Thinking Anglicans

reports on GAFCON and the Covenant

Updated

George Conger reports in the Church of England Newspaper that Gafcon leaders dismiss ‘futile’ covenant draft.

The proposed Anglican Covenant is an “exercise in futility,” theologians affiliated with the Gafcon movement tell The Church of England Newspaper, and the current draft is beset with “a considerable degree of theological confusion.”

Update

The latest Fulcrum newsletter is Life After Lambeth by Andrew Goddard. This also discusses the Covenant and GAFCON.

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Cheryl Va.
16 years ago

There’s one thing that I agree with from the GAFCONite camp. The reasons and motives vary widely. Mind you, if they had thought the covenant had a hope of pinning down liberals and ending reforms, they would have been all for it. However, once it became clear it was going to fail as a tool of repression, they were at least honest in declaring that they wanted no part in further reforms. As far as they are concerned Jesus is the complete and perfect fulfillment of the scriptures and there was no need to go back and re-read the texts… Read more »

Pluralist
16 years ago

There is an article at Fulcrum by Andrew Goddard at which he is edging towards the GAFCON view, if he doesn’t fall between two stools first. I’ve written on this at my blog (‘Commentary’ from my website) to the effect that he is going in that direction because Fulcrum is being left without a position. Like those ‘good socialists’ who went along with Militant in the 1980s, but disposed as soon as they crossed swords, Andrew Goddard was one to get the CE treatment at Wycliffe only to become something of a fellow traveller with this group afterwards. My charge… Read more »

Simon Sarmiento
16 years ago

I have revised the article to include a link to the Fulcrum newsletter mentioned above.

The article by Pluralist can be found at
http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/fellow-traveller.html

Robert Ian Williams
Robert Ian Williams
16 years ago

Andrew Goddard would presumably then want the Church of England in South Africa admitted? A far more stable and larger denomination than the proposed North American province.

drdanfee
drdanfee
16 years ago

Hmmm, maybe AG wants to eat his conservativ Anglican Realignment cake and have it too, in other regards. Maybe AG wants credit for allegedly being a big tent Anglican while repeating story lines, presuppositional, that diminish the real global big tent by making progressive believers, queer folks (and maybe certain women?) nothing but fools and outsiders? Maybe AG wants credit for being a modern, informed, thoughtful thinking believer while deftly avoiding any detailed engagement with the hot button queer folks controversies or dilemmas? He especially sidesteps any hint of our shared global Anglican knowledge that many traditionalistic negatives about queer… Read more »

Father Ron Smith
16 years ago

“The proposed Anglican Covenant is an ‘exercise in futility’ theologians affiliated with the Gafcon movement tell The Church of England Newspaper,” – George Conger – This statement issued by the ‘theologians’ (including among them – Moore College, Sydney, Dean Thompson) must sorely disappoint at least one GAFCON friend – the Chairperson of the Covenant, Arcbishop Drexel Gomez. However, it should not surprise anyone that the Covenant document is rejected by GAFCON, because most of it’s members will never adhere to the proposed moratorium on their ‘missionary’ activities in other Provinces of the Communion. They have said so, loudly and definitively.… Read more »

Cheryl Va.
16 years ago

Sometimes souls purport to be “moderate” to get jobs elsewhere, so that the real liberals don’t get apponted. It’s merely a deceptive form of cronyism.

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