Anglican Unscripted Episode 18

Kevin and George spin developments in the relationship between the Anglican Mission and the Anglican Church of Rwanda, which have come to light. To view this episode of Anglican Unscripted, click here.

Compare their interpretation of these developments (which are sympathetic to Bishop Murphy and his explanation of what happened) with the provisions of the 2007 Rwandan canons (which were drafted by Anglican Mission Canon Kevin Donlon and approved by Bishop Murphy):

Title I.6.2
(a) Ministry Associations and Missionary Jurisdictions which are erected by competent ecclesiastical authority and approved by the decree of the same authority (e.g. the Primate and the local college of bishops) are juridic persons in the Church and are called ministry associations or missionary jurisdictions under the oversight of the Primate and in communion with the House/College of Bishops.

(b) The Provincial House of Bishops may establish a Missionary Jurisdiction or Society in anyarea of the world in which faithful Anglicans are in need of, and petition for, godly oversight from this Province. A Missionary Jurisdiction shall be organized under such conditions and agreements not inconsistent with the Constitution and Canons of this Church, as shall be approved by the House of Bishops in Synod.

(c) Such a Missionary Jurisdiction or Society may be established under the sole auspices of this Province or it may be undertaken jointly with another Province on such terms as shall not compromise the doctrines of the Christian faith as this Church has received the Anglican Tradition.

(d) A Missionary Jurisdiction or Society may be transferred by the House of Bishops to become a mission effort of another Anglican Province, or to become a constituent member of an autonomous Province in communion with this Province; or, with the consent of the House of Bishops, it may be erected as an extra –provincial Diocese.

(e) Such a jurisdiction may be organized by a Primate with delegation oversight given to a Primatial Vicar who serves as the Chair of the Ministry Council in that missionary work.

Now who is properly interpreting the 2007 Rwandan canons--Bishop Murphy or the Rwandans? Murphy is referring to an earlier arrangement between the Anglican Mission and Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini, then Primate of Rwanda at that time. It is not the arrangement that Canon Donlon put into the draft canons and which Murphy approved and then in his capacity as a member of the Rwandan House of Bishops endorsed and promulgated in 2008. As the new Primate of Rwanda Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje has supreme authority over the Anglican Mission.

Title 6.8

a) The power of governance is distinguished as legislative, executive and judicial.

(b). Legislative authority is to b e exercised in the manner prescribed by Constitution and Canon, and that legislative authority in the Church is possessed by the Primate for the Province but can be validly delegated to His Primatial Vicar as provided for in the law.

(c) Those things which are in the realm of executive power of governance within the Missionary Jurisdiction by common law or by particular law are delegated by Primate to the Primatial Vicar and it is understood to belong only to the Primatial Vicar by virtue of the Primate’s delegation, to the exclusion of any assisting missionary bishops.

(d) If executive power is delegated by the Primate or his Vicar, it can be only subdelegated only for individual cases; if, however, it is delegated for a single act or for a determined act it cannot be sub delegated except by the expressed grant of the Primate or the Primatial Vicar.

(e) No sub delegated power can be again subdelegated validly, unless this has been expressly granted by the Primate or the Primatial Vicar.

(f) When several persons have been delegated to transact some ecclesiastical business, all must proceed according to the established norms of collegial acts as “church in council”.

Bishop Murphy's authority comes from whoever is the Primate of the Province of Rwanda. What we have here is not a misunderstanding on the part of the Rwandans but a decision by Murphy to sever ties with the Rwandans as it serves his own interests.

Bishop Murphy is clearly misleading Kevin Kellsen and George Murphy.