Cynthia P. Brust
Director of Communications
The Anglican Mission in the Americas
843-325-1071
November 3, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Statement from the Anglican Mission in the Americas Correcting Erroneous and "Anglican Unscripted" Video Information
The Anglican Mission leadership was deeply disturbed and disappointed by the November 3, 2011 edition of "Anglican Unscripted" presented by Mr. Kevin Kallsen and the Rev. George Conger. A portion of their broadcast made false and potentially damaging assertions about the Anglican Mission that must be addressed:
On Tuesday, October 25, Mr. Conger made a call to Cynthia Brust, our Director of Communications, requesting confirmation of a "source's" claim that the Anglican Mission Council of Bishops met the week before and decided to break their relationship with the Anglican Province of Rwanda. He was told that the information was not correct and that the source was misinformed. He followed up with an email dated October 31, indicating it was a "query" from the Church of England Newspaper. It read in part: "What I have been told is that the Anglican Mission is exploring pulling out from the oversight of the Church of Rwanda. It will either find a new sponsor from among the GS primates, or ask Archbishop Kolini to be its sponsor. The reason for this move, I am told, is friction over the decision of the Rwandans not to approve some episcopal appointments proposed by the Anglican Mission." We responded to that email early yesterday afternoon (November 2) making it very clear that Mr. Conger's source or sources were ill informed and clearly stating the Anglican Mission's and Rwanda's mutual desire to remain connected. Here is a portion of that email:
I appreciate your inquiry but do want to reiterate what I said on the phone. Based on the details you have outlined in your email, your source(s) is (are) ill informed.
The Anglican Mission has been in conversations for some months internally and with Rwanda leadership about shaping the best structure to both express and facilitate our consistent vision to be "a mission, nothing more and nothing less." All of the concepts discussed, including the creation of a defined "society for apostolic work," or "Missionary Society," include an expectation that we will remain connected to Rwanda, and theAM leaders are working collaboratively, as always, with Rwandan leaders. These conversations with leadership on both sides of the Atlantic remain ongoing, and it is important to note that no decisions have been made - we are in a process of conversations only, and frankly any public discussion is premature at best.
Regrettably, Mr. Conger, who did not give a deadline, express any sense of urgency regarding a response, or indicate his plans to air this story at all on "Anglican Unscripted," chose to air the video yesterday, which has now been widely distributed, without confirmation from the Anglican Mission and with unnamed sources that can only be considered as propagating unfounded rumors. Mr. Conger apparently disregarded an official Anglican Mission response refuting the erroneous information, and Mr. Kallsen made no effort to contact us in order to corroborate unsubstantiated rumors. We find these facts and the manner in which "Anglican Unscripted" representatives handled this situation unconscionable.
Below are specific corrections of the false and confusing details aired in the video:
1. Bishop Chuck Murphy enjoys a positive, honest, open and collaborative relationshipwith Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and the House of Bishops of Rwanda. As was communicated to Mr. Conger, discussions about the possibility of formalizing what has long been the stated vision of the AM's functioning as a missionary society, is simply that - a possibility being discussed that represents a consistent trajectory. Remaining connected to Rwanda remains a high value in these conversations, and we have no reason to believe this would change. Mr. Kallsen's and Mr. Conger's claims otherwise are untrue. Tied to this issue, the suggestion that the Anglican Mission does not intend to remain a part of the Anglican Communion is false.
2. There has not been "friction" or "discord" about appointing bishops for the Anglican Mission. A planned discussion of the possibility of new bishops at the Rwanda House of Bishops meeting in June was not brought forward simply because the two-day meeting had to be reduced to one-day due to a funeral. The very full agenda did not allow for a conversation about new bishops.
3. Bishop Murphy has in no way changed his personal position on women's ordination to the priesthood, but the Anglican Mission in the Americas has made room for two integrities and two positions on this issue for two reasons: the Province of Rwanda does ordain women to the presbyterate, and the Anglican Communion is in a period of reception. There is no general acceptance of women's ordination in the Anglican Mission, but we have chosen to live in the tension of two theological positions out of mutual respect.
This policy is clearly explained on our website (http://www.theamia.org/identity/our-story/). No bishops or priests in the Anglican Mission have been asked to violate or change their convictions or theological positions. Despite what Mr. Conger indicated in the video, this is the exact position of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA); the only distinction is that ACNA is structured in geographic dioceses, and the Anglican Mission embraces a primarily affinity-based network model.
4. No bishops have expressed to Bishop Murphy any intention of leaving the Anglican Mission.
5. When Canon David Roseberry and Christ Church Plano chose to affiliate with the Anglican Church in North America, he never communicated that this decision was based on the issue of women's ordination.
We want to reiterate that Anglican Mission leadership has been considering a proposal centering on formalizing a missionary society, discussing this proposal widely in an ordered and sequential way. Because internal conversations with the Anglican Mission leadership and with Rwanda are ongoing as we seek to discern the will of God and the right way forward through wise counsel and prayer, we cannot state categorically what will happen, but we can with confidence andtransparency refute false assertions.
In a time when the Anglican expression of faith faces a high degree of turmoil, such false, uncorroborated "reporting" is irresponsible at best. The "Anglican Unscripted" video has understandably caused great confusion and some angst among our own clergy and laity as well as throughout the wider Anglican network represented by a number of websites and blogs. We are left to wonder what prompted such a deliberate dissemination of inaccuracies and believe it is incumbent upon Mr. Conger and Mr. Kallsen to issue a retraction.
The Rev. Cynthia P. Brust
Director of Communications
Chair of Winter Conference
Anglican Mission in the Americas
PO Box 3427
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
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