Press Release
February 20, 2007
Meeting of Primates in Tanzania
We acknowledge the huge complexity of the issues which the Primates of the Communion brought to Tanzania and the fears and expectations which surrounded the meeting.
In that context we congratulate the Archbishop of Canterbury and his fellow Primates on their achievement of a united communiqué. We are acutely aware that compromises have been made by all sides. This is a sign of the great generosity of those present at the meeting.
There is a cost to discipleship and sometimes it is high. The cost demanded of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters is immense, and has been for generations. The continuing failure of the Communion to address the pastoral needs and receive the ministerial gifts and insights of the whole community is part of that cost.
The heart of the Gospel for us is not about sexuality. The continuing arguments are damaging the Church’s mission and undermining the Gospel. Anglicanism has in its DNA the ability to embrace diversity. For example we recognise diversity over the nature of the Sacraments, in worship, and in the interpretation of scripture.
Why then are parts of the church so obsessed by the single issue of homosexuality? It is not a defining issue nor can it be the benchmark of orthodoxy.
We are pleased that the ‘listening process’ called for by the Windsor Report is receiving serious attention from the Primates, as is the consideration of a common hermeneutical method. But the listening process must not be a sop to lesbian and gay people and their supporters. It cannot be undertaken without those involved being open to the possibility of change. So far there is little evidence of that openness.
As the debate becomes more disconnected from the reality of everyday life of those we serve, it is increasingly clear that TEC is becoming a scapegoat. For example, the demand for TEC to forswear same sex blessings ignores the reality that across the Church of England such blessings are happening right across the country as parish priests respond to the pastoral needs of their community.
We acknowledge the pain experienced on all sides and we would not wish to see those who disagree with us being driven from the church. If that happened all of us would be the poorer. Therefore we commit ourselves as members of an inclusive church to continue the process of dialogue and relationship to which the Primates have called us.
Overshadowed by the rest of the report, the Primates recommitted themselves to the Millennium Development Goals. It is clear to us that in a world riven by injustice and poverty we should be uniting in raising our voices to ensure that those goals are met so that the gospel can be proclaimed afresh for a new generation.
For further information and to sign up as a supporter of InclusiveChurch’s aims, go to http://www.inclusivechurch.net
Author: Giles Goddard (Chair) on behalf of the InclusiveChurch Executive
office@inclusivechurch.net
07762 373 674
Kendall Harmon Early Reaction to the Communique
Scott Gunn Primates’ Meeting — what does it all mean?
Dan Martins That Cat Won’t Bark and This One’s a Big Dog (Hear It Bark)
Fr Jake The Primates Strike Out
BabyBlue Quote From Bishop Minns
Tobias Haller Of the Products of Primates
Mark Harris The Standard and its costs and Communique is out: there is Wreckage enough for everyone.
Anglican Centrist Primates’ Meeting Communique
Nick Knisely Some preliminary thoughts about the Proposed Covenant
Anglican Scotist Just Say No
5 CommentsThe InclusiveChurch and Changing Attitude response was already published here.
Fulcrum has published two documents: Fulcrum response to the Communiqué of the Primates’ Meeting February 2007 and Fulcrum response to the Covenant for the Anglican Communion.
Integrity has published Primates Choose Bigotry Over Baptized.
Affirming Catholicism Primates aim to keep Americans in the fold
Inclusive Church another press release here. The official copy is here.
Via Media USA Initial Statement on the February 2007 Communique from the Primates of the Anglican Communion
I will add links to other group statements here as I discover them.
See also Episcopal groups react to Primates’ communiqué from ENS.
23 CommentsUpdated Tuesday morning
Reuters Katie Nguyen Anglican Communion wants U.S. action in gay row
The Times Ruth Gledhill
Primates draw back from sanctions for liberal Anglican dioceses and later
Liberals uncensured as rift is patched up
and on her blog Anglican Covenant now published and TEC put on notice
Jim Naughton has Bishop Jefferts Schori’s initial reaction.
And he also has early reactions from bloggers.
Updates
Guardian Stephen Bates No schism for now: Williams gets tough on liberals to save the church
Daily Telegraph Jonathan Petre (website updated 9 am)
Anglican Church leaders give ultimatum to liberals and The Anglican crisis: Q&A and Katharine Jefferts Schori: unapologetic feminist and pro-gay liberal
Anglican primates struggle for consensus (new headline on older, now out of date story) and also The Anglican crisis and Hardliners warm to the woman they hate.
The Times further report Church deadline to curb gay rights and opinion column by Libby Purves Pray lift your eyes above the belt.
New York Times Sharon LaFraniere and Laurie Goodstein Anglicans Rebuke U.S. Branch on Same-Sex Unions
Los Angeles Times Morris Mwavizo and Rebecca Trounson Anglican leaders press for rift fix
Associated Press Elizabeth A Kennedy Anglican Leaders Rule on Gay Bishops
Episcopal News Service Matthew Davies
Design Group releases text of draft Anglican Covenant
Primates endorse pastoral council, primatial vicar in closing communiqué
BBC radio report on the Today programme by Robert Pigott, listen here:
Anglican archbishops have demanded that the liberal American church accept a separate organisation for breakaway traditionalist congregations.
Includes interviews with Mark Hill and Theo Hobson.
George Conger reports for the Living Church Overtime Required for Primates to Agree on Communiqué Wording.
27 CommentsPRESS RELEASE
THE PRIMATES’ MEETING OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
from Inclusive Church, Changing Attitude England,
and Changing Attitude Nigeria
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
19 February 2007
Inclusive Church and Changing Attitude give a cautious welcome to the communiqué issued today by the Primates of the Anglican Communion meeting in Dar Es Salaam. We commend the work that the primates have done to further the mission of the church and to strengthen the bonds of the Anglican Communion. In particular we value the progress achieved on the listening process and the Anglican Covenant.
The standard of teaching on human sexuality set out in Resolution 1.10 of the Lambeth Conference of 1998 has never been one that Christian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people have accepted. It was drafted and agreed in our absence. The bishops who drafted the original version of the Resolution refused to meet us and hear our testimony. It is not possible for us to be bound by teaching drafted by a largely male, heterosexual body of bishops. The Anglican Communion can never come to an integrated teaching on human sexuality until it has listened with open mind and heart to our experience and Christian testimony. We subscribe to a high Christian sexual and relational ethic. We object outright to the idea that it is possible to divide our innate sexual identity as lesbian and gay people from what the church insists on calling ‘genital activity’. Like heterosexuals we believe the love between two mature adults should be expressed in a faithful, life-long partnership in which sexual expression is integral.
The Primates request that the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church ‘make an unequivocal common covenant with the bishops that they will not authorise any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in their dioceses or through General Convention’. The request not to authorise any Rite of Blessing in the Episcopal Church will be an intolerable burden for LGBT Anglicans. The Episcopal Church is not alone in having many faithful lesbian and gay couples who seek God’s blessing on their relationship. We know that in England, the USA and Canada as well as other Provinces, priests will continue to find ways to bless such relationships. If the church can condone the blessing of so many inanimate objects, it is surely right to bless the love of two people of the same gender. We pray for the day when the church can support the authorisation of same-sex blessings.
The Primates also request that the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church ‘confirm that ‘a candidate for Episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consent’. There is no prohibition on a single or celibate lesbian or gay priest receiving the necessary consent. Dioceses who wish to nominate a partnered lesbian or gay priest and such priests themselves are being asked to make a great personal sacrifice. In England, priests who are gay will also continue to be nominated and consecrated as bishops, as they will in other Provinces.
The Revd Giles Goddard, chair of Inclusive Church, said:
“The arguments over human sexuality have been dominating the life of the Anglican Communion for too long. We need, urgently, now to find a way to move on, so that the Gospel for all people can be freshly proclaimed in a changing world. The Primates meeting has begun to show us a way forward. We trust that the Lambeth Conference will be allowed to be a restatement of the heart of Christ’s message of love for the world.”
The Revd Scott Gunn, TEC representative to Inclusive Church, said:
“I am grateful that Bishop Katharine is recognised as the legitimate ecclesiastical authority in the United States. My hope is that the Anglican Communion can return to its focus on mission and evangelism. I hope they will shift the focus of attention away from a legalistic examination of the Episcopal Church towards a Gospel life of hope, reconciliation, justice and love.”
The Revd Colin Coward, Director of Changing Attitude England, said:
“I rejoice that the Primates are committed to the continuing unity of our world-wide Communion of churches. We LGBT Anglicans in Changing Attitude England and Nigeria are also faithfully committed to our church. We know the pilgrimage journey to our promised land of full inclusion is going to be long and hard. There are millions of Anglicans who have yet to learn about the deep faith of LGBT people in the Lord Jesus Christ and of our lives committed to prayer, worship, justice and evangelism. We are present in every Province and country of the Anglican Communion and we want to participate in the listening process in order that our stories of faithful obedience to God can be heard. We have been misrepresented for too long. Now is the time for people across the world to learn about LGBT Anglicans in Africa, Asia and South America.”
“I am saddened that our brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Church have been asked to carry a burden on behalf of us all. With the Episcopal Church and the Canadian Church, we in England are also seeking honesty in the ordination of priests who are lesbian or gay priests and the consecration of bishops who are gay. We look forward to the day when we can include our lesbian sisters among those who will be consecrated as bishops in England.”
Davis Mac-Iyalla, Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria, said:
“Our presence here in Dar Es Salaam at the Primates meeting demonstrates our loyalty to the Communion. We are committed to participating in the listening process and we want to be heard. We hope the Anglican Communion office and Canon Philip Groves, facilitator to the listening process help us communicate our experience directly to them if the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) refuses to participate.”
“My own Primate received me warmly the first time we met on Wednesday 14 February. I had hoped the next time we met we would have been able to develop our first meeting and have some conversation together but it didn’t happen. I hope we will meet again and he will be able to hear the voice of one of his own gay Nigerian members.”
STATEMENT ON THE PRIMATES’ MEETING OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
Full Inclusion
We celebrate the fact that the majority of Primates have modelled what it means to be an inclusive church this week, welcoming Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori from the Episcopal Church of the USA. Bishop Katharine has brought hope to many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Anglicans across the world. She is committed to the full inclusion of all people in the Episcopal Church. Her voice will remind other primates that Gospel justice will not have been accomplished until the church is fully open to everyone, including LGBT people. Her presence has changed the Primates’ Meeting from being an exclusively male club. Another step has been taken towards the full inclusion of women in our church. We long for the day when all people are welcomed into the church, without regard to race, sexual orientation, economic means, gender, physical or mental challenge, or any other division.
Listening Process
We approve of the progress made by the Revd Canon Philip Groves as he develops his work on the listening process, inviting every province in the Communion to demonstrate how they are responding to the Lambeth 1.10 commitment to listen. We look forward to the development of his proposals for the Lambeth Conference 2008 and offer our full support to him in his work.
We hope that the Listening Process will be undertaken by every Province with the awareness that to listen properly means being open to the possibility of change by all involved. We trust the Holy Spirit, through this process and through our common Anglican life, to lead us into all truth.
The primates and the bishops who will gather at the Lambeth Conference 2008 have yet to hear directly from LGBT people. This remains a major challenge for the church. The listening process needs to be undertaken in every province and by every primate and bishop. We urge renewed emphasis on the listening process throughout the Communion.
Same-sex blessings
The cost of the decision not to authorise any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in the Episcopal Church is a serious means that LGBT people in America are being asked to carry an intolerable burden. As in England and other parts of the Communion which acknowledge that God blesses covenanted, faithful relationships, we know that priests with the courage of their own spiritual convictions will continue to welcome those who come for blessing.
Covenant
We welcome the framework of the draft covenant for the Anglican Communion. For 500 years Anglicanism has been a creedal, rather than a confessional church. We believe that the ancient creeds of the church are sufficient now, as they have been for over 1,600 years. We remain concerned about the increased tendency in Anglicanism to centralise authority.
In particular we welcome the commitment to ensure that ‘biblical texts are handled faithfully, respectfully, comprehensively and coherently’ [3(3)], to ‘nurture and respond to prophetic and faithful leadership and ministry to assist our Churches as courageous witnesses to the transformative power of the Gospel in the world’ [3(4)] and ‘to seek to transform unjust structures of society’ [4.1].
Theological Diversity
From its inception, the church has been diverse in its theological understanding. We believe that in our many diverse cultures it is to be expected that people will experience God and express their faith in a variety of ways appropriate to their own culture. In our conversations with Tanzanian Anglicans from local congregations, we have heard that while they may not agree with our own view of human sexuality, there is a high level of understanding and acceptance of diversity. They view the threat of schism as posing a great danger to local mission and evangelism, while they continue to hope for a global, diverse Anglican Communion.
As we work to build up the Kingdom of God, we urge sensitivity in our diverse cultures, that not all cultures people are prepared to welcome LGBT at this time.
Working together
Members of Inclusive Church, Integrity USA, and Changing Attitude Nigeria and England have worked together in harmony this week. We have prayed for the Primates. We have given many interviews to the press and media. We have built friendships with other Anglicans across our diversity of opinions. We have talked to many members of the Tanzanian press and helped them some of them begin to understand the experience of LGBT people. We have made contact with LGBT Anglicans from Tanzania and we hope to build on our new friendships. Those Primates who spoke with us encouraged us to work for the unity of the Anglican Communion and for the full inclusion of all, and especially LGBT people.
Prayers
We encourage all people to pray for the primates, bishops, clergy, and people of the Anglican Communion. We especially urge prayer for the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Primate of Nigeria Peter Akinola, and the Primate of the Episcopal Church Katharine Jefferts Schori. Each of these three Primates faces tremendous pressure of leadership, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them.
Conclusion: Hope for living the Gospel
We look forward to a time when our conversations will be dominated by concerns of mission, evangelism, and service rather than by threats of discrimination, persecution, and schism.
We read the Gospels as commending radical inclusion. Jesus again and again shared meals with outcasts, treasured those whom the culture rejected, and taught that religious practice must be loving. St. Paul urged the earliest Christian communities to be people of Gospel love and hope, rather than people enslaved to the Law. We firmly believe that LGBT Christians belong at the centre of our common life in Christ, not at the margins.
We hope that the church will live this vision. In short, we seek a church that embraces all people as God’s precious children. We want an inclusive church.
END
MEDIA CONTACTS:
The Revd Colin Coward
Director of Changing Attitude England
+44 7770 844302
Email colin@changingattitude.org
Davis Mac-Iyalla
Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria
+234 8025866133
Email davis@nigeria.changingattitude.org
The Revd Scott A Gunn
ECUSA representative to Inclusive Church
+255 762 400949 (in Tanzania until 2 p.m. GMT Wednesday 21 February)
+1 508 720 1500 (in the US any time)
sgunn@swingspan.com
Updated 9.30 pm London time
No progress. Jonathan Petre has written this for the Telegraph: Anglican crisis talks ‘to last into the night’.
——-
The final communique is delayed by several hours. The latest information is that a press conference will be held at 11 pm Tanzanian time, or 8 pm London time.
Meanwhile the Church Times has published Primates’ meeting ends.
Other sites are reporting the delay thus:
daily episcopalian Pres[s] conference delayed
Anglican Mainstream More latest news
inclusive church blog Breaking: Press conference delayed
Dave Walker has this cartoon.
6 CommentsThe covenant document is published and can be found at the Anglican Communion Office website:
ACNS Report of the Covenant Design Group and also
PDF download of report
PDF download of draft covenant text only
Another ACO copy of the document starts here.
14 CommentsFrom Anglican Mainstream and repeated at titusonenine:
The final press conference will be addressed by the Archbishops of Tanzania, Canterbury and Australia tonight at 18:45 Tanzania time (GMT 15:45). The Communique is five pages long and will be released with the covenant in time for the press conference. The Communique was presented as a unanimous report by the communique group which included Archbishops John Chew (South East Asia), Ian Ernest (Indian Ocean) and Drexel Gomez (West Indies). Drexel Gomez chaired the discussion of the Communique. The agenda has been completely changed today, the Lambeth Conference will be discussed this afternoon. Jim Rosenthal, the Director of Communications, expects the Primates to be working on the Communique till the last second. There will be a group photo of new Primates at 16:00 Tanzania Time. Jim Rosenthal also referred to the story in today’s Times about the Anglican Communion and Rome. He expressly said that the report was released a week and a half ago and was not leaked. He denied that there was anything new in it.
Times story link. ACNS has now published Clarifications regarding the front page article in The Times, 19 February 2007, on Anglican – Roman Catholic relations.
TA will report separately on this whole story after the Tanzanian meeting is over.
Update
Ruth Gledhill has some hot news here:
23 Comments…Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has been elected onto the all-important policy-making Standing Committee…
George Conger reports in the Living Church Divisions Remain as Deadline for Communique Approaches.
Jonathan Petre in the Daily Telegraph thinks Anglican Church on verge of schism.
The New York Times has Archbishop of Canterbury Appears to Chide Faction of Anglicans by Sharon LaFraniere.
The Times has a leader titled Bitter Fudge.
The video of the press conference on Saturday evening is now available here.
The full text of Sunday’s sermon in Zanzibar is now online at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.
21 CommentsUpdated Sunday evening
Reports of the service in Zanzibar:
Associated Press Elizabeth A Kennedy Anglican Leader Encourages Humility
Reuters Katie Nguyen Anglican head calls for humility in gay clergy row
There are some Associated Press pictures here.
The Bishop of Maryland has reacted to the boycott of Thursday with this letter to one of the participants. As Raspberry Rabbit says, he has done a Scott-Joynt.
Scott Gunn has blogged: Sunday: Akinola missed out and now has pictures here.
ENS has filed In Zanzibar, Anglican Primates join in repentance at former slave market.
28 CommentsGeoffrey Rowell wrote in Saturday’s edition of The Times that As we outlaw discrimination so we need discernment.
Christopher Howse wrote in the Telegraph on Saturday about liturgical language: Like, see what I’m praying?
Today, the Observer has a review by Rebecca Seal of American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America (earlier review here).
Last week in the Church Times Njongonkulu Ndungane wrote about Why Anglicans must hold together.
2 CommentsThe BBC radio programme Sunday carries two reports from Tanzania by Trevor Barnes, the first one is at the start of the programme and lasts about 7 minutes. URL for this one here.
The second one starts 26 minutes into the programme and lasts about 6 minutes. URL for this one.
1 CommentUpdated
George Conger’s next report for the Living Church was Inside the ‘Ring of Steel,’ Primates Under Intense Pressure to Reach Agreement.
Episcopal News Service has Millennium Development Goals, theological education addressed by Primates and also In Tanzania, Carpenter’s Kids transforms AIDS orphans’ lives.
Changing Attitude had Report from the White Sands Hotel, Dar Es Salaam – Late night extra.
Andrew Goddard on behalf of the Anglican Communion Institute has analysed the Report of the Communion Sub-Group.
Press Conference notes for Saturday are here.
Updated Sunday midday
Latest Associated Press report: Anglican leaders in Zanzibar for Holy Eucharist as row over homosexuality threatens to fracture Anglican Communion.
Reports from the Anglican Church of Canada
The Primates: Moving to a more serious level and Primates’ Meeting: Talks take a turn by Paul Feheley
Dave Walker has a comprehensive view of the entire event so far at The Primates Meeting.
Jonathan Petre has blogged again, see Reeling on the ropes.
The Living Church has filed Amid Lowered Tensions, Primates Review Draft Covenant by George Conger. He notes:
At the 2005 meeting in Northern Ireland, 14 primates declined to receive the Eucharist with Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold. In Dar es Salaam, the formerly recusant primates of the West Indies, Pakistan, Central Africa, Congo and Tanzania received with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, as did the new primate of the Indian Ocean. The primate of Sudan, who in 2005 did not receive, is absent from Dar es Salaam. Two primates who arrived late to the meeting, representing the Philippines and Myanmar, were not present for the controversy.
Different times, circumstances and people prompted this change, one Global South leader noted, adding however that the resumption of eucharistic fellowship by some did not represent a relaxation of opprobrium for the actions of The Episcopal Church.
Episcopal News Service has filed two reports by Matthew Davies
Seven ‘Global South’ Primates refuse to share Holy Communion
Primates discuss Covenant, Listening Process; continue Windsor consideration
Anglican Journal has 7 conservative primates refuse to take communion with fellow leaders
Global South Anglican has published A Confused Report: Initial comments on the Communion Sub-group Report by Michael Poon.
titusonenine has published In Defense of Rowan Williams: An Alternative Explanation for the Infamous Gang of Four Committee Report by Craig Uffman.
Scott Gunn has two blog entries: It’s all a numbers game? and Friday — reflections on the day. And there are additional pictures here.
Caro Hall has more blog reflections here.
Tobias Haller has this to say.
Late addition: BBC Setback for Church conservatives should have been included here also.
8 CommentsGiles Fraser foresaw this event when he wrote his column published in today’s Church Times entitled Wormwood with the Primates:
Allow them to do our work for us. The fact that they won’t take communion together is a cracking start.
Jan Nunley has the scriptural context for the quotation used in the press release at Global South Seven refuse Eucharist. She also has this picture of Archbishop Akinola fending off the press.
As Jim Naughton notes this is less of a big deal than the last time, but the Associated Press wasn’t on hand for that.
According to Stephen Bates in the paperback edition of his book, fourteen refused to communicate at Dromantine:
Footnote 22 on page 319:
The following primates are understood to have declined to take Communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury: West Indies, Southern Cone, Pakistan, Uganda, Nigeria, Central Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Congo, Tanzania, West Africa, Indian Ocean, South East Asia, Sudan.
Jim Naughton has some information to report relating to Drexel Gomez’s view on this.
George Conger has a report for the Living Church about what happened: Communion Broken, Says Global South:
News of the broken communion arose at an impromptu press briefing at 1:30 p.m., given by Canon James Rosenthal, director of communications for the Anglican Consultative Council. Canon Rosenthal said that some of the Global South primates had attended the corporate Eucharist that day, the first of the conference.
This followed a press chase of Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria shortly after the primates’ broke for lunch and worship. Dressed in mufti, Archbishop Akinola was spotted by reporters lounging in the lobby on the second floor of the White Sands Hotel, site of the conference.
As Archbishop Akinola descended the stairs, with a sheet of papers and file folders in his hand, a paparazzi frenzy began as photographers, reporters and television cameras descended upon the Nigerian church leader.
As questions were shouted at him, Archbishop Akinola responded “no comment” and placed his files in front of his face and began running back toward the “ring of steel,” the security cordon surrounding the primates’ section of the hotel.
Pursued by reporters including one clad in a bathing suit and towel, the archbishop made good his escape.
Later in the afternoon, taking a side route, Archbishop Akinola returned to the office and was closeted with the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, Bishop of the Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America. A press briefing by Bishop Minns is expected later.
Here is an earlier report by Scott Gunn and another report by Colin Coward.
Peter Ould has some notes again from today’s press briefing.
Ruth Gledhill has blogged about it: Communion broken in Dar es Salaam.
The Associated Press story is evolving, here is the latest version as of now: U.S. Anglican Leader Met With Boycott.
3 CommentsThe following statement has been released via the website of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
SITTING AT THE LORD’S TABLE:
Statement from Global South Primates – This line has now been changed to read: Primates explain absence at Holy Eucharist
A number of the Global South Primates have not shared in the Holy Eucharist today with their fellow primates. They include Abp. Peter Akinola, Abp John Chew, Abp. Benjamin Nzimbi, Abp Justice Akrofi, Abp. Henry Orombi, Abp. Gregory Venables, and Abp. Emmanuel Kolini. They represent more than 30 million faithful Anglicans. They have released this statement:
“We each take the celebration of the Holy Eucharist very seriously. This deliberate action is a poignant reminder of the brokenness of the Anglican Communion. It makes clear that the torn fabric of the Church has been torn further. It is a consequence of the decision taken by our provinces to declare that our relationship with The Episcopal Church is either broken or severely impaired.
Scripture teaches that before coming to sit with one another at the Lord’s Table we must be reconciled. (Matthew 5:23-26 and 1 Corinthians 11:27-29) We have made repeated calls for repentance by The Episcopal Church and its leadership with no success. We continue to pray for a change of heart.
We are unable to come to the Holy Table with the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church because to do so would be a violation of Scriptural teaching and the traditional Anglican understanding, “Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; Draw near with faith” (Book of Common Prayer)
This is a painful decision for us and also for our host and brother, the Most Rev’d Donald Mtetemela. He understands our painful dilemma and accepts our decision. Pray for the Church.”
Friday, February 16, 2007
White Sands Hotel, Jangwani Beach, Tanzania
Anglican TV has posted videos of the press conferences held in Tanzania:
These videos are each 30 minutes in length.
4 CommentsEarlier, Andrew Brown had written I’m glad I’m not the Holy Ghost. Julie Pain produced this illustration to match.
Matt Kennedy on Stand Firm has written Response to and Refutation of the Wholly Inadequate Communion Sub-Group Report.
Anglican Centrist wrote Anglican Centrist – Evening Analysis Revised.
Kendall Harmon responded to this as follows:
The reason why the report makes schism more likely is because the report is not true and there is no real reconciliation and communion without truth. Heaven knows I don’t want schism, but now the atmosphere is even more clouded going into tomorrow because people did not do their homework. It is not the first time in Anglican history that a poor report has been given and it will not be the last. This situation is still redeemable, but the brink, is, alas, closer. One still watches, hopes and prays–KSH.
And Kendall also asked another question here.
Over at Global South Anglican Terry Wong also has some links, and adds his own comments too.
Jim Naughton has his analysis here.
Dan Martins has A Glass Half Full.
Mark Harris thinks that Dan Martins & Kendall Harmon give us reason to be vigilant.
GetReligion has this analysis.
And here is some background to the new Episcopal church blog, EpiScope.
14 CommentsGuardian Stephen Bates Anglican leaders avoid church split over homosexuals.
Daily Telegraph Jonathan Petre Primates consider ‘parallel’ Church.
New York Times Sharon LaFraniere and Laurie Goodstein A Move to Heal Anglican Rift, but Short of Conservatives’ Goal.
Los Angeles Times Morris Mwavizo and Rebecca Trounson ‘No talk of schism’ at Anglican conference and this editorial: Anglican angst.
Associated Press Elizabeth A Kennedy Anglican Leaders Discuss Stance on Gays
Reuters Katie Nguyen Anglican summit scrutinises US stance on gay clergy (updated version, adds quotes, details)
The Church Times (press deadline Wednesday afternoon) has this report from Pat Ashworth Tale of two hotels: archbishops assemble along with lobbyists near Dar es Salaam.
The Times paper edition has only a nib here.
Changing Attitude Day 4 report from Colin Coward.
3 CommentsUpdated again
Jonathan Petre has blogged Another bloody day in Paradise.
Steve Bates has blogged too, Crossing the divide.
Ruth Gledhill has blogged TEC ‘regret’ ok, says Gang of Four.
ACNS has published some Photographs.
Scott Gunn has blogged Evening press briefing: actual news, sort of. He has also posted this reflection, and there are Photos here. Caro Hall’s blog is here.
Peter Ould has blogged someone’s press conference notes here.
Over at Stand Firm Greg Griffith is extremely unhappy with the latest report. It is a falsehood perpetrated on the communion.
Andrew Hutchinson Primate of Canada, blogs here.
The American Anglican Council is not happy: A Statement by the American Anglican Council on the Communion Sub-Group Report.
George Conger has this report for the Living Church: Cordial Day of Listening Marks Opening Sessions in Tanzania.
ENS’ Matthew Davies has Primates engage in ‘intense listening,’ discuss Windsor response.
Reuters Katie Nguyen Anglican summit scrutinizes U.S. stance on gay clergy.
George Conger also wrote this piece for the Church of England Newspaper: Archbishop backs place for Schori.
Anglican Journal has Primates’ meeting begins with all at the table.
24 Comments