Passed by 30 votes to 28, with 4 abstentions. A secret paper ballot was used.
The Anglican Consultative Council
(1) takes note of the decisions taken by the Primates at their recent meeting in Dromantine, Northern Ireland, in connection with the recommendations of the Windsor Report 2004;
(2) notes further that the Primates there reaffirmed “the standard of Christian teaching on matters of human sexuality expressed in the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10, which should command respect as the position overwhelmingly adopted by the bishops of the Anglican Communion”;
(3) endorses and affirms those decisions;
(4) consequently endorses the Primates’ request that “in order to recognise the integrity of all parties, the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada voluntarily withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council for the period leading up to the next Lambeth Conference”;
(5) further requests that the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada withdraw their members from all other official entities of the Communion for the same period.
interprets the reference to Anglican Consultative Council to include its Standing Committee and the Inter-Anglican Finance and Administration Committee.
Proposer:
Stanley Isaacs (South East Asia)
supported by
Peter Akinola (Nigeria)
Henri Isingoma (Congo)
Amos Kiriro (Kenya)
Andres Lenton(Southern Cone)
Gerard Mpango (Tanzania)
Samson Mwaluda (Kenya)
Bariira Mbukure (Uganda)
Damien Nteziryayo (Rwanda)
D Okeke (Nigeria)
Elizabeth Paver (England)
Humphrey Peters (Pakistan)
Enock Tombe (Sudan)
We can expect, then, an African Anglican Church separated from the other Anglican churches, much as the Missouri Synod Lutherans in the United States hold themselves apart from the other international Lutheran Bodies.
Or …
We can expect, then, an Gay/Lesbi/Bi Anglican Church separated from the other Anglican churches, much as the Missouri Synod Lutherans in the United States hold themselves apart from the other international Lutheran Bodies.
Perspective is everything.
Not much of a majority. The vote denotes the weakness of support, since it had the benefit of a secret ballot; yet failed to reach a commanding total. Look for feeble consequences.
At least the secret ballot has spared us from too much analysis of Anglican “polarisation”… or maybe not.
I would like to note that one of the proposers was from the UK. And plenty of other members of the Church of England, like me, would support it too !
Maybe we can have our church back now ?
Is it clear yet which side the ABC will come down on?
Charlotte,
Perhaps African-Asia-Middle Eastern-North American (Minor) Anglican Communion would more clearly describe it. In that sense, borrowing from your theme, the 50 to 60 million would hold themselves separated from the 15 to 20 million main part. Does that about capture the sense of it?
Blessings, Andy
I’m not familiar with the Lutheran situation you refer to. But it sounds a bit too simple for the Anglicans! 😉
Please can you enlarge upon how it is.
I have not heard the break-down of the voting yet (and we may not do so as it was by secret ballot), but please note that although Africans were the majority of the “supporters” of the motion, there were also names from South America, Asia and England.
I can see why the one line was stricken from the resolution. 1. It bought the conservatives more votes and 2. It was not necessary as, aside from the primates, there are no more meetings of official entities until 2008. So the effective suspension asked for at Newry is affirmed.
Hmmm. Surprisingly close vote, especially since ECUSA and Canada are presumably not voting here.
Clearly the resolution does not represent a consensus – or in fact even a majority if all
members were voting.
Rob
I think that Charlotte, rather than Bro. Q., has it more correct. All one has to do is take a look at the List of Attendees on the ACC site. It’s easy to see where the 30 votes came from. Given the number of delegates that voted against the Global South from the Global North, I’d say that Akinola et al have a lot to be concerned about. They may have the “rice Christians” but the Americans and the Canadians have the Western Churches (including Australia and NZ) on their side. Yep, one thing the Global South has is plenty… Read more »
My hope is that this withdrawal will be followed by a real desire to engage with issues that arrive out of homosexuality. That to be under the authority of scripture is to interpret scripture is a concept we must come to understand as a communion. Our faith must rest solidly in Jesus Christ as understood through scripture, tradition and reason under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not a limited range of interpretations considered orthodox. If we do not come to grips with this countless schisms are just waiting in the sidelines as we can see among other churches of… Read more »
Or…
At least we can expect a church, where the tail does not wag the dog.
Or…
We shall end up with a church, where the tail does not wag the dog…
I am greatly distress that BQ would define a church by the sexuality of a tiny portion of its members. How low…! We seem to have forgotten that Christ reached out to those on the margins of first century society-the outcasts.
It should be noted that the geographical analysis of the african signatories shows that it is not . not the totality of the african delegates . . None of the chuches of the south ern african part are represented in the list . It My hope is that these voices of africa will be heard too as they are heard in the African council of churches . we should pray for maintenoing the unity of the chorch as a fofdamental part of our belief in the ” CATHOLIC AOISTOLIC ” church JB
This is good news for our church. I think this will give the ECUSA something to think about. After all they were the ones who walked away from the teaching of our faith.
Although the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod does not participate in the Lutheran World Federation, it does participate in an organisation called the International Lutheran Council. This is an association of like-minded confessional churches from around the world, including also the Lutheran Church – Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Germany, and various others from around the world. Basically, an international network of conservative Lutheran churches exists parallel to the more liberal network of the Lutheran World Federation. Perhaps a similar system is developing in the Anglican world.
And now we see, by two votes, why it was insanely stupid to voluntarily withdraw six of ours.
This may look like a narrow margin, but remeber how disproportionate the ACC system works (i.e. ECUSA 2 million members holds the same weight as 17 million Nigerians!). An even more important resolution, in favour of orthodoxy, was passed before this “single issue”; that the Anglican Primates will be included in the ACC. Finally we are getting closer to an Anglicanism that can claim a true Catholic and Apostolic identity.
Perhaps I was moved by the Spirit, and acted in a rush (like the American nomenclatura), so you have to forgive me for being back so soon! But, dear Charlotte, please do not be so arrogant towards our fellow sisters and brothers “third world” Christians! They are much closer to The Apostels, The Fathers, The Ecumenical Councils and The Martyrs then the “ECUSA Revisionists” ever will get!!
Pax!
My remark was made after considering the list of sponsors and the vote tally. They confirm what has been emerging since the Primates’ Meeting: the older and longer-established Anglican churches do not support +Akinola’s call for the expulsion of the North American churches, while most of the African churches do, South Africa being an exception. Thus, should +Akinola be insistent on expulsion, the Communion will likely divide along geographic lines. The African churches will be in one group, with perhaps a few others; the older and long-established churches will be in another. I was not making conjectures about the majority… Read more »
What is clear is that Peter Akinola is now running the Anglican Communion, transforming a collegial body into a body that decides doctrinal issues through secret ballots. The ABC has lost control and one wonders how the Church of England will respond to Akinola’s disciplining rod.
Brother Quotidian (or whoever you are) Such a comment smacks of a sort of “sexual racism” that has been entirely characteristic of the neo-conservatives within the Anglican Communion. The LCMS choose to separate themselves to protect their purity in much the same way as the GS Primates are threatening to do. It’s patently absurd to compare ECUSA, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Scotish Episcopal Church etc. with LCMS, since the desire for divisive purity comes from eslewhere.
Seems to me that if anyone is “walking apart”, then everyone is “walking apart”. Although extra credit to those who incessantly hurl the phrase “walking apart” at those who, ironically, seek greater inclusion.
As an American Episcopalian, I think it is time that the Episcopal Church simply withdraw from the Anglican Communion, and take all US funding away from other Anglican entities. Sink or swim time.
This resolution looks like a complete nullity. The EC and ACCanada have already voluntarially withdrawn and the ACC agrees.
I wonder about the abstentions. They held the margin between pass and defeat.
The Anglican Communion is sounding less and less like a venue in which the Holy Spirit has a chance to be heard. Hardened hearts leave little room in case God wants to say something to them that they are not expecting to hear. They came to this meeting with minds made up in advance, ears and hearts closed to any further inspiration. So few people “listen” in prayer, I doubt that anyone will begin “listening” to the Spirit — let alone to each other — any time soon.
…And the Gold Medal for Rich World Arrogance goes to – Kurt Hill!!
This whole thing has been and is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Neither side will budge (and cannot budge given their presuppositions). Thus, the final result–which will ultimately involve schism and pain–is inevitable and unavoidable. The main question now is how long it will take for the whole inexorable process to work its way out–and, who will have what when the dust finally settles.
“Brother Quotidian (or whoever you are) Such a comment smacks of a sort of “sexual racism” that has been entirely characteristic of the neo-conservatives within the Anglican Communion.” Rot. Quite apart from your completely misleading use of the term neo-con, BQ was simply making the point that from one perspective it is the conservatives who are choosing to separate themselves and from the other it is the revisionists who are doing so. The analogy with the Lutherans is wholly disingenuous in any case since they are a global federation as opposed to a communion. To withold oneself from a federation… Read more »
Jimmy, plentry of us would want to come with you rather than be dominated by Gauleiter Akinola and his chums.
All this does is ensure two further years of angst and argument. No-one is going to change their mind. A split is needed, and soon.
Dear Kurt: Wow. You say: “Akinola et al … may have the ‘rice Christians’ but the Americans and the Canadians have the Western Churches (including Australia and NZ) on their side. Yep, one thing the Global South has is plenty of poor people.” Are you serious? You’re calling the Africans “rice Christians” (when in fact many of them risk their lives to follow Jesus), and you dismiss the “plenty of poor people”? I hope there’s some irony at play here to which I am deaf. –David
Kurt, Charlotte, John, Jimmy etc. seems to be to “western narrowminded” to grasp that the ACC still has a colonial representation. If the ACC members would truly represent the faithful this resolution would have been taken by a majority of, at least, 7 to 3!.’ It is, again, a joke that some 3-4 million North Americans has (had) twice as many votes on the ACC as 17 million Nigerians! Also, with Charlotte’s emphasy for historical establishments, perhaps it would have been better if the American Colonies had stayed British and this mess might never have happened in the first place?!
I’d describe that as quite charitable. I view most African Christianity as cult-like delusion of the worst order, leading to murder of children and abuse of women. It reflects, very much, fundamentalist Islam in the same region. As for risking their lives – they make the choice to partake in what is religious warfare of two extreme, fundamentalist religions who frequently murder one another.
I’d be quite happy to be part of a church without premodern , pre-enlightenment primitivism.
Would it be racist or neo-colonialist (I hope not!) to wonder out loud whether branches of the Anglican Communion that have beein living their faith for centuries, even millennia, may have lived more fully into that Anglican faith than those whose conversion is recent? Neil: The official websites of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America can do a much better job than I of explaining who they are and what they believe. I’d add that is not unusual in the United States to have separate churches of this kind, one “liberal” and one “conservative.” For… Read more »
Boy the sparks are flying! I for one am glad the way the votes came out. If the ECUSA doesn’t accept the AC theology then they will not be part of the AC. Their are many in the US that agree with the AC and we will continue to be family. I pray for the archbishop of canterbury and archbisop peter akinola. I hope they consider ex-homosexuals in the study also. If not you are only looking at 1/2 the story.
I agree with Merseymike completely here. I admit I’m biased toward the West. I believe the churches of the Global South should do as they please, but they should not expect those of us who live in more progressive, educated, and enlightened parts of the world to cater to their backwardness simply because they outnumber us. I left the Baptist church in which I was reared to become an Episcopalian 40 years ago, partly to escape the kind of thinking I’m finding in the Anglican Communion now courtesy of fundamentalism.
If that also includes all the members of other provinces who don’tagree with Akinola et al, then there will be a major split.
Until today I thought otherwise, but I am now convinced there is nothing anyone could have done to have prevented a split between the Old Anglicans (including ECUSA and Canada) and a majority of the African Churches. It was bound to happen, whatever we did. So let me wish the African Churches well. I cannot believe what they believe, and they will not continue in communion with me unless I do; now let us shake hands and part at last. No doubt a scattering of congregations in North America and elsewhere will want to go with them.
What is this fixation liberals have for Nazi references when discussing those who differ? I am referring specifically to Merseymikes “Gauleitner Akinola.” CAN IT! It is racist! biggoted! and hugely offensive!
Somebody help me with the numbers. The ACC membership counts at 78 (see previous entry “ACC votes to add Primates to membership”) (and this is before today’s vote to add the 37 Primates as ex officio members). Today’s vote was 30 to 28, with 4 abstaining. Okay, that’s 62 voting. Who are the other 16? Are ECUSA and Canadian Anglicans counted in the 78, or is that a different number? I’m pretty confused. This is beginning to look like the American presidential election of 2000. 30 of 78 vote to make ECUSA and Canadian Anglicans “untouchables”, and they prevail. Quite… Read more »
RE: Recent ACC vote on Episcopal Church and the Canadian Anglican Church. I am thankful that by this vote ACC has to-day 6/22/05 told the Ecusa and Canadian Anglican Church that they do not belong and that the representations they presented did not receive acceptance vis-a-vis the accepted position of the Anglican Communion. Rejected lovers always find it difficult to go away and look elsewhere or detach from the former associate. O.K, stay there and continue forcing yourself on those whose mind have left you.About your “mission” and your “overflowing dollar”,those needy faithful Anglicans in Global South have told you… Read more »
Dear Antony: Certainly no one is denying that the African churches carried the resolution today, nor that they have many millions of members. But what is the relevance of all this now? Yesterday the African Churches told us, the churches of North America, that we are no longer members of your group of churches. And so we are not. “You have said it.” You are free of us, and we are free of you. Peace be with you on your path, which will now be separate from ours. “Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon;/ The world was… Read more »
Dear John Wall: You said, “What is clear is that Peter Akinola is … transforming a collegial body into a body that decides doctrinal issues through secret ballots.” With respect, no. The doctrinal issues (like they keep on saying) were decided at Lambeth 1998–very publicly. The Windsor report acknowledged it; the ABC has noted it; the Primates reaffirmed it; and now the ACC has repeated it. The US and Canada may not like it, but the doctrinal issues have been decided. –David
It is pathetically ignorant to refer to African Christians as “Rice Christians”. Rice requires irrigation, which requires both large, consistent supplies of water and large plots of land devoted to a single crop. African staples are corn and root crops, and in some places other grains. As a rule, in Africa, it is so expensive to grow rice that it is a luxury item only rich people can afford. Furthermore, rice is NOT the staple in the Americas, the Middle East … or really anywhere except parts of Asia. Even in India, rice is only the staple in confined regions… Read more »
Scott, your unbridled description and comments about Jesus takes my breath away.
Whenever one hears big generalisations about a big entity like ‘African Anglicanism’ or ‘African Christianity’, one checks out whether or not these generalisations correspond to media stereotypes. If they do, then one has found the source of the generalisations: 2nd hand chitchat rather than first hand knowledge.
…Someone has kindly suggested that Scott was being ironical. I’ve been so caught up with events that this was lost on me! Apologies, Scott!
Scott, are you really hoping for the Americanisation of the world? The Macdonaldisation? The death of local craft, culture and small businesses? A 50% divorce rate? A massive crime rate? A culture of decadence? A worrying level of solipsism? This is progress?