Covenant could be Potemkin Village, says AAC President
Dec 19th, 2009 by David
Read it all at VOL:
By David C. Anderson
December 19,2009This week, the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council (JSC) has been meeting in London, under a veil of some secrecy. A somewhat terse communique has been released, but it only hints at the discussions and arguments that had to have been taking place. Until further information is released or leaked, we can only wonder what has really been discussed.
One of the disturbing items of the JSC communique is the equivalent importance they place on not “continuing cross-jurisdictional activity within the Communion.” The fact is that with the formation of the Anglican Church in North America (AC-NA), there are now no foreign Primates or bishops entering Canada or the United States for the purpose of supplying cross-boundary episcopal function.
Has the Archbishop of Canterbury repeated and further clarified his public remarks on the Los Angeles election which defies the Windsor Report’s requested moratorium? Perhaps by the time you read this, some real answers will begin to be available.
The Bishops of the Reformed Episcopal Church, and Bishops of Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, San Joaquin, and those of CANA, AMiA, and the newly-formed AC-NA dioceses and their bishops, both in the USA and Canada, are all citizens of the places where they live and minister. I live in Atlanta and have lived here for some time. As a bishop of the AC-NA and CANA, when I confirm someone in Atlanta, what boundary am I crossing? The Lutherans, Methodists, and Roman Catholics don’t accuse me of border crossing.
I am confirming someone in an AC-NA church, with AC-NA church members in attendance; how is this anything other than ministering to our own, in our own space? Now it is true that some (not all) of the dioceses of the AC-NA have missional associations with other provinces. This “dual citizenship” in most cases is not expected to be a permanent status, and it is not necessary for new AC-NA dioceses. In contrast, TEC is intentionally accelerating their violations of the other two moratoria.
In any event, one must ask how the crossing of a man-made boundary line in order to do Christian ministry can be equated to the grave sin of crossing the moral boundaries established by God, and distorting the Word of God in order to bless same gender relationships, and to even call those relationships marriage, or to officiate at such a blessing/marriage in consecrated church space, and for many to live in such relationships. Or how can it be equated to the election and consecration of a person to the Episcopate whose manner of life morally departs from the standard established by Holy Scripture? If the JSC has as a premise a flawed sense of the equality of the three moratoria, they will never arrive at an adequate answer.
I do not see how the ACC can try to implement the stopping of ‘cross bordering’. When the need arises and it will not be long before it shall, who will give shelter to the orthodox Anglicans in the Diocese of Auckland and other places around the anglican world where the liberal social justice people are persecuting the Christian Orthodox anglicans. Yes, I said persecuting because that is what they are doing.
I suppose some people on this site know about the garbage, yes, garbage that showed up on a billboard outside of a Anglican church in Auckland, NZ just this past week? Do they?
People need to know what is going on in other parts of the world now, or will we just be a small Diocese lost in the sea of who really cares.
And nothing at all said about lawsuits. Figures.
Gerry (#1), there was an interesting discussion about the “billboard” in Aukland on my other favorite blog a few days ago. Here is one of the comments that was posted:
Warren:
Good to see that someone is reading well outside the bounds of this blog. Pray that you will have a wonderful and Holy Christmas Warren.
Gerry (#4), the very best for this blessed season to you and yours as well.
Will some-one please initiate references to “Auckland” I personally don’t mind back and forth conversations, they create relationship. But we are all brothers and sisters to a degree, so lets share.
Stuck;
If you copy the link below into your browser, your question should be answered. Apparently, the billboard has now been removed. All that’s left to be removed is the priest who put it up in the first place.
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=11756
Stuck in toronto:
Sorry stuck, I should have posted that one but was trying, somewhat, I guess to keep the site in Canada but that is just a lame excuse.
Winter Traveller: Thanks for linking us up.
Ilifted this post from a previous one where I put it, should have put it here:
This seems like as good a place as any to put the following URL..
Why don’t the Anglican Leaders or at least why doesn’t the Primate of the ACoC say something about this.
If The Primate lets this and the goings-on in the Dioceses of British Columbian, New Westminster, Niagara, Huron and Montreal continue, then he really is showing that he also is a wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.
http://www.anglicanplanet.net/canadian-news/2009/11/30/more-controversy-in-ottawa-diocese.html
This is the kind of stuff that should be appearing here for people to read. Even the Apostates!!
I wonder if we are not past the time of looking for solutions to our communal problems. I have admired all attempts to bring about correction, including the ABC’s apparent silence, Essentials and her clergy, Many Bishop’s and Priests who have “Stayed In” to defend the truth. It seems to me that with every (Re-active) attempt we move further away from our first estate. I was taught a long time ago that my “First Estate” was The Anglican Church, I don’t believe that any longer. She is the vehicle I was graced with to pass through this difficult life. She has become fragmented and broken and yet at the same time she is being renewed and strengthened.
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
A Potemkin Village? - perhaps
Unity of the Faith ? absolutely if you understand.