BBC One (Wales only) has a documentary scheduled for Wednesday 3 December at 10.45 pm.
The Archbishop
SYNOPSIS:
A personal profile of The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, filmed at a time of great division in the Anglican Church. The programme examines the arguments surrounding the consecration of gay bishops and the ordination of women bishops.
Read the press release at the Church in Wales website: The Archbishop – BBC One Wales documentary.
Two newspaper reports:
Western Mail Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan says he would consecrate a gay bishop
It should be possible (for those unfortunate enough not to live in Wales but elsewhere in the UK) to view this programme for seven days after Wednesday through the BBC iPlayer – use http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales as a starting point.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams once told him he received a letter ending, “May your soul rot in Hell – Yours in Christ.”
“The trouble is that lots of people believe in a God of hate – that’s not the God of Jesus.”
“The minute you begin to exclude then I don’t think you are being the church of God.”
I haven’t yet seen the documentary, and I’m picking and choosing quotes from the articles, but they sure seem to sum it up nicely.
Whilst I disagree with his theology, no one can doubt the integrity of Archbishop Morgan..unlike Rowan Williams, who has spent the last five years running with the hare and the hounds.
“The trouble is that lots of people believe in a God of hate – that’s not the God of Jesus.” ‘Dr Morgan is alarmed at moves by conservative Anglicans to form a new alliance within the communion.’ – Barry Williams – Western Mail – At least, his heart’s in the right place! Abp. Barry Morgan’s, that is. Having read this recent article by David Williams, one cannot help but hope for a similar common-sense response from at least the Welsh, English, Scottish and Irish bishops in the Anglican Communion, to the burning issues of women and gays in the ministry… Read more »
So, just what is Barry saying? When Jeffrey John was mentioned for Bangor, Barry was careful to publicly announce that Communion agreed policy would presently exclude someone in a same sex partnership, yes, the comments were as anodyne as possible but the effect was to stifle any hope of Jeffrey’s election. So just what is the policy of the Church in Wales? Bizarrely it was transformed during the time Rowan Williams was a bishop here from a pale imitation of the Tony Higdon/English Synod motion to an open acceptance of LGBT’s in partnership for all orders of ministry. So in… Read more »
Anyone with SKY can watch BBC Wales on Sky Channel 973.
Hope this is helpful,
Iain
“Whilst I disagree with his theology, no one can doubt the integrity of Archbishop Morgan..unlike Rowan Williams, who has spent the last five years running with the hare and the hounds.” I think this is hugely unfair. If we are to insist that the Anglican Church is a broad Church, and that both the hares and the hounds have a valid Christian faith and belong inside the Church, then it is Rowan’s job to be bishop to both and “to run with the hares AND the hounds”. Richard Chartres has a similar job, preaching an open liberal Christianity when he… Read more »
Martin — it is very sad — Our Lord had some things to say about hypocrites (& yes, I understand that we are all hypocrites & love to condemn others for the faults that we happen not to have — or can’t acknowledge) — but, FWIW, I am hearing that many diocesan conventions in TEC/PECUSA (including those not usually thought of as “liberal”) are calling for the next General Convention explicitly to renounce BO33 (even if it means “expulsion” from the WWAC) — sometimes it is worth doing what is right, even if it is inconvenient …
“muscular orthodoxy”
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say, but I disagree with this phrase, as might be expected. If you are alluding to his preaching a more “Evangelical” message in other parishes, fine. What he is preaching might well be true, and even “muscular”, but it is not “orthodox” by any traditional definition of the word, and calling it such just supports the self delusion of conservatives that their particular message is somehow traditional, “orthodox” Christianity. I think we owe it to traditional orthodox Christianity to oppose their undeserved claim to the word at every opportunity.
Ford,
Thanks, your point is well made. Perhaps “muscular orthodoxy” was not the most well chosen phrase (although compared to St James’s Piccadilly quite a lot of the Anglican church seems quite muscular or orthodox – everything is relative).
Simon
“compared to St James’s Piccadilly quite a lot of the Anglican church seems quite muscular or orthodox” The only London church I’ve been to, and only once, is All Saints, Margaret Street, or as I call it, Heaven. But, compared to our little cot, there’s a lot of more “muscular” places out there. I’m not sure if it’s the “muscularity” or the claims of orthodoxy I find most upsetting. The latter is patently untrue. The former puts me in mind of the underhanded tactics and out and out trickery of the “Evangelicals” I grew up with. To me, “muscular” connotes… Read more »