Stories, comments and blogs across the Anglican world in the wake of the letter from Secretary General Kenneth Kearon on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Many seem to ask the question – how did the ABC decide he could unilaterally dis-invite members of The Episcopal Church (TEC) from ecumenical commissions? The Lead’s answer is here.
From Martin Reynolds commenting at Thinking Anglicans:
There is a significant shift here, Kearon and the ACO has been resisting the Lambeth machine on all fronts. Lambeth had made a failed takeover of the ACO and Kearon and his staff were much more concerned to see a better balance in the pursuit of intruding provinces. There seems to have been something of a capitulation ………
Posted by: Martin Reynolds on Tuesday, 8 June 2010 at 12:49am BST
Other discussion at Thinking Anglicans here.
ENS reports who is affected:
Episcopal Church members who were serving on the Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue are the Rev. Thomas Ferguson, the Episcopal Church’s interim deputy for ecumenical and interreligious relations, and Assistant Bishop William Gregg of North Carolina.
Bishop C. Franklin Brookhart of Montana had been a member of the Anglican-Methodist International Commission for Unity in Mission and the Very Rev. William H. Petersen, professor of ecclesiastical and ecumenical history of Bexley Hall, Columbus, was serving on the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission. The Rev. Carola von Wrangel, rector of Christ-the-King in Frankfurt, Germany, a parish in the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, had served on the Anglican-Old Catholic International Coordinating Council.
The Rev. Katherine Grieb, an Episcopal priest and professor of New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary, was the IASCUFO member who has been invited to serve as a consultant.
Mark Harris at Preludium wonders if all this could be because we have a woman as our Presiding Bishop?
What is going on that The Episcopal Church is especially chosen for action? It’s not about gay and lesbian persons – if so why not Canada and England? It’s not about infractions or incursions in dioceses not one’s own, if so why not Rwanda (in particular) and the usual suspects? What is it about? Maybe it is about women.
Read it all.
From the Pluralist Speaks:
It is time, now that Rowan Williams has acted to exclude, to take action. The Episcopal Church, as the most affected, can take the lead. After all, Fred Hiltz is waiting. First, TEC should emphasise the importance of its network of links with other Churches formally and informally. Secondly, it should remove itself from all these central bureaucratic bodies and at the same time to stop funding them, and divert the funds to the informal links (that are better targeted and more productive anyway). The action should be taken until the policy of Rowan Williams is ended and, better still, perhaps along with it, until he is gone.
Surely there are people who can go to Rowan Williams and say that, now, because of what he has done, Primates are in open disagreement directly with him, that his policy is over-reaching beyond his proper authority, and that he should step down before the Anglican Communion is wrecked under his worst of leadership.
Saintly Ramblings in the CoE writes:
The Church of England into which God called me to exercise my ministry has all but disappeared. By stealth it is being transformed into a body governed by legalism and presided over by someone who seems to want to become an Anglican Pope. Our present Archbishop is as far removed from the gentle days of Ramsey or the Evangelical fervour of Coggan as chalk is from cheese. It seems that Williams is willing to sacrifice his own declared principles of inclusivity for the nebulous goal of holding together the Anglican Communion. The result is that far from creating unity, this disinvitation to members “offending” against the advisory Windsor Report simply hastens the dissolution of the Communion. How can one have dialogue with those of a differing viewpoint if you refuse to sit down and speak with them?
Eminence Grise writing from the Canadian General Synod, being held in Halifax, at Dogs at the Table:
The morning was curious. After our morning devotions and bible study, there was a presentation by a group called Fresh Expressions who challenged us to think about how the church will minister to a changing community, demographic and institution. This was followed by a gracious address by Kenneth Kearon, the General Secretary of the Anglican Communion. He noted that the Anglican Communion is who we are and not some etherial “other” kind of church. Sadly, although unbeknownst to the delegates at the time, his words were followed by brutally blunt actions as outlined in a letter from his office:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2010/6/7/ACNS4707
My response to his question, is, “wait and see.”
I may raise a point of privilege in the morning. I am offended that the governing secretary of the Anglican Communion would presume these actions before we have finished meeting. Kearon is not getting a beer from me.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori spoke to the Church of Canada this morning. She was warmly received and the Archbishop of Canada Fred Hiltz assured her of the love and prayers for TEC. Jefferts Schori’s remarks recounted the shared history of TEC and the ACoC as well as emphasizing the common commitment to mission growing and increasing from the use of the Baptismal Covenant in both churches.
Some video of the General Synod and Kearon’s remarks here.