Archbishop Donald Tamihere and Archbishop Philip Richardson of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia have replied, on behalf of the ACANZP General Synod Standing Committee, to the proposal made by the Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, in August.
Like it or not, to be Anglican in Aotearoa New Zealand means facing into 200 years of a unique, shared and difficult history between Maori and Pakeha – and acknowledging the pillars of that shared history.
These pou include Anglicans bringing the gospel to these shores in 1814; the foundational and church-brokered Treaty of Waitangi of 1840 – and, after 150 years of struggle by Maori Anglicans, the adoption of Te Pouhere, the Three Tikanga Constitution of The Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
So, a proposal advanced by the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, that there should be two Anglican Churches in New Zealand, both linked by heritage – but the new one not recognising “the laws, promises, and solemn commitments” that bind The Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, and which grew out of that painful shared history, does not work.
That is the view of the General Synod Standing Committee – and that view has been expressed in an open letter signed by its co-chairs, Archbishops Don Tamihere and Philip Richardson, and sent to Archbishop Davies today.
The letter concludes: “We cannot recognise a Church as Anglican which does not encapsulate this 200 years of relationship and history.”
Anglican Communion News Service reports: New Zealand Church leaders reject Sydney proposal for overlapping Anglican jurisdiction.
Archbishop Davies’ proposal was contained in this document. The proposal was described in Sydney as: Archbishop presents proposal for NZ Anglican future. We reported it in August as Archbishop of Sydney proposes ‘Distinctive Co-existence’ for ACANZP.
The New Zealand reply to it is contained in this document. It’s worth reading this in full.
The Anglican Church League in Sydney reports it as Thanks, but no thanks: New Zealand Church leaders reject Sydney proposal.
As a member of ACANZP, I heartily endorse the content of the message sent by our Archbishops Philip and Donald (Pakeha and Maori Primates within the New Zealand sector of our Province) to the Archbishop of Sydney, Glen Davies. This message was sent in response to a visit to New Zealand made by Archbishop Davies (an active member of GAFCON/FOCA) where he made his proposal that New Zealand should emulate the diversity of the Anglican Churches in Europe. What Davies either did not understand – or did not discuss at the meeting – was the fact that the European Anglican… Read more »
This time I do agree with Father Ron, but Sydney Diocese (where I hold the Archbishop’s General Licence) is obsessed with this subject (and e.g. one of its finest priests, Keith Mascord, a few years ago lost his licence because he would not agree not to preach in favour of same sex marriage – a subject on which I of course believe all views should be able to be expressed). Sadly Sydney’s takeover of other dioceses continues – and it is worth reading the fairly grim report on the recent Sydney Synod by a lay representative of Christ Church St… Read more »
Thank you, John. My own diocese of Christchurch managed to import graduates from Sydney’s Moore College, one of whom has now been part of the departing FCANZ contingent in our diocese. He will probably, with Sydney’s help, become FCANZ’ first bishop in the emerging schismatic church here. This is just one of Sydney’s plans to repopulate the Anglican Communion under GAFCON.
Ron,
Do you recognise the Sydney diocese as Anglican? I think it could be fairly described by you as “a group that has already intentionally declared its disaffection for our Gospel Inclusion.”
John. In answer to your question: “Is Sydney diocese Anglican?” I must say that – on my opinion – it already seems what I call ‘extra-provincial’. In its hegemony over the conservative Evangelical ethos of most of the Churches of the GAFCON/FOCA sodality, under successive Archbishops of Sydney (beginning with Peter Jensen, a Moore College graduate), the Sydney diocese seems a world apart from its Western Anglican confreres – never mind its Australian neighbour dioceses. Sydney’s opposition to the ordination of women and the eirenic inclusion of LGBT+ people sets Sydney apart from the broad majority of Aussie Anglicans. It’s… Read more »
Ron,
I think that most readers here will know that Sydney diocese is not to your taste. But do you consider them/us Anglican? If you regard Sydney as Anglican, then I can see that you will be disappointed that some ministers and congregations are leaving the Christchurch diocese. But if you don’t regard the Sydneysiders as Anglican then you might have a different attitude. I think we can all agree that Sydney is different – but is it un-Anglican?
Dear John, I have strong memories of 2 visits to the Anglican Cathedral in Sydney. The first, years ago when a healing service conducted by the then dean convinced me that – despite its innate conservatism, Sydney was indeed of a secure Anglican provenance. The then Dean also had a good relationship with the clergy and people of Christchurch St. Laurence (its Anglo-Catholic opposite) through the joint healing ministry of both churches. My second visit, on the occasion of the reception of a new (Anglo-Catholic) provincial Archbishop of the Australian Province in Sydney’s cathedral, seemed to major on Peter Jensen’s… Read more »
Hi John I use to discuss with you when I lived in Sydney before, almost 9 years ago, I finally escaped and moved to live in Dunedin, New Zealand where I am now a proud Kiwi citizen. Before that move I use to travel 2 hours each way in order to worship at St James, King Street, a church which I had been encouraged to ridicule in my youth. I met elderly people in the Blue Mountains in tears because they were physically incapable of such a regular journey yet they found nothing recognisable as Anglican in their local churches.… Read more »
This article by Peter Carrell is highly relevant:
What is “Anglican Heritage”?
http://anglicandownunder.blogspot.com/2018/11/what-is-anglican-heritage.html
Interestingly Sydney undermined the CPSA for 70 years with their help for the Church of England in South Africa…and they won too, with everything but formal membership of the Anglican communion.
When I commented on Archbishop Davies’s statement a month or so ago, I received some critique for my overly gentle summary: “Sir, please go away” – some commentators thought my language should have been stronger. When our Archbishops and General synod Standing committee want to make a public statement inviting the Archbishop of Sydney to “go #$%* himself”, they also have to be very circumspect about their wording. I think they have done a magnificent job. I think I detect the pen of Archbishop Don here – he is a very clever chap. Grounding their response in the Treaty of… Read more »
Yes Edward, I was one who would have been much stronger in my rejection of Davies’ proposal. Diplomacy was never one of my virtues. However I was cheering as I read (in an email from our Diocesan Office) the wonderful way in which it was politely yet firmly rejected. Having grown up and spent nearly all my life in the Diocese of Sydney, I am now very bitter about the lasting effect on me and my feelings of self worth. In the 1960’s there was little alternative even outside the church although I think I might not have suffered so… Read more »
Brian, I might have some suggestions there. Please contact me directly on ehprebble@gmail.com.