‘The Ugandans remember’
In this week’s video chat (Anglican Unscripted) between Anglican TV’s Kevin Kallsen and Anglican Ink’s George Conger, the topic is the Primates’ Meeting, and the TEC response.
They ask if the exclusion of TEC from certain kinds of participation is a consequence (as the Archbishop of Canterbury says) or discipline? They also respond to suggestions from some in North America that only the Anglican Consultative Council, and not the Primates, has authority to act on these matters.
Watch it here. 18 minutes.
Related
Legalism v. love — Peter Ould on responses to the Canterbury communique – Anglican Ink.
“Here’s two simple things to remember.
i) They’re absolutely right (the ones who claim the Primates have no statutory power to demand such a sanction / consequence)
ii) It doesn’t matter in the slightest, the sanction / consequence is still going to happen because the force behind them is not one of law but one of love…”
A grubby little incident – by Robert Tong at SydneyAnglicans.net, on the 2009 Anglican Consultative Council -14 meeting in Jamaica.
“In a naked display of political power, the American Episcopal Church leadership stopped the Rev Philip Ashey, the clergy representative of the Province of Uganda, from taking his place at the 14th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council held in Jamaica…”
‘Primates reaffirm teaching on marriage’ — encouragements and concerns
“In the immediate aftermath of the gathering of Anglican Primates last week, what are we to make of it all? … Some of the initial headlines suggested that all will be well for the Church, but a closer analysis shows that there are some real concerns going forward, as well as some encouragements…”
– Anglican Mainstream’s Rev. Andrew Symes comments on the outcomes of the Primates’ Meeting.
Amidst some real encouragements, he turns to the apologies which have been voiced by some –
“While part of the Church’s role is to encourage love of neighbour and pastoral care of all people, its Gospel witness is compromised if it suggests that it is saying sorry to people whose feelings have been hurt by the clear teaching of the Bible and basic principles of Christian discipleship.”
Anglican TV interviews ACNA Primate Foley Beach on the Primates’ Meeting
“tremendous for GAFCON.”
In this 20 minute interview with Archbishop Foley Beach, recorded by Anglican TV’s Kevin Kallsen, Archbishop Beach speaks about his experience of the Primates’ 2016 meeting. Very frank, informative and encouraging.
‘Time for GAFCON to lay down conditions for Lambeth 2020’
“GAFCON needs to make clear soon that it will not participate in Lambeth 2020 if the ACNA bishops are not invited. If it does not publicly lay down this condition, then that would allow the revisionist institutional narrative to gain momentum in the Anglican Communion.”
– in an opinion piece published at Anglican Mainstream, The Rev Julian Mann argues that GAFCON needs to set its sights on the 2020 Lambeth Conference (if it hasn’t already).
Photo: Julian Mann with Archbishop Dr. Ben Kwashi.
Dr Peter Jensen reflects on how the Primates’ meeting went
“A small beginning to what we long for – the renewal of our Communion.”
Peter Jensen interviewed from London by Dominic Steele
Dominic Steele writes:
“Dr Peter Jensen, the General Secretary of GAFCON and Former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, will be speaking with me from London at 9pm on Sunday night on 2CH 1170 about the outcome of the important meeting of the international leaders of the Anglican Church this week in Canterbury.”
The interview was conducted, as advertised, and the audio file is now available on Dominic’s website.
Dominic also spoke with David Ould for his take on Primates2016.
A Response to the Primates Gathering 2016 Statement — Canon Phil Ashey
The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey:
“I am writing from Canterbury, England, where the staff of the American Anglican Council has been on site assisting Archbishop Foley Beach and the GAFCON Primates in their witness at the Primates gathering this week. There is a saying about the fog of war: when it descends, there is often confusion and disorientation in the midst of the fight. Here, it would certainly be fair to say that situations changed on a daily, if not hourly basis. In the fog of war, rarely are battles decisive. More often, they turn out to be one step among many in a long and costly road to victory. Read more
Anglican Network in Canada’s Bishop Charlie Masters statement from Canterbury
Anglican Network in Canada’s Bishop Charlie Masters reports from Canterbury
“Once Primates had finally addressed the issue of discipline, it was time for Archbishop Beach to quietly step away from the remainder of the meeting as ACNA had committed itself to only continue at the meeting if TEC and the ACoC had stepped away and until repentance and godly order were restored. The ACoC remained and, although mild sanctions were applied to TEC, its Primate also remained in the meeting.”
Full text below: Read more
Archbishop Foley Beach reports on the Primates’ Gathering
Archbishop Foley Beach, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, reports on the Primates’ Gathering –
“The sanctions are strong, but they are not strong enough, and to my deep disappointment, they didn’t include the Anglican Church of Canada as they should.”
Full text below: Read more
Archbishop Stanley Ntagali’s update for the Church of Uganda
Primate of Uganda, Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, posted this statement on the Church of Uganda’s website –
“I have left the meeting in Canterbury, but I want to make it clear that we are not leaving the Anglican Communion.”
Full text below:
13th January 2016
Dear Bishops, Clergy, and Lay Leaders in the Church of Uganda,
Praise the Lord! Thank you so much for your prayers for me as I traveled to Canterbury, England, for the gathering of Primates called by the Archbishop of Canterbury to address the events that caused the fabric of the Anglican Communion to be torn at its deepest level. We traveled well, and I’m writing to give you a brief update. Read more
Statement from Primates 2016 — 14 January 2016
This statement has been released via the Primates 2016 website.
“we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.”
Full text below. Emphasis added.
________________
14 Jan 2016
Today the Primates agreed how they would walk together in the grace and love of Christ. This agreement acknowledges the significant distance that remains but confirms their unanimous commitment to walk together.
The Primates regret that it appears that this document has been leaked in advance of their communiqué tomorrow. In order to avoid speculation the document is being released in full. This agreement demonstrates the commitment of all the Primates to continue the life of the Communion with neither victor nor vanquished.
Questions and further comments will be responded to at a press conference tomorrow at 1500. Full details are available here.
The full text is as follows: Read more
GAFCON Media Release — 14 January 2016
Statement by the GAFCON Chairman, The Most Rev. Dr. Eliud Wabukala and The GAFCON General Secretary, The Most Rev. Dr. Peter Jensen
Read more
Michael Nazir-Ali on the real issue at the Primates’ Gathering in Canterbury
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight on Monday evening, UK time.
He speaks clearly about the issue being Biblical authority – on which the Anglican Communion has already agreed.
Listen via the GAFCON website. Runs for 4 minutes 15 seconds.
Continued prayer requested for Primates’ meeting
Please continue to pray for the Primates’ gathering in Canterbury.
Peter Ould, who was present in Canterbury Cathedral for Wednesday evening’s Evensong, writes,
“With barely a minute to go there were the same number of Primates as yesterday and then suddenly Foley Beach joined them and sat down. The number of Primates in the Quire then doubled as in the remaining leaders processed in full choir robes, liberals and conservatives alike.”
Here’s a prayer you could use.
George Conger, at Anglican Ink, gives his commentary:
“Gathered inside the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral the archbishops and moderators of the Anglican Communion, accompanied by translators, and a few aides, have weathered three days of intense conversation about the shape and future of the church. As of the lunch break on the third day, no one has left and no one has been ejected…”
And John Bingham at The Telegraph writes:
“The Archbishop of Canterbury was last night accused [of] treating African archbishops ‘like children’ in an attempt to avoid a full public walkout during make-or-break talks on the future of the worldwide Anglican church…”
– however, bear in mind that he quotes unnamed ‘sources’.
‘Second day report — deadlock in Canterbury’
“The Archbishop of Canterbury could face a walk out Wednesday of conservative archbishops, whose call for him to honor past agreements of the primates meetings and to restore “godly order” to the Anglican Communion, appears not to have been met.
Though no walk out has happened so far, and ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach has been a full participant from the start, the tone of the meeting has changed, and the pace has quickened…”
– George Conger reports at Anglican Ink. (Image: from the primates2016.org website.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…