Updated Sunday morning and again Sunday evening
A huge conference of conservative Anglicans has been happening in Pittsburgh. See the conference site, the diocesan site, and the Network site.
For press reports of the event, see
New York Times Conservative Episcopalians Warn Church That It Must Change Course or Face Split
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Anglicans urge disgruntled Episcopalians to join them
Associated Press via the Washington Post Anglican Bishops Urge U.S. Church Split
Washington Times Episcopal Church’s rift has asset edge and U.S. Anglicans called to ‘repent’
PBS Anglican Communion Network Meeting (this transcript links to a video report which includes quotes from many senior figures at the conference, well worth watching)
Religion News Service Episcopal Liberals Plan for Division
Update Sunday morning
Later press reports contain important developments:
Washington Times Bolivian ordains Anglican clerics
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Priest, deacons ordained to serve Episcopal splitoffs
and Pittsburgh bishop expects an effort to oust him
Update Sunday evening
Three Global South primates (Drexel Gomez,Datuk Yong Ping Chung, Emmanuel Kolini) held a press conference, and there is a 33 minute video of this (.wmv format) which can be viewed here. The sound is not very good, but it is worth persevering – a better version is promised to replace it soon
Also, another 11 minute video of the Bishop of Pittsburgh summarising the conference here.
(hat tip KH).
First, the Face to Faith column in the Guardian is by Martyn Percy. It’s about Remembrance.
In the Telegraph Christopher Howse writes about a well-known hymn in Hashish-drunk hymn lyrics.
The Times has Jonathan Sacks commenting on the French riots in We are in danger of forgetting that waiting comes before wanting.
Also in The Times Ruth Gledhill reports on what Rowan Williams said when asked about his journey of faith, in Archbishop reveals his unorthodox way to God.
Giles Fraser wrote in the Church Times that we should Beware the Bible traffic Wardens.
3 CommentsSeveral resolutions from the recent Reform conference bear on the latest events in Southwark:
Encouragement of Principled Irregular Action
1. This conference acknowledges that the crisis facing the Anglican Communion is to be found in the Church of England as acutely as in ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada.(see para. 1 & 4 of ‘Reform in Every Diocese’)
2. This conference instructs the Council of Reform to encourage, help, and further partnership and action at the local level in accordance with the ‘Reform in Every Diocese’ paper.
The Formation of a Panel of Reference
1. The Council of Reform remains resolved to promote and support, wherever possible, the existing structures for selection and training of ordinands and others within the Church of England.
2. This conference see the Panel of Reference as set out in the paper as a positive step in encouraging new ordinands for the Church of God and instructs the Council to further the proposals.
3. This conference invites the Council to finalise the Selection Criteria for Ministry in the light of the conference discussion. 4. This conference asks the members of the Panel of Reference to be appointed in the light of the categories of people mentioned above.
Alternative Episcopal Oversight
In response to the ‘Panel of Reference’ and ‘Reform in Every Diocese’ paper this conference invites the Council to consider establishing an effective route to recognizably Anglican Ordination for ordinands who are in an impaired relationship with their Diocesan Bishop.
Support for Co-Mission Initiative Churches
This conference expresses its full support or those involved in seeking to provide ordained ministry in accordance with the Anglican tradition in Co-Mission Initiative churches.
The latest Reform press release is titled ‘OUTRAGEOUS BISHOPS’ STATEMENT ON CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS MUST NOW PROVOKE ACTION’ SAYS REFORM. If you scroll down, you will also find the resolution on this topic from the recently concluded 2005 conference of this organisation. I reproduce both the press release and the resolution text below the fold.
There is also another document, also available from either Church Society or Anglican Mainstream, written by John Richardson and in PDF format. It is titled The Church of England, Civil Partnerships and the House of Bishops.
And a further document from Reform is Key Issues Arising for from the Civil Partnerships Act September 2005 by Charles Raven (remember him?)
3 CommentsThe Church Times today carries an article headlined General Synod faces unpredictable future which is accompanied by a detailed review of the election results, diocese by diocese (scroll down for this).
0 CommentsThis week, there is an interview with Gene Robinson by Pat Ashworth and also a report of the St Martin-in-the-Fields service by Rachel Harden. Both of these items are found in ‘I can’t be unmade a bishop,’ says Robinson (scroll down for the news report)
Last week, there was a back page interview with Rachel Harden which you can now read on the web.
0 Commentsupdated Sunday evening
A new blog site has appeared which contains many documents emanating from the recent meeting in Egypt (more precisely at Ein El Sukhna on 25-30 October 2005): Global South Anglican
These include:
A full transcript of all the Questions and Answers put to and answered by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Additional Comment: this transcript now appears to have been mysteriously truncated.
Other items not available elsewhere include sermons or presentations by several archbishops:
Peter Akinola,
Datuk Yong Ping Chung, and
Drexel Gomez.
Update
Ruth Gledhill had some comments on all this last Friday, which you can read here
Updated Friday morning
The Church of England Newspaper carries this report by Andrew Carey
Southwark minister stripped of licence after irregular ordination
and this article, by no less a person than Richard Coekin himself, is entitled
No option but to ordain
In the Church Times Pat Ashworth reports Dr Butler blasts irregular ordinations
and there is editorial comment:
The perils of Surbiton
The University Sermon at Oxford on 6 November 2005 was preached in the University Church of St. Mary by The Reverend Canon Marilyn McCord Adams, Regius Professor of Divinity.
It was titled: A serious call to a devout and holy life.
The full text of this sermon can be found as a Word file, here.
Or alternatively as an ordinary web page here.
14 CommentsUpdate Wednesday
Ruth Gledhill has more about this on her blog at Southwark acts against unorthodox ordinations.
Unauthorised Service at Christ Church Surbiton
Press Release from Southwark Diocese
The Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Dr Tom Butler, has written to the clergy in his Diocese explaining why he has revoked the licence of the Revd Richard Coekin. This follows the unauthorised ordination of three members of Mr Coekin’s staff team which took place at Christ Church Surbiton on November 2nd. Writing “We do not do schism in the Diocese of Southwark” the Bishop points to Church tradition and law that bishops from outside the Diocese have no authority to perform ordinations within it without the express permission of the Diocesan Bishop.
The case was made more complicated by the bishop concerned being a bishop from the Church of England in South Africa, a church not in communion with the Church of England nor a member of the Anglican Communion
Mr Coekin had earlier threatened to take action of this sort unless the Bishop of Southwark dissociated himself from the House of Bishops’ Pastoral Statement on Civil Partnerships.
As well as revoking Mr Coekin’s licence the Bishop of Southwark made it clear that the three people involved in the unauthorised ordination, Andy Fenton, Richard Perkins, and Loots Lambrechts have no legal authority to claim to exercise ordained ministry in the Church of England in the Diocese of Southwark.
Ends
The full text of the bishop’s letter appears below the fold.
54 CommentsLast Saturday there was this piece on the Today radio programme, which I missed at the time (hat tip AM)
58 CommentsA church in London has had three of its priests ordained by a foreign bishop, in protest at the Church of England’s stance on homosexual relationships. We hear from the church’s minister, Reverend Richard Coekin, and the Rt Reverend John Gladwin, the Bishop of Chelmsford.
Two items from the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme today.
Changing Attitude
The Anglican Campaign group Changing Attitude is celebrating its tenth anniversary this weekend. …the Anglican Communion’s first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, accepted an invitation to fly to the UK and join the birthday celebrations. He was speaking at St Martin in the Fields church in London yesterday, November 5th.
Listen here (7 minutes) Includes interview with Gene Robinson and also one with Davis Mac-Iyalla in Nigeria.
See also this BBC news report, Gay bishop attacks Catholic stand
Uganda
The Church of England and indeed the whole of the Anglican Communion is in an edgy, some would say fractious, mood over issues such as homosexuality, the authority of scripture and whether the communion can hold together in its present form. Against that background two events this week have led some to fear that a break up is already starting here in the English church…
Listen (6 minutes) An interview with Pete Broadbent.
1 CommentSeveral this weekend are about the 400th anniversary of the gunpowder plot. In the Guardian Catherine Pepinster (who is editor of The Tablet) wrote about this and in The Times Geoffrey Rowell wrote Remember, remember the legacy of suspicion, intolerance and hostility.
Christopher Howse however, wrote about The vision of Magnus Martyr.
In The Tablet *Michael Barnes continues the gunpowder theme with Terror, treason and plot and there are also book reviews. related to this.
Giles Fraser in the Church Times asks Is Sandy Millar a Trojan horse?
The gunpowder theme even extends to Peter Steinfels in the New York Times with A Day to Think About a Case of Faith-Based Terrorism. (hat tip KH)
18 CommentsPat Ashworth has this lengthy report today, Divisions dominate Global South conclave. There is a related editorial comment Sinners A & M.
28 CommentsUpdated
There are several stories about the irregular ordinations that took place in South London this week.
Ruth Gledhill in The Times has Church imports bishop to be tough enough on gays
Jonathan Petre in the Telegraph has Evangelicals defy bishop by holding ‘irregular’ ordinations and it gets covered in the Guardian story on Robinson already linked which has a strapline ‘Rogue’ ordinations escalate church crisis.
As background to this, see these statements:
Reform EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IMPORT AFRICAN BISHOP FOR ORDINATION
the co-mission initiative NEWS OF ALTERNATIVE ORDINATION which has a list of signatures of persons supporting this action, including several well-known names, and a link to a press release in Word format. The full text of the latter is reproduced here, below the fold to make it more easily available.
Anglican Church League Sydney The Anglican Church League, Sydney, expresses unqualified support for London ordinations
Further press coverage:
Reuters UK group imports African bishop in gay clergy row
Ekklesia Conservatives by-pass bishop over ordinations
Updated Friday morning
Both Lambeth Palace and the Anglican Communion Office issued press releases about this. The differences were in the headlines used:
Lambeth Palace Archbishop – ‘friendly but candid’ meeting with Bishop Gene Robinson
ACNS Archbishop Williams meets with Bishop Robinson
The press reported on this quite quickly:
Reuters Williams has “candid” talks with gay U.S. bishop
Associated Press Archbishop of Canterbury meets with Robinson
Times Online website Ruth Gledhill Rowan Williams has ‘candid’ meeting with gay US bishop
And Ruth has much more to say in her blog: Archbishop meets Gene Robinson
Friday morning
The paper edition of The Times has this version of the above: Archbishop meets US figure at heart of row
Independent Robert Verkaik Archbishop meets cleric who set off gay clergy row
Guardian Stephen Bates (who actually talked to the bishop) has Gay US bishop in ‘candid’ talks with Archbishop of Canterbury
Jonathan Petre in the Telegraph mentions it but gives priority to the Southwark ordination story (of which more anon) in Evangelicals defy bishop by holding ‘irregular’ ordinations
The BBC, coming late to the party (having previously focused on the Oxford Union), notes that Gay bishop meets head of Church
The BBC Today radio programme carried an interview with Gene Robinson in its prime 8.10 am slot and also had this earlier brief report (Real Audio required)
Update
Associated Press Bishop Predicts Acceptance Of Gays
BBC Bishop’s battle ‘for soul of church’ by Robert Pigott
The Church of England Newspaper website is already updated this week, and has:
Global South holds back from action against liberal provinces by George Conger and Andrew Carey
Archbishop appeals for unity in Egypt by Andrew Carey
And also, an analysis: Communiques message delivers a blow to West by Andrew Carey
3 CommentsACNS has published an interview with Archbishop Peter Carnley entitled The Panel of Reference – An Update.
In this interview he draws attention to the Panel web pages on the same site. Here’s an extract from the interview:
…I understand from the Chief of Staff at Lambeth Palace that at the moment there are a number of cases that have been drawn to the attention of the Archbishop, and those involved have been invited to collate the material necessary in order to enable the Panel to begin its work. So in fact the first formal referrals are only just coming through.
Can I emphasise the Panel is totally committed to acting with despatch on these issues. There are very substantial reasons why the work of the Panel has taken time, but we should see some positive action very shortly.
There have been several high profile appeals to the Panel, notably the Diocese of Recife in Brazil, and the Diocese of Fort Worth in the United States. Have you any comment to make on these?
Well, I’m aware of both the serious situation of dispute in Brazil and of the appeal of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. I understand that the Archbishop of Canterbury is talking with all parties to find the best way forward in Recife. The Panel itself recommends that every effort should be made for a pastoral intervention and reconciliation rather than the sort of formal process that reference to the Panel involves. The material requested in support of the application from Fort Worth has recently been sent on to the Panel’s Secretariat from Lambeth Palace, and we are beginning to process that now.
In a further press release, ACO announces that:
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon, has appointed the Revd Canon Philip Groves as the facilitator of the “Listening Process” for the Communion.
See the full press release about Philip Groves here. For TA’s earlier report on the recruitment process for this position, see here: ACO advertises for unaligned listener.
1 CommentThe Times Ruth Gledhill Williams apologises to ‘cultural captives’
Telegraph Jonathan Petre Church faces crisis over gay policies
Guardian Stephen Bates and Mark Honigsbaum Anglican traditionalists warn church on gay rights
Another press report, not British, is in Christianity Today and is by Timothy C. Morgan Anglicans ‘Severely Wounded’. This contains more information not reported elsewhere.
And also there is this press release from the Province of Nigeria: GLOBAL SOUTH ANGLICAN CHURCHES COME OF AGE
37 CommentsPress release from Lambeth Palace
For immediate use
31st October 2005
Archbishop – church’s hope ‘only in Christ’
The Archbishop of Canterbury has told Anglican Church leaders from the Global South that the only ground for unity in the church ‘is to be found in Christ’. Speaking at the 3rd Anglican Global South to South Encounter meeting at Ain al Sukhna, some 80 miles south of Cairo, Dr Williams said that the church had to be focussed on Christ:
“The church is one because Jesus Christ is one; the church is holy because Jesus Christ is holy; the church is catholic because Jesus Christ is the saviour of all; the church is apostolic because as the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends us. In other words, if we are to understand the nature of the church at all, we are to understand who Jesus Christ is and what he does.”
“Someone said recently that the path to heaven doesn’t lie necessarily through Lambeth. I agree. The path to heaven lies solely through Jesus Christ our Saviour and the unity he gives and the only use and integrity of our instruments of unity comes when they serve that.”
“Now I don’t suggest that we can forget the practical questions that are laid upon us at the moment in our Anglican fellowship. But I do say that we shall never begin to answer them adequately unless our eyes, our minds and our hearts are with Jesus, are where Jesus is.”
The Archbishop said that one of the greatest challenges faced by Anglicans was the development of authentically local voices in liturgy.
“In all sorts of ways the church over the centuries has lent itself to the error, indeed the sin of trying to make cultural captives, whether it is the mass export of Hymns Ancient and Modern to the remote parts of the mission field … the shadow of the British Empire that hangs over our own Communion or the export of American values and styles to the whole world; we are in a real difficulty here…. The question comes back again and again; ‘How do we encourage people to write liturgy, to write prayer books, to write Eucharistic prayers, in their own language with the rhythm, the association and resonance that your own language has for you and no other has.”
He said that the church had to find its holiness ‘under the cross’; where people were in need of healing:
“… our holiness takes us where Jesus goes; our holiness takes us to those Jesus died for; it takes us into the neighbourhood of those who are forgotten, who have no voice, those who need healing and forgiveness. It takes us into very strange places indeed and the holy person, as we all know, is often found in very odd company.”
Following the lecture, Dr Williams answered questions from the conference on a number of areas.
On sexuality, he affirmed that the church had not been persuaded of the acceptability of same sex unions. These questions, though, would not go away.
“Theologians will go on discussing this and it will not be possible to stop them. For nearly a century, in the 4th century in this country of Egypt, the conflict over the Trinity raged between theologians and bishops and was not resolved overnight. I distinguish as clearly as I can a question a theologian may ask and an action or determination a church may take or a bishop may take. I think this is a necessary distinction for the life and health of the church. It would be a tragedy if the church sought to suppress questions; it is equally a tragedy when the church seeks to create facts on the ground that foreclose discussion and reflection on such questions.”
On the question of authority within the Anglican Communion, he said that he had no desire to assume further powers:
“Since I do not have canonical power outside my own province, my freedom is limited. I say it as a matter of actual fact; I do not have authority over the canons and constitutions of another province… I don’t want to be a kind of pope, solving the problems of every province.
“For me, the prospect of an Anglican ‘covenant’ or a convergent system of canon law is the best hope that we have. That being said, many provinces as we know, are wedded to the idea of an absolute constitutional independence.”
On the Windsor Report, he said that it was too early to come to a judgement as to whether or not the responses of ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada satisfied the terms of the report:
“I don’t think we could say that they have satisfied in a simple and direct way what Windsor asked because that process is still continuing and will continue. Archbishop Eames gave an optimistic reading of this; I’m waiting to see.”
On the status of the networks of dissenting parishes in the United States and Canada, he said that he was happy to recognise them as part of the Anglican Communion.
“There is no doubt in my mind that these networks are full members of the Anglican Communion; that is to say that their bishops, their clergy and their people are involved with the Communion which I share with them, which we all share with them. Now formal ecclesial recognition of a network, as if it were a province, is not so simply in my hands or the hands of any individual. But I do want to say quite simply yes of course; these are part of our Anglican fellowship and I welcome that.”
The Archbishop’s full text is here.
ENDS