From the Times. Read the whole thing for a refreshing blast of anti-twaddle.
Update: The Journal’s view.
So, it was appropriate, after the American decision in 2003, that the Archbishop of Canterbury convened an emergency meeting of the primates to address the biblical and ecclesiastical crisis into which the Americans had plunged the Anglican Communion. The primates, including the American primate, unanimously advised that the consecration should not proceed. Nonetheless, two weeks later, the primate in America presided at the consecration as bishop of a man living in a same-sex relationship. This was a deep betrayal.
Since that meeting there have been numerous other “betrayals” to the extent that it is now hard to believe that the leadership in the American Church means what it says. They say that they are not authorising blessings of same-sex unions, yet we read newspaper reports of them. Two American bishops have even presided at such services of blessings. Bishops have written diocesan policies on the blessings of same-sex unions. It is simply untrue to say they have not been authorised.
That such blessings continue and seem to be increasing hardly demonstrates “regret”, let alone repentance, on the part of the American Church. So, when the Archbishop of Canterbury invited these American bishops to participate in the Lambeth Conference, against the recommendations of the Windsor Report and the Primates’ Meeting, and in the face of the unrelenting commitment of the American Church to bless sinful behaviour, we were stunned. Further betrayal.
It was clear to me and to our House of Bishops that the Instruments of Communion had utterly failed us.
Anglicans may say there are four “Instruments of Communion,” (the Archbishop of Canterbury; the Lambeth Conference; the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates’ Meeting). But de facto, there is only one – the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The peculiar thing is that this one man, who is at the centre of the communion’s structures, is not even elected by his peers. Even the Pope is elected by his peers, but what Anglicans have is a man appointed by a secular government. Over the past five years, we have come to see this as a remnant of British colonialism, and it is not serving us well. The spiritual leadership of a global communion of independent and autonomous provinces should not be reduced to one man appointed by a secular government.
How many times must a Primate say what Henry Luke Orombi has said before the ABC, Fred Hiltz, KJS and others who are likeminded to them will “get it?”
These words have been uttered by Bishops from the Southern Cone, the Global South and other Provinces without so much as a
“who said that”? from the ABC, Fred Hiltz, KJS and others. These people are not going to turn around from where they are going. They are not going to make any effort (unless it is outright lies) to make the Communion become one again.
Thanks to the efforts and courage of Orombi, Venables, et al, the Anglican Communion “world wide” has some hope of coming into a “new Sphere of being”.
When I first read the ABC’s address here, it at first seemed a thoughtful article. Only on second reflection (OK, at least to me) was it clearer that it was attempting to put the heretical position on par with the orthodox one, under a guise of generous and reasonable diplomacy. One cannot disagree with his sentiment, but totally lacking was any understanding that the heretical position is just that. We are not trying to reconcile two different positions on a secondary matter, we are trying to uphold truth against error. The stakes are high, and some kind of synthesis of truth and error is NOT the solution!
I’ll be putting some thoughts on this conference together in the next few days, if nothing else just to get a post in edgeways on David’s hyperblogging.
2 Peter,
I’ll be putting some thoughts on this conference together in the next few days, if nothing else just to get a post in edgeways
I’ll try not to interrupt
Heh.
“Even the Pope is elected by his peers, but what Anglicans have is a man appointed by a secular government. Over the past five years, we have come to see this as a remnant of British colonialism, and it is not serving us well.”
That’s an interesting perspective, and one I haven’t encountered before. Is anybody listening?
I have been increasingly thinking that the ABCs position as the head of the Anglican Church is in a large part illegitimate. The only legitimacy is from the fact that parliament in theory represents the monarch, and the monarch is the head of the church.
I would not at all be surprised if the ABC is replaced by an elected person in the next decade or so, and possibly also the monarchy being dropped as the figurehead. Charles has talked a lot about wanting to be the head of faiths, rather than one faith.
Emerging church leader Brian McLaren (and author of A Generous Orthodoxy for those who may not know) was invited to speak at Lambeth. Perhaps, in future, Rowan Williams will be asked to address some august body on the topic of a generous heresy.
After watching the Michael Coren Show tonight it is obvious that there is no meeting point between the two sides. Rev. Glenn repeatedly tried to engage in a theological discussion but there is none on the other side. There is no trust between us. The only hope is for the future when a new Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed who is not afraid to bring the Church back to the faith. I shall be glad when this charade of a Lambeth Conference is over and we can continue to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as He reforms His Church or at least this denomination. Peace.
It is instructive to notice the Anglican Journal’s story on Abp Orombi’s statement. First, they were so anxious to get out in front of the publication of this statement to reduce its impact that they didn’t even wait to actually see the statement – wrote the story based on rumour. (Now isn’t that good journalism!) Second, it story isn’t even subtle in its attempt to write off the statement by painting its author as homophobic. They could have said that the Anglican Church in Uganda numbers 10 million – most in church Sunday by Sunday – one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the Communion. They could have talked about the Christian martyrs in Uganda in the 1800s – killed because they took a faith-based stand and refused the king’s sexual advances.
I think maybe the Journal should read Peter Tatchell’s website before they support his interventions.
So, what happens when twaddle and anti-twaddle meet, I wonder?
#11 Kate,