This is the planned agenda item for the afternoon session. It now appears that at 2.30 pm discussion of this item will be preceded by the closed session mentioned in an earlier item, as requested by Peter Akinola.
Proposed Resolution from the Joint Standing Committee on the listening process as requested by the Primates at Dromantine
In response to the request of the bishops attending the Lambeth Conference in 1998 in Resolution 1.10 to establish “a means of monitoiring the work done on the subject of human sexuality in the Communion” and to honour the process of mutual listening including “listening to the experience of homosexual persons” and the experience of local churches around the world in reflecting on these matters, this Council requests the Secretary General:
1. To collate relevant research studies, statements, resolutions and other material on these matters from the various provinces; and
2. To make such material available for study, discussion and reflection within each member Church of the Communion; and
3. To identify and allocate adequate resources for this work, and to report progress on it to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to the next Lambeth Conference.
This is all very well.
But we are still not going to reach agreement.
And if we cannot agree to live together with our disagreement – and unlike many of my theological persuasion, I think that is unlikely – then why spend another two years fighting when the outcome will be a split?
Ideally, I’d like to see each province agree to enable this to happen. The outcome then might be friendship, or at least mutual agreement to differ and separate, but I think the likelihood of that happening is small
It’s the expense that gets me. Air fares, endless conferences & meetings. That’s why I agree with MM that if a split will happen it should happen sooner rather than later.
Regretably, dragging things out will probably only increase animosity. I don’t want a split to happen but if it is inevitable the quicker and cleaner the better…
I’d have to disagree with Derek and Merseymike here; I see a positive value to “dragging things out.” A year and a half of “pastoral emergency” is already a long time to keep oneself in a state of emergency. Adrenaline reserves deplete quickly; anger is hard to sustain over a period of years. As a Communion, we are much less likely to let ourselves be rushed into ill-advised and precipitate actions if we give our passions time to cool off. The longer we reflect, the better the chance that the still small voice within each of us will be heard.… Read more »