The future shape of the Anglican Communion?

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2008/07/14/the-future-shape-of-the-anglican-communion/#more-4268

[Anglican Mainstream] 14 Jul 2008--I went reluctantly to the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). Bishop Dalwani of Jerusalem had implied it would upset Jewish/ Palestinian relations. Yet we found a warm welcome from leaders of the Jewish Messianic and Palestinian Christian communities and from Elias Chacour, Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Galilee. Indeed Bishop Dalwani himself welcomed us publicly at St George’s Cathedral.

Stories of church growth abounded. There was a wonderful account of the people of West Nile recognising in Jesus the perfect portrait of “the good elder”. “They came to Jesus’ divinity through his humanity,” said Bishop Joel Obetia. Just two years after the Bible was published in their language (in 1987) a new diocese was born. There were also many examples of church growth in the global north. And it was exciting to hear of major social action programmes in fields such as AIDS and micro finance.

But the issues at stake were theological. Human sexuality is just a tangible example of a much deeper faultline. I could understand the position of the Africans, who were anxious to preserve the Gospel truths that had transformed their societies. Also, the threat of “strategic Islam” was emphasised by Baroness Cox who warned that muslims were pouring $29 million into southern Sudan alone. But I particularly wanted to listen to Anglicans from across the Atlantic who had stories of being driven out of their churches by fellow-Anglicans.

“Harassment” in Canada

“The leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada have a persecution mentality”, said Desirée Steadman, (née Buchanan, daughter of the former Archbishop of Dublin). Their key word is “tolerance” for everyone except those who oppose their innovations. After six years of what she called “harassment” she took early retirement from her archdeaconry. In one parish the bishop illegally changed the locks and the congregation had to force him by court order to let them into their own church. Desirée is now an archdeacon in the Anglican Network in Canada, under the Archbishop of the Southern Cone (of south America).

“Injustice” in Brazil

Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti hosted Archbishop Eames when he visited Brazil some years ago. When his diocese upheld orthodoxy against innovation, he was subjected to unconstitutional “punitive action” and deposed, and thirty-two clergy excommunicated. Official Church documents refer to this event in one instance (correctly) as being “deposed”, in another as “desertion”.

Archbishop Williams offered him sympathy but no justice: the Brazilian bishops will be at Lambeth but he is not invited.

“Betrayal” in the USA

The celebrated writer Dr Os Guinness attends the Falls Church, Virginia. George Washington was on its building committee, decades before the diocese existed. Its weekly congregation is some 2,800 people. Dr Guinness and his rector, John Yates, told me that after years of suffering haemorrhaging of their congregation because of doctrinal change in The Episcopal Church (TEC), they agreed a protocol with Bishop Peter Lee allowing them to realign to the Province of Nigeria in exchange for a substantial sum of money. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, acting beyond her authority, overturned this protocol, suing the congregation for trespassing on their own property. Bishop Lee remarked supinely, “There’s a new sheriff in town.” TEC has poured millions of dollars into litigation, but the parish has won the first two rounds. “We feel a sense of betrayal,” said Yates, “but we are glad to be free from TEC.” They have already planted five new churches.