The Rt Revd James Tengatenga, ACC chairman, affirmed the “right and responsibility” of Episcopal Church delegates to vote at the next ACC meeting. This directly contradicts the Primates’ request that TEC not represent the Anglican Communion in global issues. The request was made in January at an unofficial gathering, but it was worded in a way that caused confusion and made many think that TEC was officially barred.
The ACC is the most representative of the four instruments of Communion in the Anglican Communion, and the only body with a constitution and bylaws; the stated goal of the group is to facilitate the co-operative work of the churches of the Communion. TEC leaders and others noted that the Primates did not have any official authority or capacity to deny TEC from fulfilling their official role in the ACC.
Madeleine Davis, writing for Church Times, notes that all three Episcopal Church delegates have confirmed their full attendance at the upcoming meeting in Lusaka, capital of Zambia.
From the article:
The Primates had “spiritual and pastoral significance, and not constitutional authority”, the Bishop of Connecticut, Dr Ian Douglas, said this week. Both the President of the House of Deputies, the Revd Gay Clark Jennings, and the lay representative, Rosalie Simmonds Ballentine, also confirmed their intention to participate fully.
The Rt Revd Stanley Ntagali, Archbishop of Uganda, has announced that he will not attend the meeting following the news, which he described as a ‘betrayal’.
Why do you think so many media outlets and others mis-stated the earlier announcement as being an official bar or sanction for TEC? Do you think that this meeting will smooth over ruffles and disagreements between the various churches?
The Episcopal Church delegates from 2012 include two of the 2016 delegates; Dr Ian Douglas (third from left) and the Revd Gay Clark Jennings (fourth from left)
Photo credit: Mary Frances Schjonberg / Episcopal News Service