Updated twice Friday afternoon
The following statement has been issued at the end of the meeting: Fourth Trumpet from the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore, 19th – 23rd April 2010.
An extract from it appears below the fold.
Press reports:
Living Church Christopher Wells Dispatch from Singapore: What is at Stake
Christian Post Anglican Global South Attracts Major Potential Ecumenical Partners
There are numerous audio recordings on this page.
There are video recordings on this page.
The remarks of Bishop Mouneer Anis on Global South Structures are transcribed below the video link here.
Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini’s speech is on video here.
Colin Coward has posted What has emerged from the Fourth Global South to South Encounter in Singapore?
ACNS has Global South’s final statement calls for greater holiness, purpose and discipline.
ENS has SINGAPORE: Global South Anglicans call for action against Episcopal Church, Anglican Church of Canada and ‘There are no quick solutions,’ Canterbury says in video message to Global South meeting.
extract from Fourth Trumpet
16. In contrast, we continue to grieve over the life of The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada and all those churches that have rejected the Way of the Lord as expressed in Holy Scripture. The recent action of TEC in the election and intended consecration of Mary Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, as a bishop in Los Angeles, has demonstrated, yet again, a total disregard for the mind of the Communion. These churches continue in their defiance as they set themselves on a course that contradicts the plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures on matters so fundamental that they affect the very salvation of those involved. Such actions violate the integrity of the Gospel, the Communion and our Christian witness to the rest of the world. In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action.
17. We uphold the courageous actions taken by Archbishops Mouneer Anis (Jerusalem and the Middle East), Henry Orombi (Uganda) and Ian Ernest (Indian Ocean) and are encouraged by their decision not to participate in meetings of the various Instruments of Communion at which representatives of The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada are present. We understand their actions to be in protest of the failure to correct the ongoing crisis situation.
18. Some of our Provinces are already in a state of broken and impaired Communion with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. Their continued refusal to honor the many requests1 made of them by the various meetings of the Primates throughout the Windsor Process have brought discredit to our witness and we urge the Archbishop of Canterbury to implement the recommended actions. In light of the above, this Fourth South-to-South Encounter encourages our various Provinces to reconsider their communion relationships with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada until it becomes clear that there is genuine repentance.
19. We were pleased to welcome two Communion Partner bishops from The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and acknowledge that with them there are many within TEC who do not accept their church’s innovations. We assure them of our loving and prayerful support. We are grateful that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism. We welcomed them as partners in the Gospel and our hope is that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners.
Well, all due respect to Bishop Anis: he is clear in stating his intent. He (and surely not he alone, although he is the spokesperson) is calling for an Anglican church, comprised of roughly the Global South gathering, many, if not most of whom, are in the GAFCON/FOCA group. I note that he says nothing about the Anglican Covenant as proposed, and that he has largely dispensed with Canterbury. I’m not surprised at this. I’m not thrilled, either, but I’m not surprised. There are, I think, important cultural reasons that bring folks in the Global South to this conclusion, reasons… Read more »
“The Steering Committee felt that it is very important to put the Theological Commission directly under the Primates’ Meeting, because the Theological Commission and theological education is so important in shaping the future leaders of the Global South movement and they need to be accountable to all the Primates (of the G.S.). And in between meetings. of the Primates’ Meeting and the General Assembly, the Standing Committee, which is the steering committee, we call it, would be there, which is composed of Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and we added here Communications Officer, because communication is very, very important” – extract… Read more »
Clearly Archbishops Anis, Orombi and Ernest have a defective view of what it means to be in Communion.
Sorry, Fr Ron, but I find Virtue’s comment hilarious.
We are continually reminded that the “West” has not respected the cultures, history, ethos, context, and needs of Christians in the Global South and that we are indifferent to their needs and concerns. We are told that the Church, in places where homosexuality is not only unacceptable, but also against civil law, must reflect, if not support, this point of view. It is NEVER sugested that the West is facing the same issues from a different standpoint and that sensitivity and understanding of the context of the Church in places where homosexuality is increasingly seen as part of the culture… Read more »
Like it or not, we are inseparably joined, if we live in Christ. We are one body. As a salutary lesson, I encourage all arguing prelates to watch this humbling clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKWApOAG2g&feature=player_embedded That’s how close we are drawn into communion with one another. Our unity lies in Christ, whether one irritates the hell out of another or not. In Christ, we are one. There is no other way. O Holy One, please bless these two girls in their shared life together. Please bless them with mercy, kindness and compassion from people they meet. Please bless them with grace, and hold… Read more »
Andrew Gerns writes: “Clearly Archbishops Anis, Orombi and Ernest have a defective view of what it means to be in Communion.” Indeed. They also have a defective view of what it means to be an Anglican.
Even if one grants (and I do not) that The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada are in error in regard to certain aspects of human sexuality, it is hard to understand why this should be a communion-breaker. Unless, of course, one believes that flaming homophobia is an article of the Nicene Creed.
Adam A They are also worried about women being made bishops or primates etc (not just gay ones). GLBTs might be the obvious target, but their thinking extends to other targets too. Look at which camps move/d to create “alternatives” when compassionate peaceful teachings effectively resolve conflict e.g. the setting up of an alternative church with teaching in South Africa in 1988 because Desmond Tutu and the Anglican church were major contributors to an inclusive faithful vision that enabled the peaceful ending of apartheid. (Although we all know the healing still needs to be progressed, and it is selfish “us… Read more »
So when we hit seven trumpets does that mean that the rapture will happen and TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada will be left behind?
Looking at what the Lutherans in the U.S. ELCA have done should give us a wider context (and more hope)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-dr-cindi-love/the-lutheran-church-embra_b_543142.html
Bill Moorhead writes: “Even if one grants (and I do not) that The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada are in error in regard to certain aspects of human sexuality, it is hard to understand why this should be a communion-breaker.”
I come back always to my original point: It is a communion-breaker because some want a reason to break communion. If they did not want a communion-breaker, they would not be using it as one.
Just out of curiosity, is there a Global North? What would be a list of Anglican churches that wouldn’t split over the homosexuality issue and could thus be a communion? Could this Global North enter into relationships with the ELCA and Swedish Lutherans? I think that if GAFCON is going to split away, there should be a coherent Global North alternative.
‘As a sign of our fellowship and an encouragement to our purpose, at the beginning of our assembly God sent into our midst two Nepalese Anglicans, members of the new Anglican Church in this principally Hindu and Buddhist nation’
How interesting. I have just heard on the PM programme on BBC Radio 4 that Nepal is legalising gay marriage with a view to tapping into the gay tourist market.
@Adam Armstrong: You wrote – “It seems that they really aren’t protesting gay people, even gay clergy, in the West. They just protest them becoming bishops. It seems that the wearing of purple shirts are the real point where they become agitated.” Recently Abp Orombi described Anglicanism as “a church of bishops”, which suggests to me that you are absolutely correct. They insist that Anglicanism is a top-down religious tradition with its doctrines and social positions to be determined and then dictated by councils of bishops, at the top of which is the all-powerful “Primates Meeting” of selected primates. They… Read more »
“In other words, we must tailor our actions and concerns not to our people and society, but to theirs.” It’s simple, Adam A: their people and culture are God-given and holy, ours are captive to Satan. O_o [I know, I know: irony. The missionaries who evangelized (? “Good News”? Really?) them in the last century, had the basic apprehension that difference between their mission field and the “fairer” people&culture that they themselves came from, was quite the opposite. Moreover, I believe that the “indigenous culture” (so-called) that judges the West today, IS rather “Western” . . . simply Western Culture… Read more »
“Just out of curiosity, is there a Global North? What would be a list of Anglican churches that wouldn’t split over the homosexuality issue and could thus be a communion? Could this Global North enter into relationships with the ELCA and Swedish Lutherans? I think that if GAFCON is going to split away, there should be a coherent Global North alternative.” Ashpenaz, imo the potential outlines of an alternative, progressive, catholic, apostolic, reformed, evangelical, episcopal-and-democratic-in-polity, liturgical, sacramental, international communion have long been visible: Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia Anglican Church in Southern Africa Anglican Church in the… Read more »
“While the Anglican Communion has experienced increasing internal division, its Global South leadership has been holding together strongly. Many archbishops appear eager to promote unity in biblical truth. “The primates are also expected to sign on to an Anglican Communion Covenant. The covenant mainly defines faith and ecclesial relationships in Anglicanism.” – ‘Christian Post’ – That’s news to me, and probably other members of the Communion! – except that GSE4 proposes to raise up its own ‘Covenant’ – nothing to do with the Covenant offered by Canterbury. This new ‘Anglicanism’ is certainly a departure from its historical founding ethic –… Read more »
“Fourth Trumpet from the Fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore, 19th – 23rd April 2010.” – Headline –
It’s very hard, as a musician, to resist pointing out that the trumpet – even many of them – in isolation – does/do not constitute the euphony of a whole orchestra. Let’s hope they are not making a too uncertain sound. Trumpets on their own can be a little bit overpowering. And think of all the saliva they generate in the course of even one solo performance. But, with so many of them!!!
We should bear in mind that people like the schismatic Duncan are in thick with these “Primates” and are either onstage, as in bermuda, or just offstage. he and his ACNA buddies are orchestrating the exclusion or expulsion of TEC and the ACoA and are clearly behind this kind of language. They want to ensure that TEC and the ACoC are clearly NOT the true expression of Anglicanism in North America. But guess who is willing to take up the mantle? This is a clear manipulation. As a Canadian, I don’t see our people buying into this. But the “two-tier… Read more »
David da S C: The Church of Iceland (Þjóðkirkjan) would be another to add to your Global North list. I predict that it is only a matter of time before the Baltic Lutheran churches begin to follow the Scandinavian ones regarding current issues, though their societies have had to start from a different (post-Soviet occupation) base. what about the German Lutherans too? Norway is already in the Porvoo Agreement, and Denmark is just about to join it, so the historic episcopate issue must have been overcome there already. But why don’t TEC, the Anglican Church in Canada and the Australasian… Read more »
I think the two-tiered strategy is a way to have a foot in all nations and as many dioceses as possible. Once the alternative has enough resources of its own, it will split off as the “true” communion. Staying together for a bit longer is merely a ploy to give them access to resources and to lobby to win followers to their theology. Not worried about losing them, nor the pedophiles, nor the misogynists. If their Jesus likes tyranny, top-down autocracy, mindless masses with no consciences or independent thinking, good luck to him and his followers. Personally, I found the… Read more »
Thanks for the list of churches. I think the future might be a communion of apostolic churches (Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and those who have some form of apostolic succession, however imperfect)who use the creed and nothing else as a statement of faith, allowing for inclusivity in other areas.