It would be foolish to let such a gift fall apart, say bishops

The Church Times reflects on the Lambeth Conference and the Moratorium.

"There was support for the moratoriums, especially from the bishops of the Global South. The Archbishop of Hong Kong, the Most Revd Paul Kwong (pictured), said that they had listened to the explanations by various bishops with respect. “Now we are asking these people to stop defending what they do as right, and stop accusing other parties of what they do as wrong. Instead, we must come together and say: ‘What sacrifice, what concession, can you make for the sake of the integrity of the Communion?’”

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=61678

Peter Ould reflects on Lambeth

This a very thoughtful article written by a conservative who is critical of both the left and the right extremes in the church. Its lengthy but worth the read. Thanks to Bruce Robison for sending this along. This may be a blog worth bookmarking and checking on every so often.

"Here then is perhaps one road forward for the Conservatives. GAFCON and the Global South should call an immediate moratorium on border-crossing. Yes, that will be painful for many. It will explicitly involve the dying to self that I spoke about above, for in the short term it will leave many abused and attacked in liberal dioceses, believing that they have been abandoned by those who said they would provide rescue. It would also implicitly involve confessing that the act of crossing diocesan boundaries was wrong, for we there would be no need to have a moratorium if crossing boundaries was seen by all as acceptable. But beyond these two things, it would at the same time indicate that we are serious about holding the Communion together, and what it would also do is give TEC, Canada (and Scotland now it appears) a very clear opportunity to also engage in the moratoria that they have been asked to impose, on same-sex blessings and ordaining and consecrating those in sexual relationships outside of marriage."

http://www.peter-ould.net/2008/08/05/lambeth-2008-moving-forward/

Commentary: rebellion in the Church's ranks

London Times Commentary on the results of Lambeth -

"But not all Anglicans like success. Their gospel is the Christ-like one of victory through defeat, preferably crucifixion. In response to his failure to have a good public row and bring about schism, Dr Williams is facing rebellion within the ranks, although all done with the nicest of English smiles, a handshake or two and the Christian "sign of the peace". Some bishops believe a £5 million-plus conference with a deficit of up to £2 million was a waste of money. These bishops, many of them senior, are beginning to circulate some Anglican "whispers of discontent" about the leadership of Dr Williams. They have even begun speaking of another diocesan, a thrusting, youngish, photogenic evangelical, who might be suited to take his place."

Thrusting ? I wonder who that could be ? Well the whole thing is here .

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4452857.ece

Healing the rift: How Williams kept his flock together

But the story from the Guardian is optimistic -
"A formal schism has been avoided and several initiatives have been proposed to resolve present crises and pre-empt future ones. These suggestions include a pastoral forum to discipline problem churches, an Anglican Communion Faith and Order Commission to enforce doctrine, a mini-Lambeth to meet between the 10-yearly conference and an Anglican covenant to provide guidance and mediation in difficult situations. Williams has pinned his hopes on a covenant."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/04/anglicanism.rel

Dissension in the ranks (who'd have thunk it?)

The Bishop of Winchester (pictured) and with whom I had dinner earlier this year and the Bishop of Exeter (whom I don't know) take Rowan to the woodshed.

"However, the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester, said that the Archbishop’s plan to maintain unity lacked a sense of urgency and was unlikely to work. “The Lambeth Conference is required to do something rather than live down to the worst expectations of the bishops who stayed away,” he said. “We need to negotiate a separation in the Communion sooner rather than later, to leave the strongest possibility of remaining in some kind of fellowship.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2490833/Bishops-ask--Archbishop-of-Canterbury-for-an-orderly-separation.html

BBC audio on the Lambeth Sexuality Discussions

Is it possible that there can be an Elizabethan Settlement sort of solution ? This is a 7 minute audio with interviews with several key players.

"The Lambeth conference of Anglican bishops discusses "human sexuality", the subject which divides traditionalists and liberals. The Archbishop of Canterbury hopes to draft a statement that can hold the worldwide Anglican Communion together on this issue. Clive Hanford, the person in charge of drafting this statement, says it can be done but they have to be 'cautious'."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7534000/7534537.stm

Church Times on the Moratorium

The Weekly publication The Church Times (England) has some good coverage of the proposed moratorium on same sex blessings and consecrations.

"The group, chaired by the former Primate in Jerusalem & the Middle East, the Rt Revd Clive Handford, calls for moratoriums on blessings for same-sex unions; on the consecration of anyone living in an openly gay relationship; and on any cross-border acts and interprovincial claims of jurisdiction.
It also recommends the swift formation of a “pastoral forum” at Communion level to engage “theologically and practically” with divisive situations that might arise. It would be “a body that could respond quickly to pressure points in the Communion”, Bishop Handford said."

Story is here -

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=61264

Reaction is here -

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=61273

New Commission proposed to save the Communion

Further developments on the Faith and Order Commission -

"Together with plans for a Faith and Order Commission, a Pastoral Forum, a safe-space for parishes under overseas oversight until they can be reunited with provincial bodies, the Windsor Continuation Group drip-fed their recommendations into the Conference with a series of three special hearings. Yet American and Canadian Bishops told a hearing this week that dioceses were openly authorizing and allowing same sex blessings and did not intend to stop. Of the African Primates who have crossed borders into the United States to consecrate American missionary bishops, none of them are in attendance at the Lambeth Conference to respond in person to the call for a moratorium on their actions."

http://www.religiousintelligence.com/news/?NewsID=2407

More on the Faith and Order Commission

Here's a longer but, I think more descriptive and helpful piece by George Conger describing the Archbishop' proposal for the Commission.

"In discussion following the first presentation, 21 bishops spoke, of whom 17 were white Western bishops. Bishop Keith Ackerman of Quincy (Illinois) spoke of the difficulties faced by traditionalists in the United States, while Bishop Peter Beckwith of Springfield (Illinois) enumerated the innovations of doctrine and discipline that have occurred in the Episcopal Church in recent years.

However, the majority of speakers at the closed-door session came from the Episcopal Church’s liberal wing, and argued the American church was being unfairly caricatured. Bishop James Mathes of San Diego complained of cross-border interventions into his diocese by overseas primates, while other bishops suggested the wider Communion did not understand the unique circumstances of the United States."

Its here -

http://www.religiousintelligence.com/news/?NewsID=2377