[Updated with links to more analysis and response. 12:15pm]
Surely your Anglican news feeds will be buzzing today with all kinds of analysis and spin about what, exactly, the Church of England’s Synod did yesterday, and the beauty of blog-land is that you can offer your own analysis and spin as well:
Before you delve into others’ analysis and spin, you may want to take a look at the amendment yourself, don’t worry, it’s rather short. Here’s the actual amendment (from the C of E website), for your own viewing and reflection. Take a look; what do you think?
10 February 2010
PRIVATE MEMBER’S MOTION: ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA (GS 1764A and GS 1764B)
Following debate, Mrs Lorna Ashworth moved the following amended motion, which was carried by the Synod:
‘That this Synod
(a) aware of the distress caused by recent divisions within the Anglican churches of the United States of America and Canada;
(b) recognise and affirm the desire of those who have formed the Anglican Church in North America to remain within the Anglican family;
(c) acknowledge that this aspiration, in respect both of relations with the Church of England and membership of the Anglican Communion, raises issues which the relevant authorities of each need to explore further; and
(d) invite the Archbishops to report further to the Synod in 2011.’
What do YOU think?
Scott Gunn, at Seven Whole Days, offers a helpful analysis, “Parsing Synod – What have they done?”
Will Briggs offers a helpful analysis of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s address to synod, writing in his blog, “God’s Will.”
The “Friends of Jake” blog has this critical analysis of the goings on of Synod.
Julia Duin, of The Washington Times, offers her response to the amendment at Synod, saying, “The Church of England threw a lifeline to a breakaway group of former Episcopalians on Wednesday,” read more at The Washington Times.
Church Times blog has their response HERE, and Dave Walker has a cartoon on the subject as well, HERE.
Here is the Episcopal Life online article on the subject:
Church of England says no to full communion with breakaway entity
By Matthew Davies
The Church of England has said it recognizes and affirms the desire of the Anglican Church in North America to remain in the Anglican family, but it is not yet ready to be in full communion with the breakaway entity.
Amended legislation passed Feb. 10 by General Synod, the Church of England’s main governing body, said that ACNA’s desire required further exploration by the “relevant authorities” in the Anglican Communion.
Bishop Michael Hill of the Diocese of Bristol, who proposed the amendment, told ENS that the debate had been charitable. “While it leaned towards issues of human sexuality, the real issue is about the process of reception with groups like ACNA,” said Hill, a member of the Anglican Consultative Council, the communion’s main policy-making body.
The passing of the motion hasn’t resolved all the issues, he added. “It leaves the doors open but makes it clear that the church has to deal with these matters with due process and not in an ad hoc way.”
Hill’s amendment — which received 309 votes for, 69 against, and 17 abstentions — also invites the archbishops of Canterbury and York to report further to synod in 2011.