Anglican Mission in the Americas Communiqué from the London Meeting

Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini, Moses Tay and Yong Ping Chung, founding archbishops of the Anglican Mission, met with Bishop Chuck Murphy December 12-14, 2011, in London, England, and were joined by Cynthia Tay, Julia Yong, Susan Grayson, Canon Mike Murphy, and Canon Kevin Donlon. They have issued the following report:

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Advent is a season characterized by waiting, expectation and hope. In our recent time together, we took the opportunity to seek the Lord in prayer and meditation upon HIs Word as we waited to hear His voice. God, who is always faithful, gave us profound encouragement. We experienced His presence powerfully as we sought Him with expectant hearts in order to discern His good and perfect will for all of us in the Anglican Mission.

We acknowledged together the rapid and dramatic chain of events that have led to this moment. Remembering the joy and anticipation of Winter Conference 2011 as we welcomed the new leadership in the Rwandan House of Bishops makes the current reality of separation even more difficult for all concerned. We grieve the pain caused by such a radical and sudden change that resulted in the end of a meaningful sojourn with Rwanda.

We are mindful of the story of Abraham and Lot (Genesis 13:8-10) which illustrates that sometimes moments come when God’s people take different paths. Abraham and Lot separated with grace and mutual respect, and that is our desire as well. We are convinced that we can all find a godly way forward that overcomes division and builds for a future that honors God and extends His Kingdom.

Such a way forward demands humble hearts, fervent prayer, willing minds and committed effort.

In the midst of what must be recognized as a challenging transition, we believe God is showing us His direction for the future of the Anglican Mission. Our current situation necessitates a clear response based on what we have heard from the Lord, and therefore we commit to the creation of a missionary society as a cherished and honored model recognized within the wider Eastern and Western traditions of the Church. We look forward to the opportunity to give specific form and shape to this normative structure of a missionary society, seeking the input of our bishops, clergy, network leaders and laity. We are encouraged to be still before the Lord and to discern His leading to a new canonical provincial relationship. In addition, we pledge our commitment to the eight-member Council of Bishops and all of the Anglican Mission leadership and congregations. Living out this model within our Anglican context allows us to be a mission…nothing more, nothing less in North America and beyond. Finally, we

recognize and affirm the development of a Pastoral Declaration designed to provide the necessary order for developing a constitution.

In just a few weeks, we will gather in Houston, Texas, for Winter Conference 2012, and we look forward to the opportunity to explain the vision for a missionary society and process together this new chapter in the life of the Anglican Mission. We will hear the voices of those gathered and recommit to our Lord’s Great Commission and to one another as fellow missionaries. We believe the Lord would have us build on the past with the promise that He is with us always.

Be assured of our prayers of thanksgiving for you as we all prepare for the Nativity of our Lord and the new life He gives to each of us through His son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.”

Matt Kennedy posted the following commentary with the text of this communique on Stand Firm.

This is a breathtakingly offensive document. The attempt to attribute their schismatic behavior to God's direct guidance ecstatically discerned is both spiritually manipulative and borderline blasphemous. The Holy Spirit does not inspire schism.

As I have written elsewhere, Pawley Island in selecting the Holy Spirit as the theme of the 2012 Winter Conference signaled that a major initiative would be announced at that gathering and it would be attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit. Now we read in this report that the Holy Spirit showed up on cue at Bishop Murphy's meeting with Archbishop Tay, Koloni, and Chung, affirming Bishop Murphy's new vision for the AMiA.

Bishop Murphy's break with the Anglican Church of Rwanda was not prompted by the Holy Spirit. It has all the indications of having been motivated by human ambition. Every Christian wrestles with the natural inclination to sin. The devil is well aware of our weaknesses and exploits them for his own purposes.

My prayer is that God will give the AMiA congregations, clergy, and mission partners discernment to recognize Bishop Murphy's new vision of the AMiA for what it is--the pursuit of human ambition and not the work of the Holy Spirit. Any restructuring of the AMiA built on human ambition does not and cannot honor God.