
Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church,
* Archbishop Bernard Malango, Primate of Central Africa,
* Dr Esther Mombo, Academic Dean of St Paul's United Theological
Seminary, Limuru, Kenya,
* Archbishop Barry Morgan, Primate of Wales,
* Chancellor Rubie Nottage, Chancellor of the West Indies,
* Bishop John Paterson, Primate of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia,
and Chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council,
* Dr Jenny Te Paa, Principal of College of Saint John the Evangelist,
Auckland, New Zealand,
* Bishop James Terom, Moderator, the Church of North India,
* Bishop N Thomas Wright, Bishop of Durham, the Church of England.

The Revd Canon John Rees, Legal Adviser to the Anglican Consultative
Council, will act as Legal Consultant to the Commission.

The Revd Canon Gregory Cameron, Director of Ecumenical Affairs and
Studies, Anglican Communion Office, will act as Secretary to the
Commission.

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A REPORT FROM BISHOP IKER TO
THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF FORT WORTH

October 23, 2003


Dear Friends in Christ,

This report is being given to fulfill the commitment made in my Pastoral Letter of August 10th to update you on important meetings that have taken place on controversial decisions of the 74th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. In particular, I want to say something about the October meetings of the American Anglican Council in Dallas and of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in London. I ask the clergy to share this report with all parishioners by distributing copies of it to them. Additional information is available on our website at www.fwepiscopal.org.

The meeting in Dallas on October 7-9 was a remarkable gathering of more than 2,600 clergy and laity from every state in the union and from all but two dioceses of the Episcopal Church. It was an inspirational and spiritually uplifting time together, and several very helpful and informative presentations were made concerning the crisis that confronts us. I am pleased to say that Fort Worth was well represented by a large number of both clergy and lay participants from across the Diocese. The conference took the following actions, which you will notice are very much in concert with the resolutions adopted by our Special Diocesan Convention on September 27th:

  • Repudiated the General Convention's ratification of the election of a non-celibate homosexual to be a bishop of the Church and its acceptance of the blessings of same-sex unions
  • Reaffirmed the resolutions of the 1998 Lambeth Conference on human sexuality and Biblical authority
  • Urged congregations and dioceses to redirect financial support away from the General Convention Program and Budget to other ministries
  • Appealed to the Primates of the Anglican Communion for intervention in
    the Episcopal Church, in order to support and encourage orthodox believers
    here in the U.S.A.

The Primates of the Anglican Communion took up our concerns at a special meeting called by the Archbishop of Canterbury on October 15 and 16. At the conclusion of their deliberations, the Primates issued a Statement that is very supportive of the positions we have taken as a Diocese. It is available on our website. When you read it, please remember that it was crafted in a very polite, British style of diplomatic language, and adopted unanimously. Though some have attempted to put a liberal spin on its meaning, its primary points are very clear.

1. The Primates reaffirmed the resolutions of the 1998 Lambeth Conference on Biblical authority and issues of human sexuality and said they “deeply regret the actions” of the Episcopal Church.

2. They declared that no Province “has authority unilaterally to substitute an alternative teaching as if it were the teaching of the entire Anglican Communion,” that the recent actions of the Episcopal Church “do not express the mind of our Communion,” and that “these decisions jeopardize our sacramental fellowship with each other.”

3. They called upon all Provinces “to make adequate provision for episcopal
oversight of dissenting minorities in consultation with the Archbishop of
Canterbury on behalf of the Primates.”
This means placing traditional
congregations in liberal dioceses under the care of traditional bishops.

4. They stated: “In most of our Provinces the election of Canon Gene
Robinson would not have been possible since his chosen lifestyle would give
rise to a canonical impediment to his consecration as a bishop.”

5. They went on to warn that if the consecration takes place, “the future
of the Communion itself will be put in jeopardy,”
as “many Provinces are
likely to consider themselves to be out of Communion with the Episcopal
Church.”

6. The Primates asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to establish a Commission to assist him and report within twelve months on how to address “ the dangers we have identified at this meeting” and how he can “exercise an extraordinary ministry of episcope (pastoral oversight)” in other Provinces during this crisis.

The Primates realized they could not enter into the constitutional and legal battles of the Episcopal Church. We must work out those things for ourselves. What they have done is to send a clear message of rebuke to this Church, along with an ultimatum about what is to come if we proceed in this direction.

I am saddened to say that it is apparent that the New Hampshire consecration will go ahead as planned on November 2nd, despite the warnings and the pleas not to do so. Both Biblical truth and the unity of the Church will be violated when it does. The controversies before us will not be resolved easily or quickly, and we can expect to live with conflict and division about all of this for some time to come. As the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, we have been strengthened and encouraged by the message from the Primates that they stand firmly with us in these matters. We will continue to explore ways to network with other Dioceses, as we remain committed to upholding and propagating the historic Faith and Order of the Church. It is hard to say at this point what new possibilities and opportunities may emerge under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must wait upon the Lord for that. I can assure all of you that the clergy of this Diocese and I are firmly committed to Biblical faith and practice. You can be confident that in your congregation the Word will be faithfully preached and the Sacraments faithfully administered.

My next report to you will be made at our Diocesan Convention on November 7
and 8 in Fort Worth. Thank you all for your prayers and support. They are more deeply appreciated than I can say. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Faithfully in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker
Bishop of Fort Worth

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A Statement by the Primates of the Anglican Communion
meeting in Lambeth Palace

16 OCTOBER 2003


The Primates of the Anglican Communion and the Moderators of the United Churches, meeting together at Lambeth Palace on the 15th and 16th October, 2003, wish to express our gratitude to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, for calling us together in response to recent events in the Diocese of New Westminster, Canada, and the Episcopal Church (USA), and welcoming us into his home so that we might take counsel together, and to seek to discern, in an atmosphere of common prayer and worship, the will and guidance of the Holy Spirit for the common life of the thirty-eight provinces which constitute our Communion.

At a time of tension, we have struggled at great cost with the issues before us, but have also been renewed and strengthened in our Communion with one another through our worship and study of the Bible. This has led us into a deeper commitment to work together, and we affirm our pride in the Anglican inheritance of faith and order and our firm desire to remain part of a Communion, where what we hold in common is much greater than that which divides us in proclaiming Good News to the world.

At this time we feel the profound pain and uncertainty shared by others about our Christian discipleship in the light of controversial decisions by the Diocese of New Westminster to authorise a Public Rite of Blessing for those in committed same sex relationships, and by the 74th General Convention of the Episcopal Church (USA) to confirm the election of a priest in a committed same sex relationship to the office and work of a Bishop.

These actions threaten the unity of our own Communion as well as our relationships with other parts of Christ's Church, our mission and witness, and our relations with other faiths, in a world already confused in areas of sexuality, morality and theology, and polarised Christian opinion.

As Primates of our Communion seeking to exercise the "enhanced responsibility" entrusted to us by successive Lambeth Conferences, we re-affirm our common understanding of the centrality and authority of Scripture in determining the basis of our faith. Whilst we acknowledge a legitimate diversity of interpretation that arises in the Church, this diversity does not mean that some of us take the authority of Scripture more lightly than others. Nevertheless, each province needs to be aware of the possible effects of its interpretation of Scripture on the life of other provinces in the Communion. We commit ourselves afresh to mutual respect whilst seeking from the Lord a correct discernment of how God's Word speaks to us in our contemporary world.

We also re-affirm the resolutions made by the bishops of the Anglican Communion gathered at the Lambeth Conference in 1998 on issues of human sexuality as having moral force and commanding the respect of the Communion as its present position on these issues. We commend the report of that Conference in its entirety to all members of the Anglican Communion, valuing especially its emphasis on the need "to listen to the experience of homosexual persons, and...to assure them that they are loved by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ"; and its acknowledgement of the need for ongoing study on questions of human sexuality.

Therefore, as a body we deeply regret the actions of the Diocese of New Westminster and the Episcopal Church (USA) which appear to a number of provinces to have short-circuited that process, and could be perceived to alter unilaterally the teaching of the Anglican Communion on this issue. They do not. Whilst we recognise the juridical autonomy of each province in our Communion, the mutual interdependence of the provinces means that none has authority unilaterally to substitute an alternative teaching as if it were the teaching of the entire Anglican Communion.

To this extent, therefore, we must make clear that recent actions in New Westminster and in the Episcopal Church (USA) do not express the mind of our Communion as a whole, and these decisions jeopardise our sacramental fellowship with each other. We have a particular concern for those who in all conscience feel bound to dissent from the teaching and practice of their province in such matters. Whilst we reaffirm the teaching of successive Lambeth Conferences that bishops must respect the autonomy and territorial integrity of dioceses and provinces other than their own, we call on the provinces concerned to make adequate provision for episcopal oversight of dissenting minorities within their own area of pastoral care in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of the Primates.

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (USA) has explained to us the constitutional framework within which the election and confirmation of a new bishop in the Episcopal Church (USA) takes place. As Primates, it is not for us to pass judgement on the constitutional processes of another province. We recognise the sensitive balance between provincial autonomy and the expression of critical opinion by others on the internal actions of a province. Nevertheless, many Primates have pointed to the grave difficulties that this election has raised and will continue to raise. In most of our provinces the election of Canon Gene Robinson would not have been possible since his chosen lifestyle would give rise to a canonical impediment to his consecration as a bishop.

If his consecration proceeds, we recognise that we have reached a crucial and critical point in the life of the Anglican Communion and we have had to conclude that the future of the Communion itself will be put in jeopardy. In this case, the ministry of this one bishop will not be recognised by most of the Anglican world, and many provinces are likely to consider themselves to be out of Communion with the Episcopal Church (USA). This will tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level, and may lead to further division on this and further issues as provinces have to decide in consequence whether they can remain in communion with provinces that choose not to break communion with the Episcopal Church (USA).

Similar considerations apply to the situation pertaining in the Diocese of New Westminster.

We have noted that the Lambeth Conference 1998 requested the Archbishop of Canterbury to establish a commission to consider his own role in maintaining communion within and between provinces when grave difficulties arise . We ask him now to establish such a commission, but that its remit be extended to include urgent and deep theological and legal reflection on the way in which the dangers we have identified at this meeting will have to be addressed. We request that such a commission complete its work, at least in relation to the issues raised at this meeting, within twelve months.

We urge our provinces not to act precipitately on these wider questions, but take time to share in this process of reflection and to consider their own constitutional requirements as individual provinces face up to potential realignments.

Questions of the parity of our canon law, and the nature of the relationship between the laws of our provinces with one another have also been raised. We encourage the Network of Legal Advisers established by the Anglican Consultative Council, meeting in Hong Kong in 2002, to bring to completion the work which they have already begun on this question.

It is clear that recent controversies have opened debates within the life of our Communion which will not be resolved until there has been a lengthy process of prayer, reflection and substantial work in and alongside the Commission which we have recommended. We pray that God will equip our Communion to be equal to the task and challenges which lie before it.

"Now I appeal to the elders of your community, as a fellow elder and a witness to Christ's sufferings, and as one who has shared in the glory to be revealed: look after the flock of God whose shepherd you are." (1 Peter 5.1,2a)

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A Word to the Church

10/17/2003
[Episcopal News Service] I have just returned several hours ago from the meeting of the Primates in London. It was a difficult but very truthful meeting in which our understanding of one another¹s contexts and the burdens each one of us must bear were made abundantly clear. I have ever greater respect and affection for these brothers of mine and for the ministry they carry out, often in the most difficult and seemingly hopeless circumstances.

The effects for our Anglican brothers and sisters of our action taken at General Convention giving consent to the ordination and consecration of the bishop coadjutor-elect of New Hampshire were described in very stark terms. Many spoke about ridicule they had received within their provinces and the threat to their ability to proclaim the gospel, particularly in places where other religions are dominant.


The statement issuing from our meeting reflects hours of intense conversation and confrontation, always in the spirit of mutual respect. It is too soon to draw out all the implications contained in the statement or to see exactly how its provisions might best be articulated. I will have more to say at a later time.


One paragraph of the statement reads as follows: Whilst we reaffirm the teaching of successive Lambeth Conferences that bishops must respect the autonomy and territorial integrity of dioceses and provinces other than their own, we call on the provinces concerned to made adequate provision for episcopal oversight of dissenting minorities within their own area of pastoral care in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of the Primates.² On this coming Monday I will be meeting with the Pastoral Development Committee of the House of Bishops to begin to consider how best we can honor this concern, building on the already expressed willingness of our bishops to make provision for extended episcopal ministry in particular circumstances.


I returned home with a sense of gratitude for all of the members of our church, regardless of our various points of view. I am grateful even for our struggles in which we so openly and honestly engage. I pray they may be a gift. I believe that what has occurred in the Episcopal Church is the work of the Spirit. As difficult as this moment may be, if this is, in fact, a work of the Spirit it will contain some yet to be revealed way in which communion in that same Spirit is made stronger and deeper. This is my hope and my prayer.


This brief word to the church comes with my love and my blessings.


The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold

Presiding Bishop and Primate

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For the Primates of the Anglican Communion
by The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold


10/23/2003
[Episcopal News Service]

My dear brothers in Christ,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I returned home from our meeting at Lambeth grateful for the spirit of candor
in which we shared our thoughts and feelings. I thank God for the opportunity
to come together in Christ's name and for the strong bonds and mutual affection that exist between us. I pray that our common commitment to mission and God's ongoing work of reconciliation will continue to bind us together in Christ in the days and years ahead. I remind myself that the church is not our possession but the risen body of Christ of which each one of us is a limb and member in virtue of our baptism.

As I tried to make plain in the course of our meeting, we in the Episcopal Church have been dealing openly with the place of homosexual persons in the life of our church for at least thirty years. Though the question still remains unresolved, the presence among us of deeply faithful men and women whose lives reveal the fruit of the Spirit, and whose primary affections are ordered to persons of the same sex, has brought us to this difficult, and very public, moment. I recognize that while many in our church give thanks for where we have come, many others are deeply pained and distressed. I further recognize how our decisions have also affected you and I hope you know how profoundly I regret the pain our Province's action has caused many of you.

One of you once said in the context of our Bible study: "The Holy Spirit can be up to different things in different places." As hard as it might be for sisters and brothers in Christ in other contexts to understand and accept, please know that broadly across the Episcopal Church the New Hampshire election is thought to be the work of the Spirit. This does not mean everyone in our church is of that mind. There are also those who honor the decision of New Hampshire but are not sure it is of the Spirit. As well, I am keenly aware that there are faithful Episcopalians who are deeply unsettled and believe what we have done is contrary to God's will. However, for the greatest part, these persons are committed to remaining within the Episcopal Church and, in a spirit that is truly Anglican, believe that those with divergent points of view can live and pray together within the same household of faith.

As I promised you, upon my return to the United States I spoke with Canon Robinson and shared with him the deep concern that so many of you expressed and the gravity of what may lie ahead. In my conversation with him, and in public comments, he has expressed both his anguish and his continuing sense that he is called to go forward.

I must tell you that at this point there is every reason to believe the consecration will take place on November 2 as scheduled. I appreciate that when the consecration takes place, as we said in our statement: "…we will have reached
a crucial and critical point in the life of the Anglican Communion." As much as this is true, the prediction made in the statement that the Communion's future "will be put in jeopardy" will not, I pray, come to pass. I believe it is for us to live into this unknown future in faith knowing that, as we declared in our statement, "…what we hold in common is much greater than that which divides us…" It is my hope and my prayer that the Spirit of truth, who makes known to us the mind of Christ, will be our guide as each of us in our own context seeks to embody and proclaim the gospel of the One who is our Truth.

I much valued Archbishop Rowan's comments about the nature of communion. I
agree that communion is not primarily about structures. Communion is a gift from God manifested in the various webs of relationship among and between us.
Our communion strengthens us so that we can carry out God's mission on earth.
Though we affirm our allegiance to the Scriptures and the Creeds, our unity in
the body of Christ does not mean we have only one way of reading the Bible, nor do we need to be in agreement about all of the contemporary issues with which we are called to struggle. Concerns of sexuality present themselves differently in our various contexts. I believe that as we continue to struggle deeply and honestly with matters of sexuality we will have much to learn from one another and we will become more mutually responsible and interdependent in the Body of Christ. Being in communion, however, does not in any way mean that you as Primate or your Province necessarily agree with the actions taken by the Diocese of New Hampshire or the General Convention of the Episcopal Church.

Please be assured of my prayers for each one of you. Please pray for me as I try to oversee the life and witness of this Province and as I seek in these difficult days to advance God's ministry of reconciliation.

Yours ever in Christ's love,

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church, USA

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10/17/2003
From London. The Rev. Canon Bill Atwood of Ekklesia

I just got off the phone with one of the major London newspapers. The religion editor said, "At first we didn't think much had happened, but as we have digested the statement we have come to realize it is a massive victory for the conservative position. Do you agree with that assessment?"

I do.

Having been in conversation with primates before, during, and after their meeting, let me explain a few things.

The commitments of the primates at this meeting are Biblical, Christian, and good.

It is not a waffle, sell-out, or liberal victory. Not surprisingly, these mature leaders of millions used diplomatic language, but the message is clear if read. Sometimes things in England are complex.

For example, at the place where I am staying, one has to take the lift to the fourth floor in order to get to the third floor.

Here are just some of the victories:

John Peterson was not included in the deliberations.

The Lambeth Conference commitment to scripture was affirmed.

Homosexual practice is rejected.

They clearly stated that teaching of the church cannot be changed unilaterally
ECUSA and New Westminster are WRONG

Primates have accepted a role of enhanced oversight

ADEQUATE Episcopal Oversight is in place in consultation with the ABC ON behalf of the primates (That means it is not up to Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold or
Archbishop Michael Peers to decide what it adequate.)

New Westminster was specifically addressed.

A commission was established, but it is not to discuss sexuality, it is to work through legal issues of entanglement and disengagement.

In pressing for Adequate Episcopal Oversight (which means "with jurisdiction") the primates adopted a new structural direction for the communion that will help mission. (Moving beyond geographical jurisdiction.)

These things are huge and historic. The mechanisms are being put in place to insure a future for those who maintain Anglican faith and practice. OK, it is not finished yet, but steps had to be designed that took into account the advice of the canon lawyers who said the Primates could not do "anything" about discipline.

What the Primates wound up saying is basically, "Yes we can. We have established the limits of diversity. When ECUSA exceeds that, they will be excluded from the communion. The lawyers are working out the details." That is
what the commission is really about.

It is sad that some conservatives are so spring loaded to be negative that they cannot see encouragement even in the middle of an historic victory. If you were expecting the headline, "Anglican Primates conduct armed assault on 815:Bodies of liberals litter Second Avenue," you were no doubt disappointed. It took thirty (plus) years to get into this mess. It will take a while to get out of it, but the way has
been established. Our faith has been affirmed. The Scriptures set the limits. We have Primate supervised Alternative Oversight while the mess is being worked out.

A commission is working on legal issues of re-structuring. When ECUSA consecrates Gene Robinson, separation will follow formally.

There is a new day for the Anglican Communion. Some are seeing it emerge now.

It probably won't make any difference to those who are committed to being negative, but the facts are that none of the people who are here in London from the AAC or conservative perspectives think it is a defeat. Do you think that those who are at a distance are in a better place to discern what has happened? The commitment of the Primates is strong. The liberal agenda has been rejected. The Scriptures are the norm. We have a bright future. Structures are being put in place to protect precious resources. Damn. What a failure.

Bill+

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What to do in Church?
Bowing, genuflecting, making the sign of the Cross
are discussed in these two articles:

Just click the title to read the article