The Rev. Mark Harris “translates” Akinola’s recent letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury into plain-folk language, and includes commentary on how he arrived at his succinct version:
I think the Archbishop of Nigeria could have been clearer and shorter in his response. Here is a much shortened rewrite of the full version of his letter, which can be found HERE:
Dear Rowan:
I read your letter. It came too late, the deed was done before I read it. No matter, it was always too late. Those TEC people have dishonoured the Lord’s name and they will not retract. CANA is here to stay. There are people to save, bishops to elect and a plan already in place for province to replace The Episcopal Church. Bishop Minns, and CANA established, are just the first steps in this process. But you knew that.
In Christ,
Peter.
Harris’ article does a good job of unpacking the challenges in Akinola’s letter, not the least of which being that CANA seems comfortable asserting that they will not negotiate with the Episcopal Church:
…the offer is to turn CANA, this gift for the Communion, over to the Communion. What this means, who knows, but we might do well to consider the relational terms here: surrender is contingent on the conditions that prompted the divisions being overturned. … The wording may not be completely clear, but the intention is: no negotiations with The Episcopal Church at all, they must either overturn their prior decisions or have them overturned. At that point CANA will be surrendered to the Communion. But of course the Archbishop does not think this will happen.
Read the whole thing at Preludium.