Posted on 03/11/2004 10:39:55 AM PST by ahadams2
As some of you probably remember, back on February 17th, the statement of the Anglican Primates of the Congo, Central Africa, Rwanda, and South East Asia released a statement saying that they would provide alternative oversight to conservative Anglican parishes in Canada who had requested it. The statement read as follows:
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FOUR PRIMATES STATEMENT: An Offer of Temporary Adequate Episcopal Oversight
WHEREAS, a crisis of faith and leadership has been created in the Diocese of New Westminster by the passing of a motion to bless same-sex unions, and the actual performance of the same in a church with the authorization of Bishop Michael Ingham; and
WHEREAS, a special October 2003 meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion called upon the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada to provide “temporary adequate episcopal oversight” to those churches and clergy who, because of their refusal to accept the revisionist direction of the diocese, are now in a state of broken communion; and
WHEREAS, said episcopal oversight was to have been offered in consultation with the global Primates through the Archbishop of Canterbury; and
WHEREAS, to date no such episcopal oversight has been offered, but instead church members have been lost, leadership has been threatened, and churches have been closed and their standing threatened; and
WHEREAS, the clergy and congregations of New Westminster cannot be left to fend for themselves while the task force of the Canadian House of Bishops and the Commission appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury are doing their work.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the undersigned Primates of the Provinces of Congo, Central Africa, Rwanda and South East Asia hereby jointly offer temporary adequate episcopal oversight to the clergy and congregations of New Westminster, and to other Canadian clergy and congregations who seek such covering, on the following basis:
1 The temporary adequate episcopal oversight, as contemplated by the Primates Meeting of October 2003, will be offered in consultation with the Primates and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
2. The Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung has been requested and will serve as Chairman of the sponsoring group of Primates.
3 The Rt. Rev. Thomas Johnston, with the support of the administrative resources of the Anglican Mission in America, will coordinate the provision of this oversight on behalf of the undersigned.
4 Representatives of the Canadian clergy and congregations seeking oversight will meet with Archbishop Yong and/or Bishop Johnston to work out the administrative details of this offer.
TRUSTING IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, the undersigned present this offer of temporary adequate episcopal oversight to the faithful Canadian Anglican clergy and congregations.
Signed by the Primates
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You may also remember that the apostate Canadian primate Michael Peers has hooted and waved his arms in protest at every reporter who would talk to him, even making unspecified threats toward any Canadian Anglican priests who dared to accept the offer.
Well it turns out that the Alternate oversight visits will begin this Sunday, and will be accomplished by AMIA Missionary Bishop T. J. Johnston, just as the primates' statement said would happen. What that means is that these four primates (Central Africa and the Congo were NOT originally supportive of AMIA) recognize Bp Johnston as a legitimate Anglican bishop as opposed to the heretical and apostate leadership of some portions of the Anglican Church of Canada.
In other words folks, that cracking sound you've been hearing just got a little bit louder.
Indeed it did. I have to say that I'm a bit ambivalent about this action, because I distrust the AMiA's goals and tactics, but it does tend to force Rowan Williams's hand in a number of important respects.
Consider: if Williams says or does nothing, then it indicates his acquiescence on the idea of alternative oversight from other provinces, and the structure of the Communion is thereby forever changed.
If Williams does say or do something against the AMiA, then in so doing he has assumed a "leadership role" in the Communion -- which raises the obvious question of why his "leadership" is not being extended to the obviously schismatic actions of Canada and the ECUSA. For Williams to condemn the AMiA, while not condemning Ingham's (and the ECUSA's) schismatic actions that led up to the AMiA's actions, spells the end of the Communion.
Williams's only way out of this particular mess is to make an unambiguous statement, and to take unambiguous action, against the Ingham and the Canadian Church, and against the AMiA. Which implies, obviously, that he must do the same with respect to the ECUSA.
And if he does that, then it places ECUSA and Canada in the position of being kicked out of the Communion unless and until they repent and change.
In addition to Williams, it puts additional pressure on the Eames commission, which clearly must deal with the issue of discipline within the Communion -- both for the AMiA, and again with provinces like Canada or the ECUSA.
BUMP!
In the meantime you have my most sincere prayers.
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