Global Realignment in the Anglican Communion

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Global Realignment in theAnglican Communion

• A Canadian Chronology

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Canadian Chronology

• 1893 - Solemn Declaration
• WE, the Bishops, together with the delegates
  from the Clergy and Laity of the Church of
  England in the Dominion of Canada, now assembled
  in the first General Synod, hereby make the
  following Solemn Declaration
• WE declare this Church to be, and desire that it
  shall continue, in full communion with the Church
  of England throughout the world, as an integral
  portion of the One Body of Christ

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Canadian Chronology

• 1893 - Solemn Declaration
• composed of the Churches which, united under the
  One Divine Head and in fellowship of the One Holy
  Catholic and Apostolic Church, hold the One Faith
  revealed in Holy Writ, and defined in the Creeds
  as maintained by the undivided primitive Church
  in the undisputed Ecumenical Councils receive
  the same Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New
  Testaments, as containing all things necessary to
  salvation teach the same Word of God. . .to hold
  and maintain the Doctrine, Sacraments, and
  Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded
  in his Holy Word. . .and to transmit the same
  unimpaired to our posterity.

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Canadian Chronology

• 1979 - House of Bishops Guidelines
• We do not accept the blessing of homosexual
  unions.
• 1997 - House of Bishops Pastoral Statement
• We are not ready to authorize the blessing of
  relationships between persons of the same sex.
• 1998 - Lambeth Resolution 1.10 states the
  Communion Position Rejects homosexual practice
  as incompatible with scripture and could not
  advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex
  unions nor ordaining those involved in same
  gender unions

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Canadian Chronology

• 2002 (June) - Diocese of New Westminster
• Becomes the first Anglican diocese in the world
  to formally authorize the blessing of same sex
  unions
• 2003 (May) - Primates Meeting in Brazil
• we as a body cannot support the authorisation of
  such rites.
• Within one week of the Brazil meeting, the bishop
  issues a Rite and the first official blessing
  takes place in the diocese of New Westminster.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2003 (October) - Primates meeting at Lambeth
• Reaffirm 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10
• Referring to ECUSA and Diocese of New Westminster
• these decisions jeopardise our sacramental
  fellowship with each other
• This will tear the fabric of our Communion at
  its deepest level, and may lead to further
  division

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Canadian Chronology

• 2003 (October) Primates meeting at Lambeth
• On care for those adhering to Anglican teaching
• . . . we call on the provinces concerned to
  make adequate provision for episcopal oversight
  of dissenting minorities within their own area of
  pastoral care in consultation with the Archbishop
  of Canterbury on behalf of the Primates.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2004 - Canadian General Synod
• Affirms the integrity and sanctity of committed
  adult same-sex relationships
• Primates Theological Commission to report by GS
  2007 on whether same sex blessings are a matter
  of doctrine
• No attempt to stop the diocese of New
  Westminster, nor to make provision for Adequate
  Episcopal Oversight for dissenting minorities
  (per October 2003 Primates Communiqué)

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Canadian Chronology

• 2004 (November) - The Windsor Report
• 143 - 5 charges against New Westminster
• Proceeded unilaterally
• Against the formally expressed opinions of the
  Instruments of Unity
• Action in breach of the legitimate application
  of the Christian faith as the churches of the
  Anglican Communion have received it
• In breach of the bonds of affection in the life
  of the Communion
• In breach of the principle of interdependence

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Canadian Chronology

• The Windsor Report (cont)
• 144 Called for
• A moratorium
• Provinces to take responsibility for ensuring
  commitment on the part of their bishops
• 151 Commended
• . .delegated pastoral oversight for those who
  are dissenting. . . sufficient to provide a
  credible degree of security on the part of the
  alienated community, so that they do not feel at
  the mercy of a potentially hostile leadership.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2004 - The Windsor Report (cont)
• Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO) in
  the U.S. and Shared Episcopal Ministry (SEM) in
  Canada clearly lack that
• credible degree of security. . .
• The Windsor Report Concludes
• 157 There remains a very real danger . . walk
  apart.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2005 (February) Primates Meeting in Dromantine,
  Ireland
• Asked the ACC to voluntarily withdraw until
  2008
• Called for a moratorium on public Rites of
  Blessing
• Re-affirmed the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10
• Called as a matter of urgency for a panel of
  reference

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Canadian Chronology

• 2005 (February) - Primates Meeting in
  Dromantine, Ireland (cont)
• ACC to appear before the Anglican Consultative
  Council in June toset out the thinking behind
  the recent actions of their Province.
• 2005 (May) - St. Michaels Report is released
• Blessing of same sex unions is a matter of
  Doctrine, but not core doctrine in the sense of
  being credal - not communion breaking
• 2005 (June) - Anglican Consultative Council
  Hearing, Nottingham
• Upheld the voluntary withdrawal (suspension)
  until 2008

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Canadian Chronology

• October 2005
• Archbishop of Canterbury is a guest speaker at
  the Egypt South to South Encounter
• ACNS 4063, Oct. 31 reports
• On the status of the networks of dissenting
  parishes in the United States and Canada, he said
  that he was happy to recognise them as part of
  the Anglican Communion

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Canadian Chronology

• October 2005 (cont)
• There is no doubt in my mind that these networks
  are full members of the Anglican Communion that
  is to say that their bishops, their clergy and
  their people are involved with the Communion
  which I share with them, which we all share with
  them. Now formal ecclesial recognition of a
  network as if it were a province is not so simply
  in my hands or the hands of any individual. But I
  do want to say quite simply yes of course these
  are part of our Anglican fellowship and I welcome
  that.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2006 October - Panel of Reference releases report
  on the Diocese of New Westminster
• Affirms SEM.
• Archbishop Drexel Gomes (West Indies) responds
  . . the recommendations of the Panel do not
  respond adequately to the real situation.
• Archbishop Gregory Venables (Southern Cone)
  does not appear that it will offer solutions of
  adequate or appropriate substance.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 (February) - Primates Meeting in Dar Es
  Salaam
• Affirmed 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10 as the
  standard of teaching which is presupposed in the
  Windsor Report and from which the Primates have
  worked.
• Affirmed that actions of the ACC have challenged
  the standard of teaching on human sexuality
  articulated in the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10
• Grateful for the work of the Panel of Reference
  but did not endorse or discuss any of their
  recommendations or reports.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 (February) Primates Meeting in Dar Es Salaam
• Commended the work of the Covenant Design Group
  for the Lambeth Conference (2008)
• Re TECs response to the Dromantine requests
• lack of clarity
• inconsistency between the position of General
  Convention and local pastoral provision
• ambiguous stance causes concern

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 (February) Primates Meeting in Dar Es Salaam
• Acknowledged Primates have intervened in
  Provinces
• Not right to end those interventions until
  sufficient provision for the life of those
  persons
• Require a robust scheme of pastoral oversight to
  provide. . . adequate space to flourish within
  the life of that church in the period leading up
  to the conclusion of the Covenant Process
• Recommended a Pastoral Council to act on behalf
  of the Primates
• Acknowledged such pastoral needs . . . are not
  limited to TEC alone.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 (February) Primates Meeting in Dar Es Salaam
• Asked TEC House of Bishops (by September 30) for
• an unequivocal common covenant they will not
  authorize any Rite of Blessing for same-sex
  unions and
• will not consent to the consecration of any
  bishop living in a same-sex union. . . unless
  some new consensus on these matters emerges
  across the Communion
• As of September 30, 2007, the Pastoral Council
  was rejected and the unequivocal statements were
  not provided

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 (June) General Synod of the ACC, Winnipeg
• Accepts same sex blessings are a matter of
  doctrine, but not in conflict with the core
  doctrine of the ACC
• Rejects upholding Lambeth Resolution 1.10 as the
  current standard of Anglican teaching and a
  moratorium on same-sex blessings.
• Rejects a motion to affirm local option but
  fails to address New Westminster situation
• Requests a theological rationale to be brought to
  GS 2010 on the implications of the blessing of
  same-sex unions and/or marriages

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 - Post September 30
• In an October letter to Bishop John Howe (Central
  Florida), the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote
• Any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains
  clearly in communion with Canterbury and the
  mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the
  longer-term result for others in The Episcopal
  Church. The organ of union with the wider Church
  is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the
  Provincial structure as such.
• What is Windsor compliance? Who decides? When?

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 (September) Common Cause Council of Bishops
• This is another Presentation in this Conference

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 - (November)
• Bishop Donald Harvey comes out of retirement to
  become an active bishop under Primate Gregory
  Venables in the Province of the Southern Cone
• The Council of General Synod denounces his move
  and claim any proposed episcopal acts are not a
  valid expression of Anglicanism and are in
  contravention of the ancient and continuing
  tradition of the Church
• CoGS makes no statement regarding the motions to
  bless same sex marriages, passed at the recent
  Synods of Ottawa, Montreal and Niagara.

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Canadian Chronology

• 2007 - (November) ANiC Conference
• ANiC offers Adequate Episcopal Oversight and
  Communion connection to biblically-faithful
  Canadian Anglicans in serious theological
  dispute with their bishop, diocese, or the ACC
  and who wish to remain in full communion with
  the Church of England throughout the world while
  the global Communion seeks to repair the tear
  through the Covenant process or other means.