The Windsor Continuation Group Report to the Archbishop of Canterbury

All 22 pages of the Windsor Continuation Group's report is here- With Regard to the "new province" in North America-

101. The WCG therefore recommends that the Archbishop of Canterbury, in consultation with the Primates, establish at the earliest opportunity a professionally mediated conversation at which all the significant parties could be gathered. The aim would be to find a provisional holding arrangement which will enable dialogue to take place and which will be revisited on the conclusion of the Covenant Process, or the achievement of long term reconciliation in the Communion. Such a conversation would have to proceed on the basis of a number of principles:

-There must be an ordered approach to the new proposal within, or part of a natural development of, current rules.

-It is not for individual groups to claim the terms on which they will relate to the Communion.

-The leadership of the Communion needs to stand together, and find an approach to which they are all committed.

-Any scheme developed would rely on an undertaking from the present partners to ACNA that they would not seek to recruit and expand their membership by means of proselytisation. WCG believes that the advent of schemes such as the Communion Partners Fellowship and the Episcopal Visitors scheme instituted by the Presiding Bishop in the United States should be sufficient to provide for the care of those alienated within the Episcopal Church from recent developments.

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/commission/windsor_continuation/docs/WCG%20Report%20Final%20090105.pdf

Anglican Leaders Take Dim View of Rival U.S. Church

Leaders of the Anglican Communion said Thursday (Feb. 5) that they, not dissident conservatives, will decide what role a newly formed traditionalist North American church will have in their worldwide fellowship.

Concluding their weeklong meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, the Anglican leaders also said a new North American church should not "seek to recruit or expand their membership" by attempting to convert others.

Conservatives angered by the liberal drift of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. and the Anglican Church of Canada set up a rival church in December. The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), led by Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, aims to be recognized as the official Anglican franchise in North America.

But the 30-odd Anglican primates, or archbishops, meeting this week (Feb. 1-5) essentially put a damper on those plans. While acknowledging that "there is no consensus among us how this new (church) is to be regarded," the primates unanimously agreed that "it is not for individual groups to claim the terms on which they will relate to the communion."

The primates also said that "any scheme developed would rely on an undertaking from the present partners to ACNA that they would not seek to recruit and expand their membership by means of proselytization."

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/02/anglican-leaders-take-dim-view.php

Primates Meeting Communique

The whole report is at the link. This paragraph deals with the"New Province" and I have followed that with note 11 from the Windsor Continuation group.

14. The Windsor Continuation Group Report examines in Section H the question of parallel jurisdictions, particularly as raised by the Common Cause Partnership, a coalition of seven different organisations[10] which have significantly differing relationships with the Anglican Communion.

The Report identifies some of the difficulties in recognising the coalition among the Provinces of the Anglican Communion. Significant concerns were raised in the conversation about the possibility of parallel jurisdictions. There is no consensus among us about how this new entity should be regarded, but we are unanimous in supporting the recommendation in paragraph 101 of the Windsor Continuation Group Report[11]. Therefore, we request the Archbishop of Canterbury to initiate a professionally mediated conversation which engages all parties at the earliest opportunity. We commit ourselves to support these processes and to participate as appropriate. We earnestly desire reconciliation with these dear sisters and brothers for whom we understand membership of the Anglican Communion is profoundly important. We recognise that these processes cannot be rushed, but neither should they be postponed.

Note [11] WCG Report, paragraph 101: The WCG therefore recommends that the Archbishop of Canterbury, in consultation with the Primates, establish at the earliest opportunity a professionally mediated conversation at which all the significant parties could be gathered. The aim would be to find a provisional holding arrangement which will enable dialogue to take place and which will be revisited on the conclusion of the Covenant Process, or the achievement of long term reconciliation in the Communion. Such a conversation would have to proceed on the basis of a number of principles:

There must be an ordered approach to the new proposal within, or part of a natural development of, current rules.

It is not for individual groups to claim the terms on which they will relate to the Communion. The leadership of the Communion needs to stand together, and find an approach to which they are all committed.

Any scheme developed would rely on an undertaking from the present partners to ACNA that they would not seek to recruit and expand their membership by means of proselytisation. WCG believes that the advent of schemes such as the Communion Partners Fellowship and the Episcopal Visitors scheme instituted by the Presiding Bishop in the United States should be sufficient to provide for the care of those alienated within the Episcopal Church from recent developments.
http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/2/5/ACNS4574#_ftn11

Anglicans Set to Consider Rival North American Church

Conservative Anglicans say they do not expect their new North American church to receive official approval from Anglican archbishops who will convene next week (Feb. 1-5) in Alexandria, Egypt.

"We do expect that our situation will be discussed," said the Rev.
Peter Frank, a spokesman for the newly established Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). "At the same time, it would be very surprising if there was some kind of quick, game-changing action."

After years of disagreeing with the liberal majorities in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, conservatives broke off and formed a rival church last December. Conservatives hope the fledgling province will ultimately be recognized as the official Anglican franchise in North America.

Before the new province can assume full membership in the communion, it will need approval from both the Anglican Consultative Council and two-thirds of the world's 38 Anglican primates, or leading archbishops.

Conservatives say they must be patient with the slow pace of change in the Anglican Communion, which has 77 million members and is the world's third-largest body of churches.

"When it comes to the international situation and politics in the Anglican Communion, we're realistic about the speed in which things move," said Frank.

To date, only five primates, most from Africa, where Anglicans lean conservative on sexual issues, have publicly sanctioned the new North American church.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/01/anglicans-set-to-consider-riva.php

Primates to meet in Egypt behind closed doors

From The Church Times (England)-

THE PRIMATES of the Anglican Communion will meet in Egypt from Sunday to Thurs day, behind closed doors. They will use a format largely modelled on the Lambeth Conference.

It will be the first time that the Archbishops who were at Lambeth will be together with those who boycotted the event, although some acceptances had still not been received this week. On Wednesday, the secretary of the Primates’ Meeting, Canon Kenneth Kearon, put that down to “personal dis organ isation” on the part of some.

(snip)

Canon Kearon confirmed on Wednesday that no paper had so far been received from the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) Primates concerning the pro posed Anglican Province in North America. A report in The Living Church this week said: “Bishop Duncan said the GAFCON Primates will present a paper and make the case of an alternative province.”

Canon Kearon emphasised that the agenda was a draft, that it was in the hands of the Primates, and was often rearranged. “We haven’t received a paper,” he said. “If it’s an application by the new entity in the US to join [the Communion] we would deal with [put ting it on to the agenda] in a business session if appropriate, but they might decide other wise if we haven’t been notified of it.”

Plans for new province in US opposed by senior Anglican

From the London Times-

A senior Anglican Archbishop from the UK has condemned plans by conservative Anglicans to form a new province in the US.

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said he would oppose a new province “with every fibre of my being.”

He warned that if the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion allow traditionalists to set up a new province to exist as a parallel jurisdiction to the US Episcopal Church, no province would be safe and the worldwide Anglican Church would splinter into many fragments.

Dr Morgan is one of 39 Anglican Primates who will attend next week’s meeting of the heads of 38 provinces worldwide in Alexandria, Egypt.

The Archbishops are to debate the damaging effects of the row over homosexuality at the meeting and discuss how to get their churches back on track.

Although it is not on the official agenda, it is understood that one of the conservative Primates will present the draft canons and constitutions of a new traditionalist province in the US, headed by the deposed Bishop of Pittsburgh, Bob Duncan.

In an interview with The Times, Dr Morgan said the concept of a new province in the US “makes no ecclesiological or theological sense.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5606663.ece

Anglican primates to meet in Eygpt

From the London Times-

The Archbishops of the Anglican church worldwide are to debate the damaging effects of the row over homosexuality at a meeting in Egypt next week.

The 39 Primates who head the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion are meeting at Alexandria from Sunday where they will discuss how to get their churches back on track after a series of damaging disputes that have taken them to the brink of schism.

A new traditionalist grouping from North America, led by deposed Pittsburgh bishop Bob Duncan who now styles himself as their Archbishop, will also present a new constitution and canons to the Primates in an attempt to secure recognition as the 39th province of the 77-million strong Church.

One senior primate who heads a small but respected province has warned Anglicans that he will oppose “with every fibre of my being” the recognition of a new traditionalist province, to exist in parallel jurisdiction to The Episcopal Church in the US.

The Primates of the US Episcopal Church, Canada, Uganda, Pakistan and South Africa will address the other Primates on the effects of the row, which has led to depositions in the US, expensive law suits as both sides fight to retain valuable property, and defections to rival provinces of laity, clergy, bishops and even entire dioceses.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5600227.ece

No Female Bishops for Proposed New Province

No women Bishops? As far as I know only one group in Common Cause Ordains women to the Priesthood. Peter Frank is quoted later in the article as saying "an all-male episcopacy was enshrined in the canons of the proposed province." Enshrined?

Some Anglo-Catholics might be uneasy with the predominance of evangelicals among those seeking a third North American province of the Anglican Communion. But the leadership of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth has thrown its support behind the movement in part because of assurances that there will be no women bishops, according to the Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth.

“Though we have our continuing differences over the issue of the ordination of women, Bishop Duncan and the [Common Cause Partnership] lead bishops have given assurances that there will be no women bishops in the new province and that the historic, traditional theological position on this matter will be protected, respected and welcomed,” Bishop Iker said.


http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/1/20/no-female-bishops-for-proposed-new-province