What is the Primates’ Meeting all about?
In case you missed it, I repost here my article from last September virtually the Anglican Communion and the Primates' Meeting.
What has happened?
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has fabricated a pregnant announcement about the future of the Anglican Communion. He has issued an invitation to 37 Primates of the Anglican Communion (archbishops who lead the unlike provinces) to a coming together in Lambeth Palace in January, at which they can 'look afresh at our ways of working as a Communion and especially as Primates, paying proper attention to developments in the past.' In other words, the current way of working isn't working, and something needs to change.
What isn't working?
1 of the traditional habits of the Anglican Communion is for the bishops from all the provinces to come across one time every ten years as the Lambeth Conference. The last pregnant coming together was in 1998, and in response to shifts in some of the (culturally) Western churches, it passed resolution ane.10, which both affirmed the 'traditional' position on same-sexual practice sexual practice, whilst encouraging a listening process.
The resolution did not resolve difference—in fact, information technology only made things worse. The Episcopal Church in the Usa resented being told what to do, and connected in its moves to affirm same-sexual practice relations. In 2003 it appointed Gene Robinson, a partnered gay human, as Bishop of New Hampshire.
What happened adjacent?
A process was set in motion in the Anglican Communion which Rowan Williams, then Archbishop of Canterbury, hoped might maintain unity and provide space for word. The Windsor Written report recommended a moratorium on further approving of same-sex relations, but did not propose whatever discipline for provinces which had not adhered to Lambeth one.x. It proposed an Anglican Covenant which would, in outcome, provide a new vehicle for unity in the Communion, but this has not been widely accepted.
In the concurrently, a number of primates from the global southward met as the Global Anglican Time to come Conference (GAFCON) in 2008, calling for the church building to resist secularisation and return to biblical orthodoxy. This happened a month before the 2008 Lambeth Briefing, and 200 bishops declined to attend Lambeth. GAFCON also chosen for the formation of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) every bit an alternative, 'orthodox' Episcopal church building in the The states and Canada, and this went alee in 2009.
Why has this been so difficult?
The underlying problem is that the Anglican Communion lacks the structures that you might expect of a global denomination. This is partly to do with history and partly to do with theology. Historically, the Communion developed about past blow, in a patchwork of arrangements as the ministry of the Church of England was devolved to locally-led Anglican churches. The relationships with other denominations, with local culture and with the Church of England varied from identify to identify. With no formal shared construction, the network developed four 'instruments of unity':
- The Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the 'focus of unity' but has no actual say-so over provinces;
- The 10-yearly Lambeth Conference, which can formulate resolutions merely cannot do anything if provinces don't abide by those resolutions;
- The Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) which, equally its name suggests, is 'consultative';
- The Primates' Meetings, first convened by Donald Coggan in 1979 equally a place for 'leisurely thought, prayer and deep consultation.'
Theologically, the unlike churches have been on different journeys in relation to their origins. The Church of England however officially abides by the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the 39 Articles of Religion. Any new liturgy has been strictly 'alternative' to this and does non supersede it. In other parts of the Communion, some churches still actively utilise the BCP whilst others have replaced information technology with modernised or indigenised prayer books. And so, in effect, just about the but thing that the churches in the Communion accept in common is a liturgical arroyo to worship and leadership by bishops. As Justin Welby comments: 'We have no Anglican Pope. Our authority as a church is dispersed, and is ultimately found in Scripture, properly interpreted.'
What has Justin Welby done?
Rowan Williams was criticised (fairly or non) for allowing the processes to drift without offer any decisive leadership. He merely visited provinces when invited, and was non pro-agile in building relationships. By contrast, Justin Welby made visiting all provinces in the Communion a priority. He appointed a moderate conservative, Josiah Idowu-Fearon from Nigeria, as secretary to the ACC, and Graham Kings as Mission Theologian to the Anglican Communion.
But this latest move appears to signal Welby's belief that the previous work at maintaining or creating unity through structures is a waste product of time and effort. A Lambeth Palace source said the Archbishop felt the disputes meant the Church was "spending vast amounts of time trying to keep people in the boat and never really rowing it anywhere".
Why is this controversial?
For several reasons. For 1 thing, some encounter this as the cease of the Anglican Communion, and therefore an abandoning of a significant practice in Christian unity. Others, nonetheless, take a very different view, and see this equally an astute move which will permit new energy to exist put into relationships within the Communion. You simply have to look at the range of headlines to see the unlike interpretations, from 'Welby breathes new life into the Communion' to 'Welby abandons the idea of global consensus.'
But there are other points of controversy. Welby has invited Foley Beach, archbishop of ACNA, to attend as well. This has been interpreted as an approval of conservatives in the US who are nor formally 'in communion' with the Church of England. And Welby's linguistic communication virtually Scripture has been seized on by some as being 'unAnglican', as it does non explicitly mention tradition and reason.
Some early commentators are too trying to interpret what is going on in terms of the balance of ability in Anglican relations. Is Welby making an attempt to retain ability and influence, by abandoning previous mechanisms for the Communion's piece of work?
I have an alternative suggestion: let's actually have his words at face value.
'It must also be a way frontwards, guided by the absolute imperative for the church to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to brand disciples and to worship and live in holiness, and recognising that the way in which declaration happens and the pressures on u.s.a. vary greatly between Provinces. Nosotros each live in a different context.'
I think Justin is recognising the reality of the situation we are in; he does not want to put whatsoever more effort into meetings and proposals which are not actually going to deal with the controversial issues at hand; and he wants to focus on the more important issues of missional engagement and discipleship.
What will be the bear upon for the Church of England?
Andrew Brownish in the Guardian slightly mischievously suggests that, if different parts of the Anglican Communion drift apart, unlike parts of the Church building of England will follow adjust, looking to diverse dissimilar directions globally as they do so. But this overestimates the importance of global Anglicanism on the domestic church. The C of Due east has previously been perfectly capable of making up its ain mind on important problems, and it will keep to practice so.
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