The following press release comes from the Diocese of Sydney:
Resolutions from the Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Sydney, held in the Chapter House of St Andrew’s Cathedral from 6.00pm to 10.00pm, Monday 25th June.
1. Consecration of Canon Bill Atwood
Canon Atwood is well known to and respected by many diocesan leaders in Sydney. He was a friend to many during the episcopate of Archbishop Harry Goodhew; he has maintained these relationships since the election of Archbishop Peter Jensen and is especially highly regarded and respected by Archbishop Jensen.The Standing Committee voted as follows:
“Standing Committee requests the Diocesan Secretary to inform the Rev Canon Dr Bill Atwood of the deep pleasure of the Diocese of Sydney at the news of the announcement by Archbishop Nzimbi, Primate of Kenya, of the forthcoming consecration of Dr Atwood as Suffragan Bishop of All Saints’ Cathedral Diocese, Nairobi on 30 August 2007. We assure Dr Atwood of our continuing prayer for his ministry as he supports Kenyan clergy and congregations in North America.”
2. Invitations to Lambeth.
Being aware that Archbishop Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney, and his five Regional Bishops – The Rt Rev Robert Forsyth, Bishop of South Sydney; The Rt Rev Glenn Davies, Bishop of North Sydney; The Rt Rev Peter Tasker, Bishop of Liverpool; The Rt Rev Ivan Lee, Bishop of Western Sydney; and The Rt Rev Alan Stewart, Bishop of Wollongong -had all received personal invitations from Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury to attend the Lambeth Conference to be held in 2008;
and also being aware that Archbishop Williams had requested a reply to the invitation by 23 July, 2007,
Standing Committee engaged in a lengthy discussion about Lambeth 2008 with the Archbishop and Bishops of the Diocese.Archbishop Jensen commenced the discussion by commenting on the present situation of the Anglican Communion as he observed it and the implications of the invitation to most Bishops in the Episcopal Church, including those who had agreed to or participated in the consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire, but excluding Bishop Gene Robinson and also Bishop Martyn Minns.
In response to the discussion, the Standing Committee resolved the following advice to the Archbishop and Bishops:
“Standing Committee notes that disregarding the clear requests of many bishops, the Archbishop of Canterbury has issued invitations to attend the Lambeth Conference in 2008 to the bishops of the Episcopal Church of the USA who agreed to and/or participated in the consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire.
“Standing Committee therefore –
(a) respectfully requests the Archbishop of this diocese to communicate to the Archbishop of Canterbury our dissatisfaction at the attempt to maintain union with the unrepentant while continuing to refuse fellowship to faithful and orthodox Anglicans such as the Church of England in South Africa,(b) respectfully requests the Archbishop and bishops of this diocese not to accept the invitation to Lambeth without making public in protest, speech and liturgical action, both prior to and at Lambeth, our diocese’s principled objection to the continued participation of those whose actions have expressed a departure from the clear teaching of scripture, and who have consequently excluded orthodox Anglicans from their fellowship, and
© respectfully requests the Archbishop and bishops of this diocese to approach other orthodox bishops of the communion with the purpose of meeting in England at the time of the Lambeth Conference for Christian fellowship and the planning of joint action within the Anglican Communion to contend for the faith of the Apostles once delivered to the saints.”
For Comment on these resolutions,
Contact: Margaret Rodgers
Archbishop’s Media Officer
mrodgers@sydney.anglican.asn.au
(W) 61 2 9265 1507
(H) 61 2 9560 9801
(Mobile) 0411 692 499
So the faithful bishops of Syndney must rant, and each must hold his respective nose to avoid the odor of fellow bishops from TEC, but all should, nonetheless, come for tea and acrimony.
Very sad.
The answer should be no to Archbishop Jensen, and the only yes (extending such invitations to all these others) would be if he invited everyone across the board regardless. Clearly the schismatics and potentially schismatic are lining themselves up.
“making public in protest, speech and liturgical action, both prior to and at Lambeth, our diocese’s principled objection to the continued participation of those…”
???
The mind boggles. Perhaps Sydney, taking a page from U.S. history, will copy the attempts by racists to keep schools, buses and diners segregated?
I give voice to the existential question: “God, why do they HATE us so much?”
Lord have mercy!
Sometimes I wonder if these extremist puritan folks stay awake at night trying to think of ways to destroy OUR Communion while telling us who we MUST include and what we OUGHT think!
Bad news.
Ah, yes: the old “We’ll take your money to fly round the world , meet with your enemies, insult you and plot your downfall” line. Well, it worked last time. Why shouldn’t it work at this Lambeth too?
Very reasonable statement
For those who try diminishing the views of faithful Africans by using words like “pagan” and questioning their “education”, pls note that Sydney is not in Africa and is not led by ++Akinola!
I wonder how people will try to undermine this statement without ++Akinola to throw darts at?
It is great how successful in reaching out to Australians Sydney diocese is (the best in Oz) – they are very inclusive in that they include more Australians every year without changing the scriptures!
That’s not inclusion, NP, that’s just playing the numbers game. We will disagree about what inclusion means. I’ll go with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a black African bishop, of course, who preaches that all, all, all, all will be included – lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered – all. The Sydney Diocese resolutiuons are doing what Anne Lee argues is bullying in her article ‘Why the Church must confront the bullies’ on p10 of last Friday’s Church Times. The Archbishops’ Council’s report ‘Promoting a Safe Church’ defines abuse as “a violation of an individual’s human right and civil rights by any other… Read more »
Did Standing Committee also resolve to fund the gathering of those who have refused Archbishop Williams’s invitation? I suppose the diocese will send a large contingent to support the rebel synod. Perhaps Archbishop Jensen will chair it, and no doubt Dean Jensen will be a featured speaker.
Colin- if you read many words of the Lord eg John 3:36, you will see that Tutu is making up the idea that “all, all….all” wil be included…..this “inclusion” it just is not what the Lord taught.
The Lord did teach “repent and believe” and he did say to us sinners “go and sin no more” – I will follow his words
So, the puppet-master speaks…..
“Pagan”,NP? “Education”? You’re giving that “racism” drum of yours quite a work-out this morning – the d-mned thing’s banging all over TA. As someone recently remarked on this page – forget, for the moment, who (perhaps, NP, you can remind me?) “it just shows you have very little real argument to make when you resort to slurs.”
Romans 10:11-13
11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
It seems that the spirit of the “Flogging Parson” is alive and well in the Calvinist Archdiocese of Sydney. What an anomaly: one of the most modern, progressive cities in the world with an “Anglican” church that is among the most backward and theologically retarded. Amazing!
NP: haven’t yopu grasped yet that the contributors to this site do not believe that faithful gay relationships are sinful, thus there is nothing to repent for? All of your contributions seem to make out that we are saying that gay relationships are sinful but should be approved of in any case.
The Anglican Diocese of Sydney is growing numerically, and sending large numbers of people for theological training – suggesting that it has a bright future.
In the UK, it is often the conservative Evangelical Anglican churches that are numerically strong, and which are starting new churches.
An inclusive church is largely irrelevant in our “modern, progressive cities”.
“Colin- if you read many words of the Lord eg John 3:36, you will see that Tutu is making up the idea that “all, all….all” wil be included…..this “inclusion” it just is not what the Lord taught.” The spirit of inclusion is not about accepting all sorts of people, whether or not they are right or wrong, sinful or otherwise. It lies in the recognition that we (not they) are sinful and we can be mistaken and we need them to reflect to us another picture with which we can learn to be more self-aware and reflexive. In doing so,… Read more »
“The Anglican Diocese of Sydney is growing numerically, and sending large numbers of people for theological training – suggesting that it has a bright future.”— Ben Stevenson
Many backward fundamentalisms are growing in the modern world, Ben; apparently, that’s part of their appeal for some. Our yahoo southland is filled with them.
So, Ben, given that Sydney is a modern, progressive, gay-friendly city, do you see the Church as being a place for those who dislike change, who prefer the way things used to be, who dislike progressive late modernity? Its not as if you are ever going to make any impact on those who like Sydney the way it is! There will always be a certain number of people attracted to the certainties and narrowness of conservative religion. Liberals have much more chance of reaching those of diverse spiritual interests, but I do not think that will be via a return… Read more »
If the realignment leaders do end up going to the next near future Lambeth, it is looking quite likely that they will be there – to issue definitional and presuppositional preachments from their closed and singular readings of scripture, along with preaching their quite un-Anglican Sola Scriptura frameworks, and probably also to sow disension and discord among as many believer Anglicans who think differently as possible. Canterbury will then have its hands, full, full, full – and thanks to the realignment, push will be tilted towards shove, with most of the rest of us knowing exactly who is doing all… Read more »
NP, you invite me to read John 3:36, which will show me that Tutu is making up the idea that all will be included. “Whoever puts his faith in the Son has eternal life. Whoever disobeys the Son will not see that life; God’s wrath rests upon him.” NP, how does that demonstrate that the Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town is making up his extension of the Gospel to include lesbian and gay people? I have put my faith in the Son and I believe and experience myself as having eternal life. You disagree with me, NP. That’s okay, but… Read more »
drdanfee – would you say that if I think stealing is ok, I can steal and you must accept that I can still be ordained?
I am not pushing my standards, Dr, I am asking o what authority you and others seek to ignore certain (but not other) commandments
So far, the AC is not convinced by the arguments for special exemption on certain sins for certain people….sorry
“The Anglican Diocese of Sydney is growing numerically, and sending large numbers of people for theological training – suggesting that it has a bright future.” And it is implacably hostile to any who are not Evangelicals, its bishop refers to Roman Catholics as “sub-Christian”, and it plants Evo congregations to steal people from non-Evo parishes which it should be helping to build up. Also, I may not be right in this, but aren’t they part of that group of Evangelicals who are trying to redefine the Trinity itself so as to justify opposition to ordination of women? (If that last… Read more »
Merseymike says “Liberals have much more chance of reaching those of diverse spiritual interests…”
Really? So, why all the dwindling churches, requiring subsidies??
And why near them thriving Alpha and Reform churches – even in England????
This odd obsession with numbers. By the NP and Ben standard: – Athanasius was wrong – and the Arians were right; – Cramner et al were wrong – and Rome was right; – Wilberforce was wrong – and the pro-slavery folk were right; – Bonhoeffer was wrong – and the state church in Germany was right. After all, its all about the numbers. But I think that Athanasius was right. I think that Cramner was (mostly) right. I’m convinced Wilberforce was right. And I’m even persuaded that Bonhoeffer was right to participate in the assassination plot. So, I guess the… Read more »
Sometimes God just stands back and lets the play be taken to its logical conclusion. It is appropriate that parties who sponsored a church in another country’s diocese several years ago are prepared to continue to go bat for them. It is also useful to see them placing markers on the paths they have already walked, so we can see the interconnections and the follow them forward to where and how the webs are being spun today. There are those who find more communion through the internet than their local church. There are those who have moved to other dioceses… Read more »
For those of you who argue that the church is out of step with society in not blessing gay relationships, you might like to consider this poll. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/poll/pollResultHub?id=60496&pollid=60496&save=_save&show_vote_always=no&poll=GAMFront&hub=Front&subhub=VoteResult Unscientific – sure Unrepresentative – maybe A straw in the wind – possib;y and what’s more it shows the same direction as most other straws in the wind. (consider for instance the votes on gay unions in the last US election) Like many above I do not think theology should be determined by what society thinks — but those few above who seem to think that should bear in mind that society… Read more »
“Special exemption on certain sins for certain people.” Well, quite. No-one could see Pride or Greed as factors in this seemingly never-ending mess. Nor, thank God, has Pride ever reared its ugly head in postings to Thinking Anglicans.
NP.Because the institutional church has been very bad at reaching those who are essentially not ‘churched’. It will have to learn how to engage. However, at least it has some chance of doing so, although it will have to change a lot itself, away from the typical ‘go to a building on Sunday’ pattern. As for all these packed churches, its largely the star church phenomena – they tend to recruit largely from other, less successful conservative churches. We have one up the road here. A congregation of about 300, some growth, but no growth overall as they have largely… Read more »
Malcolm+
Don’t try to confuse the issue with facts!
BTW, re: the numbers game — the C of E is first (which everyone agrees is misleading), then Nigeria (which an Igbo [who intensely dislikes the Yoruba Akinola] claims has lost 3 million under Akinola’s leadership), then Uganda, then Australia & then the USA – which rather surprised me — the tiny TEC is actually larger than over 30 of the provinces in the WWAC (& the average Episcopal woman does not have seven children).
Colin – as you should know, many are called but “inclusion” is based on faith and repentance…..it is not the case (from scripture) that “all, all…all” can come and be accepted without faith AND repentance…….this is crystal clear from the words of the Lord, St Paul and James (showing faith by actions etc) The problem I have with your view is that you would not say I could continue stealing if I were an unrepentant thief and still expect to be accepted, but you do make certain exemptions…which even the ABC says are not widely accepted in the AC (despite… Read more »
Malcolm+ – I wholly agree with your sentiments. Is a child born with serious complications at birth blessed? Is a child starving to death due to a drought blessed? Is a donkey reeling under an excessive load blessed? We would argue probably not. Although the more compassionate of us would offer succour to the family that God gives us both the good and the bad, that we are never tested more than we can endure, and that God’s reasons for both the good and bad are often beyond our fathoming at the time. E.g. Romans 8:26-28 “…Spirit helps us in… Read more »
I’m sure Merseymike’s ‘star church’ comment is correct: careful analysis of the 1989 (?) Billy Graham roadshow’s impact on the town I was living in suggested that the vast majority of attenders were already conservative Christians looking for a faith transfusion. The trouble is, of course, that worshipping in such churches misleads one into believing that the movement is powering forward, and all information is read through that lens. Every Alpha course is an affirmation of ConsEv primacy, etc. etc. This means that an entirely legitimate and praiseworthy love for the Lord is distorted into a militancy which assumes one… Read more »
how many times…..Lapin, show me the evangelical who is saying “greed is good” and still demanding to be ordained
The whole point is that most of us in the AC are not ordaining unrepetentant sinners….sorry, we are old-fashioned like that
Re: the Globe and Mail poll; It’s pretty worthless without us non-Canucks knowing the political stance of the G&M readership. In the UK, I could get pretty much the response I wanted on anything by running a poll with the right media group. Massive cutbacks in immigration would play well in the rightwing tabloids (and perhaps after Lord Carey’s intervention, in the Church of England NEwspaper?), as would the reintroduction of corporal punishment and judicial execution. The abolition of all religious involvement in education would poll well in the Manchester Guardian, and so on and so on. Pretty worthless, I… Read more »
As a rider to my last post about polls, I note with amusement that the BBC poll for who should be in the new government included a significant number of votes for the TV (as in television) presenter Jeremy Clarkson, known mainly for his right-wing politics and selfless personal dedication to the acceleration of global warming….
NP, being gay and thieving have no correlation. I have repented, I have repented of the years I allowed myself to be depressed because I was afraid of revealing that I was gay, years in which my God-given energy and passion was suppressed. I was sinning when I denied my God-given reality as a gay man. I’ve been called by God, I’ve been baptised, confirmed and ordained, I have a PTO from my bishop, I have been partnered with another man. I don’t care what you think about me. Your attitude is abusive and prejudiced, not Biblical. You won’t agree… Read more »
“most of us in the AC are not ordaining unrepetentant sinners” And this would be on what planet, NP? “The problem I have with your view is that you would not say I could continue stealing if I were an unrepentant thief and still expect to be accepted” Well, see, I think that you are accepted by God, NP, despite the fact that you are an unrepentant reviler why not only disobeys, but tries to justify his disobedience of, the Second Great Commandment, not to mention Our Lord’s command “judge not lest ye be judged.” You are an unrepentant sinner… Read more »
mynsterpreost – As a Canuck (and a Globe and Mail subscriber), IMHO the Globe and Mail would be considered the least small-c conservative of the two National Canadian Newspapers, but I am not sure you would classify it as small-l liberal.
It tends to support the Canadian Liberal party politically (as opposed to the Conservative party), but Canada does not have a paper that is as small-l liberal as the Guardian.
NP – prove that anybody *wants* ordination enough to *demand* it. I find your idea of vocation to ordained life somewhat distorted, even comical.
So the challenge to you (and the Sydney etc folks) is this:
Who in their right mind would present for ordination unless they genuinely discerned a call from God?
On what grounds would the Church be justified in refusing any person ordination, after they have satisfied all the criteria for ordination?
Why do you persist in this nonsensical equation of thieves and gay people in discussing ordination?
In responsre to one poster’s question, the Globe and Mail used to style itself “Canada’s National Newspaper.” We in the regions used to refer to it as “Toronto’s National Newspaper.” In fact, the Toronto Star – which doesn’t circulate outwith the Greater Toronto Area – has a larger subscriber base than either the Globe or the newer National Post. Historically, the Globe was a moderately conservative paper. With the advent of the National Post, founded by the then Canadian Lord Black of Crossharbour, the Globe was seen as the moderate national paper while the (Com)Post took a pretty hard right… Read more »
Another aspect of growing churches is that they are quite often suburban and outer urban churches where the message and gathering appeals to the materially well off and their consciences. In other words, they mix with the well to do, have a gospel of individual salvation, and it is mixed with a charity message to ease consciences at the same time. That is when they bother. For some, they avoid the politically-social, and are pure individualism, even prosperity individualist. It is the old one about being chosen and having visible signs of being chosen. The worship is assertive, let’s say,… Read more »
_Thanks be to God that you don’t have the power to exclude me or anyone from the church, nor do you have the power or authority to judge me._ Colin Coward
Yes, but this is what they want – and why they should never get it.
Dear Ford and Colin….the problem is that you and some others have decided something is holy but have not carried many people with you – that is why the ABC says the “mind of the Communion” is still represented by Lambeth 1.10 on this issue. Given you have not persuaded many in the communion, it is always going to be divisive if those who agree with you go ahead with what they want to do regardless of the views of most of the AC. This is why TEC was tearing the fabric of the Communion in 2003. Ford – grace… Read more »
“the problem is that you and some others have decided something is holy but have not carried many people with you” No, I haven’t decided anything is holy, NP. I have never spoken in favour of SSB, and I have only ever said that +Robinson was duly elected by the people of his diopcese. I have challenged your attempts to condemn a man you do not know based on what you see as his sin. That’s all. I am also not seeking to carry people with me anywhere, though I have been striving, valiantly but vainly, to instill a bit… Read more »
The “last word” again, NP?
Here is an interesting artcle on the “we are” religion that associates with evangelicalism: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article1991114.ece Jonathan Edwards was a well known athlete and evangelical Christian. Now, he is neither, though still well known. Indeed he has gone to pretty near atheism. He now questions everything, and he does it because he did a TV programme on St Paul and realised that the evangelical assumptions did not add up. Unsurprisingly, it all collapsed. It may be that over time he reconstructs into something more Christian and liberal. Elsewhere we have discussed liberals not disappearing, and here is one reason why. When… Read more »
NP Thanks for the Romans 6 reference. One thing that needs to be made clear is that your Jesus who demands repentance is allowed to continue. He has chosen to betroth himself to his churches, their priests and parishioners. We all pray for the day that you are taken to your heaven where you no longer have to deal with us unrepentant sinners and heathen. In the meantime, God has left you to share our inadequate planet’s air, water and resources. We ask that you show a courtesy appropriate to being an ambassador for your Jesus. We also ask that… Read more »
A much better “unscientific” example of attitudes towards same-sex marriage is given by the example of Massachusetts over the last 3.5 years. When the state supreme court ordered marriage rights be extended to same-sex couples in November of ’03, there was a HUGE hue&cry. For all its reputation as “liberal Massachusetts”, the state w/ the lowest-in-the-nation *divorce rate*, actually has pretty conservative social values. So what’s happened? Simply put, time has passed, some same-sex couples have gotten that marriage license, AND YET THE SKY HAS NOT FALLEN. Even those in Massachusetts WITH conservative social values have, for the most part,… Read more »
How ’bout we talk “Pride”, NP?
Mention is made in the resolution of inclusion of the denomination known as the Church of England in South Africa ( CESA). Largely helped and sustained by Sydney over the years…this denomination is the vision of Anglicanism that Sydney wants. They helped draw up its constitution and helped draw up its new alternative ” prayer book. 1) the word Catholic is expunged from the Creeds. 2) Any hint of baptismal regeneration and absolution is also deleted. 3) the prayer of humble access is edited to stop any false interpretation of the real presence of the body and blood of Christ.… Read more »