Updated again Tuesday evening
Three reports that relate to the announcement made yesterday:
Living Church Primates Hold Key to New Province’s Recognition
Anglican Journal Anglican Network in Canada pushes for creation of North American province
Stand Firm Archbishops Anis, Nzimbi, Akrofi: We Will Recognize the New North American Province
Tuesday evening updates
Three more reports on this:
Covenant A New “Province” in North America: Neither the Only Nor the Right Answer for the Communion by Ephraim Radner
Washington Times Breakaway Episcopalians to unveil constitution by Julia Duin
Episcopal Café A new province: who makes the call? by Jim Naughton
Late Tuesday evening update
Anglican Journal Plans to create a conservative province ‘disturbing,’ says primate
Membership is up to the ACC and then needs two thirds of Primates:
3. Membership
1. The Council shall be constituted with a membership according to the schedule hereto. With the assent of two-thirds of the Primates of the Anglican Communion, the council may alter or add to the schedule…
So the ACC *may* do something and such *needs* primates. The ACC does the walking, the primates are the mountain to climb.
Mark Harris is surely right about this.
Just one more indication that there will be a split on a global level within Anglicanism.
The CofE simply can’t be part of a hardline evangelical church whilst it retains is national place, and there is certainly no majority for the loss of those privileges.
Ultimately, the CofE has to protect itself, not a ‘Communion’ which barely exists as a united entity.
merseymike speaks the truth. what is so bothersome is that Rowan Williams does not seem to recognize that the same is true of canada and the united states.
Like Pluralist, I am skeptical of the Living Church’s interpretation of the ACC’s constitution.
http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/primates/a_new_province_who_makes_the_c.html
So, Bishop Anis of the Middle East is signing on to those who would try to split and supplant the Episcopal Church? If so, I know to whom I AM NOT contributing funds this coming Good Friday!
“So, Bishop Anis of the Middle East is signing on to those who would try to split and supplant the Episcopal Church? If so, I know to whom I AM NOT contributing funds this coming Good Friday!
– Kurt, on Tuesday. –
Yes, the very same bishop who avoided agreement to the ACC’s determination to accept TEC’s desire to remain within the Anglican Communion after ther Dar es Salaam Primates’ Meeting. With prelates like this championing the GAFCON cause one needs to be watchful about future elections to the Episcopate.
“As a member of the Covenant Design Group, committed to a particular work of providing a new framework for faithful communion life in Christ among Anglicans, I want to be clear about how the pressing forward of this new grouping within its stated terms poses some serious problems:” – Ephraim Radner – Avid web-watchers will be aware that the author of this article on the newly-established site of ‘Covenant’, Dr. Ephraim Radnor, now a member of the Covenant Design Group, once withdrew from the ‘Global South’ web-site because of its rabid antipathy towards the leadership of Canterbury in the world-wide… Read more »
“If so, I know to whom I AM NOT contributing funds this coming Good Friday!”
So, just because you don’t like what a bishop does, you’ll deprive this diocese of funds to help the poor and destitute? That’s GAFCON behaviour! The work of the Church is not the work of one man, and the poor are no less poor because their bishop doesn’t like gay people or liberals.
The creation of a new province requires the assent of the Anglican Consultative Council (presumably by a simple majority) and of a two-thirds majority of the Primates. There are 38 provinces. Effectively, this means 13 “no” votes puts the kaibosh to the schismatics’ scheme. – Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia – Australia – Brasil – Canada – Central America – Ireland – Japan – Mexico – Scotland – Southern Africa – TEC – Wales That’s 12. One more puts an end to it. Of the list that follows, I’m not as sure – but I would be very surprised if… Read more »
Whatever this “New North American Province” will be, it WON’T be *Anglican*.
Those hierarchs who recognize it, will putting themselves on the same moving-sidewalk marked “OUT”.
Lord have mercy!
Ford
“The work of the Church is not the work of one man, and the poor are no less poor because their bishop doesn’t like gay people or liberals”
That’s true, but “the poor” aren’t just helped by the church. There are many other organisations you can give the same money to. Some of those don’t use it for anti gay propaganda either, or for financing world tours of hate-spouting bishops.
When this church accepts me as a full and equal member, I shall finance it again. Until then, the same money goes to charities.
“Ford
‘”The work of the Church is not the work of one man, and the poor are no less poor because their bishop doesn’t like gay people or liberals’”
“That’s true, but “the poor” aren’t just helped by the church. There are many other organisations you can give the same money to. Some of those don’t use it for anti gay propaganda either, or for financing world tours of hate-spouting bishops.
“When this church accepts me as a full and equal member, I shall finance it again. Until then, the same money goes to charities.”–Erika Baker
Well said, Erika!
“”the poor” aren’t just helped by the church.” True, secular organizations tend to do better social work than the Church as whole, likely because there aren’t as many segments of secular social justice organizations that are obsessed with whether or not the recipients of their help are actually worthy of that help. But, our diocese is now partnered with the Diocese of Belize, which is under the omophorion of Drexel Gomez. (If they’re going to claim to be ‘orthodox’, we can at least use orthodox terminoloy, no?) Our CLB battalion is preparing now for a trip to that diocese to… Read more »
Ford
“Do we refuse to give it to them because their primate’s fear of change has led him to hate fags and liberals? “
Oh no, if you can be sure that all the money raised goes towards the project, then that’s an excellent way of giving.
But if it’s likely that some ends up financing the Primate’s next jaunt to a GAFCON follow up, then count me out.
Central Africa will not vote for it..for the Church of England in South Africa has churches in its territory…and if the Anglican Church of North America is recognised, they are next on the list.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about? It’s just another North American breakaway church. That part of the world is full small churches all claiming exclusive truth – it’s how the culture works.
I’ll give it 18 months before it breaks up into warring sub groups and 24 before they run out of money to pay their supporting African Provinces.
Just a reminder: the Church is bigger than any of the funding politics people engage in. Especially those who treat stewardship as a consumer choice rather than a Christian obligation. The attitudes I’m reading here are as petty and petulant as those of the other camp.
The Diocese in Jerusalem is partnered with one of the California dioceses in the ECUSA, the Diocese of Los Angeles. Now after the vocal support given to the anti-Prop 8 forces by the Episcopal bishops in California, do you think that partnership will be dissolved?
With the present mess in Central Africa, with no Primate and no capacity to elect one, it may not be possible for Central Africa to express an opinion one way or the other.
Of course, in assembling the necessary 2/3 (26 Primates) support, a non vote is the same as a no vote.
Interesting aside…..Reformed Episcopal orders are not recognised by the Church of England and were dismissed at lambeth 1880…so will the new province re-ordain this grouping?
“so will the new province re-ordain this grouping?”
As long as they are not “Librulls”, I’m sure their orders are valid, Nag’s Head or no.
@Robert Ian Williams:
If not, then it would be further evidence of the complete absurdity of the whole exercise. The FOCA people would forfeit any claim to catholicity, even the most tenuous — and all the more perplexing why +Iker and company are even remotely involved in this.
“The Diocese in Jerusalem is partnered with one of the California dioceses in the ECUSA, the Diocese of Los Angeles. Now after the vocal support given to the anti-Prop 8 forces by the Episcopal bishops in California, do you think that partnership will be dissolved?”–Ren Aguila
I doubt it will be dissolved; unless it is dissolved by the bigots in Jerusalem.
“all the more perplexing why +Iker and company are even remotely involved in this.” Well, their much touted “orthodoxy” is not based on any traditional definition of the word, but rather seems based on hatred of liberals and gays, and possibly women. Nothing, not even Christology, is more important in defining their “orthodoxy” than these. All that remains is to rub their noses in this hypocrisy at every opportunity. Not that it’ll make a difference. I really can’t help but think that thier “catholicity” is based on nothing more than a love of smells, bells, and funky brocade dresses. Is… Read more »
Let’s be careful how we characterize the Church in Jerusalem? While the homophobe Anis is its Primate, its bishop, Suweil Dawani, I understand exercises considerable autonomy (and NOT in lockstep w/ Anis—hence his objection GAFCON meeting there!).
I, for one, will not withhold my Good Friday offering to the Church in Jerusalem, unless I hear evidence that it’s actually the church *there*, and not just the bigoted primate, who has been denying and denouncing my LGBT people.
Dr. Radner is simply amazing, though I confess I find little about his remarks that is genuinely eirenic. He likes to sound big tent, but Radner is clearly not really big tent. He is as entangled in new Anglican policing and punishment as anybody else, but he wants the full weight of a conservatively realigned global communion, not much left but rightwing top down stuff, to be thrown behind such policing and punishment. His presence on the covenant commission is as neocon daft as is Gomez chairing it. Neither one of them has any heart at all for human family-based… Read more »
I, for one, will not withhold my Good Friday offering to the Church in Jerusalem, In the link to Giles Fraser’s article on the thread “Church Times on NEAC”, he refers to Evangelical parioshes witholding their parish share to the diocese as bully boy tactics, and he’s right. How many Church projects are acceptable to everybody? “We” think “They” are wrong for something, and have good Gospel based objections, by God, and we’re not going to give our money to that, thank you very much. “We” are doing The Right Thing. “They” think “We” are wrong for something, and have… Read more »
“I, for one, will not withhold my Good Friday offering to the Church in Jerusalem, unless I hear evidence that it’s actually the church *there*, and not just the bigoted primate, who has been denying and denouncing my LGBT people.”–JCF
That call is up to your conscience, JCF. But don’t you think that Bishop Anis conforms to local intolerance just as liberals like Bishop Bruno conform to local tolerance? If Anis’ diocese were not bigoted, I doubt that he would be so, yes?
“…I can’t see my way clear to putting restrictions on how the Church spends the money I give, or of refusing to give because I don’t like something the Church is doing. Perhaps it’s just because I have been so scathing about conservatives who do this, and I agree that it is a bullying tactic, that I can’t now take part in it.”–Ford Elms Fine, Ford, if that’s the way you feel about it. For me, however, it’s a lot of silliness to expect conservatives to fund liberal projects and groups with whom they disagree. It’s even more absurd, in… Read more »
“my LGBT people.” I just caught this. I don’t consider LGBT people “my people”. I cannot see my sexuality as in any way an ethnicity. I’m quite confident and happy with my ethnic identity, and I have often felt quite alienated in gay contexts as a result of that, actually, since what I consider my ethnic identity isn’t all that well respected by the local gay community. So, oddly, I have been in a position where I have felt like I am excluded in some sense by the gay community because of what I would call my ethnicity. Maybe this… Read more »
Please note that Anis is the primate, and he is in Egypt, not Jerusalem. Bishop Dawani of Jerusalem is a good friend to the Episcopal Church. The Good Friday Offering is used for medical, educational and relief outreach programs, not support for the bishops. This is one of the most efficient fund-raising efforts in the Episcopal Church, and there is almost no overhead in cost related to its gathering and distribution, so it is well worth supporting.
Robert Ian Williams wrote: “Reformed Episcopal orders are not recognised by the Church of England and were dismissed at Lambeth 1880…”
This is a right decision. But why does the Church of Nigeria recognize them?
http://rechurch.org/recus/recus/nigeria.html
“since what I consider my ethnic identity isn’t all that well respected by the local gay community.”
Help me out here, Ford. Are you Nigerian or Torontonian? Or maybe from Fogo? (Another NF placename came to mind, but the ensuing humour would inevitably have been too crude.)
“why does the Church of Nigeria recognize them?”
Because the validity of orders is purely and only a function of how much the person in orders despises LGBTQs.
“Bishop Dawani of Jerusalem is a good friend to the Episcopal Church. The Good Friday Offering is used for medical, educational and relief outreach programs, not support for the bishops.”–Tobias Haller
Well, if that’s the case, Fr. Tobias, maybe I will give them a nice Good Friday offering after all. I just don’t want to fund bigots because of some kinda liberal guilt trip. Others may be comfortable with liberal guilt but that’s just not me.
“Are you Nigerian or Torontonian? Or maybe from Fogo?” Neither, a French Shoreman, actually. There’s been a quiet cultural revolution in these parts, my generation, the first born post Confederation, grew up being told we ought to be ashamed of our culture, our language, and where we came from. We refused to do so. The result is that we have gone from a time when the only people who cared about our traditional culture were labelled as freaks to a time when young people no longer feel any shame about being from here. A good thing, and I’m immensely proud… Read more »