[ekklesia] 23.11.07--As inclusive Anglicans representing what many call the 'orthodox centre' in the church have been meeting in a major gathering called Drenched in Grace, concern has been expressed that the Archbishop of Canterbury is giving in to pressure from hardliners.
A few days ago reports emerged in The Daily Telegraph and elswhere that the Dr Rowan Williams, spiritual head of the world's 77 million Anglicans, bitterly divided in a war of sexuality and authority, is preparing to target individual bishops whose pro-gay policies are seen as threatening to derail efforts to avert schism by withdrawing their invitations to next year's Lambeth Conference of worldwide bishops.
"Is the Archbishop of Canterbury proposing to withhold invitations from English as well as bishops from other Provinces, the USA in particular, who in the perception of conservatives, are also pro-gay in their diocesan policy?" the Rev Colin Coward, head of Changing Attitude asked at the beginning of the week.
It is said that Dr Williams could also target conservatives if he believes they are breaching the guidelines against bishops intervening in other Provinces and dioceses.
The Archbishop is said to have told friends he will challenge any bishop he believes is coming to the conference with an agenda "very much at odds" with his attempts to maintain unity in the worldwide Church, scrutinising “controversial bishops” he has already invited if there is evidence that they are unwilling to compromise their views, claims Changing Attitude.
They claim he may be seeking assurances that bishops can abide by the broad principles of the Windsor Report, but has not ruled out barring them from the three-week conference. The Windsor Report asked The Episcopal Church to impose moratoriums on future consecrations of gay bishops and on the blessing of same-sex relationships.
Changing Attitude, which wishes to see the full inclusion of lesbian and gay Christians, says the Archbishop of Canterbury is being put under huge pressure from conservatives on both extremes of the church who are plotting to secede if they fail to get their own way in forcing The Episcopal Church to be excluded from Lambeth and from the Anglican Communion.
"Orthodox centre"?I It would appear that the liberals in the Church of England have taken Bishop Michael Ingham's advice and are claiming that they are the true "orthodox" in the church. I am always amazed at the impertinence of those on the radical edge. They present themselves as "moderates" and "centrists," paint those who do represent the mainstream of Anglicanism as "extremists," and do all they can to get others to accept their definition of those who on solid Biblical grounds oppose their radical agenda. Now they are asserting that they are the"orthodox centre." They truly deserve the label of "revisionists."
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