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October 26, 2007

A Response to the Joint Standing Committee's Report

In my view, the Joint Standing Committee’s Report has not adequately identified the actual position of the House of Bishops and therefore has underestimated the distance that remains between TEC and the rest of the Communion. Revd Malcolm Falloon

A Response to the Joint Standing Committee’s Report

In my view, the Joint Standing Committee’s Report has not adequately identified the actual position of the House of Bishops and therefore has underestimated the distance that remains between TEC and the rest of the Communion.

Same-sex Blessings
In regard to Same-sex blessings, the Primates were seeking to clear up an ambiguous situation between the authorisation of Public rites and tacit permission at the local level for same-sex blessings to continue. As the Primates wrote, “It is the ambiguous stance of The Episcopal Church which causes concern among us.”

The Report indicates that this request has been met. However, the House of Bishops themselves state that a significant minority of Bishops, while not authorising such rites, do make “allowance” for such blessings. In their words, “the majority of bishops do not make allowance for the blessings of same-sex unions.” This clearly implies that while most “do not” a significant minority indicates that there is no new move from the House of Bishops to withdraw permission for such rites or to discipline any fellow bishops who make “allowance” for such blessings.

The Report sees this as acceptable under the provision of “a breadth of private response to situations of individual pastoral care.” quoting the Primates own words. However, this is exactly where the House of Bishops needed to clarify their position. Do they see “individual pastoral care” as involving same-sex blessings, or not? In addition, the Primates in no way intended “individual pastoral care” to involve the local provision of same-sex blessings. Instead, along with the Windsor Report, they called for a moratorium on all such public rites.

Consequently, the Report has failed to identity that a most serious division remains between the House of Bishops and the rest of the Communion.

Consecration of Bishops in sexual relationships outside of marriage
In regard to the consecration of Bishops, it is frustrating in the extreme the way in which the House of Bishops first hides behind the constitutional requirements of their General Convention and then, when it suits, to stand on the freedom of their episcopal consciences to follow the truth as they see it. As an example (and perhaps the true source of all our present Communion issues), the Bishops were happy to ignore the General Convention in 1979 when the Convention decided that the ordination of practising homosexuals was “inappropriate”. Instead, the Bishops deliberately flaunted the General Convention declaring that it was their “apostolic leadership and prophetic witness” to do so.

In regard to the present situation, the House of Bishops had plenty of opportunity to consider wording that would have unambiguously complied with the Primates request, but choose not to do so. Instead, they have retained the right to act prophetically should they deem it expedient.

Therefore, I have no confidence that the House of Bishops have responded adequately to the Primates and the Report is wrong in its conclusion that they have “clearly affirmed” the request of the Windsor Report.

Pastoral Issues and Incursions by Uninvited Bishops
The House of Bishops have refused the Primates offer to provide pastoral support for dissenting congregations and dioceses. Yet they still aggressively pursue congregations through the civil courts. I believe it is highly one-sided on their part to call for an immediate end to such interventions while not adequately making provision for dissenting groups within TEC. This shows an unwillingness to accept any accountability from the wider Communion. The Report looks to downplay the significance of this issue in a way that ignores the reality of the local situation.

Is there common ground?
The most unhelpful statement in the Report is its view that some common ground is emerging throughout the Communion. They quite wrongly conclude,

“The Communion seems to be converging around a position which says that while it is inappropriate to proceed to public Rites of Blessing of same-sex unions and to the consecration of bishops who are living in sexual relationships outside of Christian marriage, we need to take seriously our ministry to gay and lesbian people inside the Church and the ending of discrimination, persecution and violence against them.”

This “position” is not supported at all by the House of Bishops’ statement. For they conclude their statement by declaring,

“We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God’s children, including gay and lesbian persons, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ’s Church.”

While the Report speaks of “ministry to”, the House of Bishops proclaims, “participants in”. This is, of course, the very issue that is dividing the Communion! To imply that they are in any way equivalent statements is most unhelpful. It most certainly does not justify the confidence of the Report that the “Communion seems to be converging around a position”. In my view we are as divided as ever.

Conclusion
The House of Bishops continues to insist on governing its life on theological principles that are contested by the rest of the Communion. What the Communion seeks is an opportunity to openly discuss and critique these principles. That cannot happen while TEC proceeds with blessings, ordinations and consecrations of persons in same-sex relationships. The Windsor Report is essentially a call for actions to stop so that dialogue may begin. The Primates have valiantly tried to clarify with TEC whether they are prepared to follow this course. The Report says that they have and that the “Communion should move toward closure on these matters”. However, the statement of the House of Bishops does not support this conclusion. Nor does it support the view of the Report that common ground is emerging between TEC and the rest of the Anglican Communion.

Revd Malcolm Falloon
Warden
Latimer Fellowship

Posted by latimer at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)

August 08, 2006

Hindu Altar Cloth

Here in the Christchurch Diocese, the cathedral chapter has called a meeting next week to allow people to express their views in regard to the Hindu Altar cloth. The cloth is a piece of fabric art commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the Diocese.

Here in the Christchurch Diocese, the cathedral chapter has called a meeting next week to allow people to express their views in regard to the Hindu Altar cloth. The cloth is a piece of fabric art commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the Diocese. It has a Pentecost theme and is covered with biblical texts in all kinds of languages. However, someone also persuaded the artist to include an 8th century BC Hindu text. But don't worry the Chapter did ensure that the local Indian community was consulted before giving the go-ahead! In response, I wrote an open letter to the chapter expressing the view that such a cloth would be utterly inappropriate for use within the cathedral. You can read my open letter on the Mainstream website:
www.anglican-mainstream.org.nz/amnz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=319&Itemid=45

Posted by latimer at 03:45 PM | Comments (0)

The Implosion of the American Anglican Church & NZ's General Synod

It was called ECUSA (Episcopal Church of the USA), it now wants to be called TEC (The Episcopal Church) - with the emphasis on the 'T' no doubt. But however you name it, it doesn't stop the fact that it's a church that is haemorrhaging an increasing number of members since its General Convention in June.

It was called ECUSA (Episcopal Church of the USA), it now wants to be called TEC (The Episcopal Church) - with the emphasis on the 'T' no doubt. But however you name it, it doesn't stop the fact that it's a church that is haemorrhaging an increasing number of members since its General Convention in June. Some of its largest parishes have left, and there are five dioceses' that have applied to the Archbishop of Canterbury for alternative 'provincial' oversight. In fact, someone has begun to draw up a map of the location of all congregations that have departed and started a new life outside of ECUSA and it makes for sobering viewing. You can find the map at this link here
www.greaterdanburyanglicans.org/AMiAChurches/AMiAChurches.html?ShowAll

General Synod
This only demonstrates the naivety of our own General Synod when it met in May, passing a motion requesting that ECUSA be invited to Lambeth and to the Anglican Consultative Council. Such a motion leaves me with the impression that General Synod has no idea of the gravity of the situation we face as a church. Evangelical delegates spoke vigorous against the motion but were met with an implacable determination to align our church with both the USA and Canada. This does not bode well for our future together.

Rev Malcolm Falloon
Warden

Posted by latimer at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)

Uniting Church Divisions

Across the ditch, the Uniting Church of Australia has provided us with another fine example of the inclusive church in action - effectively excluding evangelicals at their July General Asesmbly.

Across the ditch, the Uniting Church of Australia has provided us with another fine example of the inclusive church in action - effectively excluding evangelicals at their July General Asesmbly. Evangelicals (along with others) have formed an Assembly of Confessing Churches within the Uniting Church of Australia, ACC(UCA) and have invited congregations to send representatives to a conference to be held early October. The two main groups involved are the RA www.reformingalliance.org.au (Reforming Alliance within the Uniting Church) and EMU (Evangelical Members within the Uniting Church). [nb I can't connect with the EMU
www.emu.asn.au website for some reason] The liberal hierarchy of the Church, after unilaterally naming both the day and time for a meeting, then released an aggressive media statement "http://assembly2006.uca.org.au/news/news_items3/_media_release__meeting_with_the_leaders_of_the_proposed_acc after the ACC were unable to meet on those dates. This kind of patronising bullyboy tactics is typical, I'm afraid, of all too many liberal in positions of leadership.

Rev Malcolm Falloon
Warden

Posted by latimer at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)

Israel - Lebanon conflict

Malcolm Falloon, Warden, says: Much is distressing in hearing the news from this region. But it is equally distressing when you are never sure whether you have been told both sides of the story (is it just me, or is TV3 worst at this than TV1?). However, I found this website that tries to give a more balanced reporting, its called honestreporting.com
www.honestreporting.com
If you are concerned like me for the plight of Christians in southern Lebanon, then I commend to you the work of the Barnabas Fund
http://www.barnabasfund.org/archivenews/article.php?ID_news_items=158

Posted by latimer at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)