Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Lusaka gets interesting

The next ACC meeting is in Lusaka and begins soon, this Friday.

But who will be there?

There have already been some withdrawals.

Now Archbishop Mouneer is not going (see here).

Why the withdrawals?

Because the Chair of ACC, Bishop James Tengatenga has said that it will be business as usual re TEC's role at ACC, and that is both a disregard and a disrespect of the recent Primates' Meeting communique which said that TEC's role should be restricted.

This is the new politics of the Communion: playing the "rules" card as +Tengatenga has done in defiance of the "leadership" card which ++Welby played by exerting considerable diplomatic persuasion to gather the primates in one meeting and which the primates played by responding with "a way forward" for the Communion.

Has +Tengatenga misread the situation?

What can ACC meaningfully say and decide with a truncated turnout?

Is ACC heading down a blind alley?

And,

Is the Communion on course for a crossroads in which either TEC is finally and firmly constrained by all Instruments of Communion or the Communion is irrevocably split into two blocs?

13 comments:

Father Ron Smith said...

This gets EVEN MORE interesting, Peter. On a link from 'Titus on Line' onm your web-site by-line I noticed the following:

http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/breaking--bishop_mouneer_anis_decides_not_to_attend_the_2016_acc_meeting_in/

This means that Bishop Mouneer Anis may actually have read your post (above) and decided it would be too dangerous for him to attend ACC16.

From being a part of the 'Global South' convocation, it would seem that the good bishop has had 'conversations with his friends at the 'GAFCON' consortium and decided it would be better for him to toe their line. Although what this might mean for the stability of ACC16, I could not even hazard a guess. I am pretty sure, though, that it will make little difference to any determinations they might make.

Simon said...

And do many 'average' members of ACANZP, or indeed the churches represented at ACC 16, know, or even give a fig? Quite probably not.

Father Ron Smith said...

You're probably right, there, Simon. However, some of us DO care and will be praying for justice and peace at ACC16. There should a better chance for that now. In the meantime, Christ IS risen, Alleluia!

Jean said...

As Fr Ron points out Simon some do. A world-wide communion, acts as an organisational network through which to encourage, learn, and share with other brothers and sisters in Christ. It also gives the 'voice' of the communion the ABC greater credibility as he speaks and acts to further the Kingdom of God.

+Tengatenga said after the Primates meeting that he would not pre-empt the decision by the ACC regarding taking up the recommendations made by the Primates. However, he has done just this and by doing so has undermined the Primates but also all those who are attending (or were going to) the ACC meeting.

Understandably he has some loyalty to the Episcopal Church due to spending a lot of time in the US. And I have no doubt, as I would err this way myself, it is difficult to not be biased when those under request to be restricted from acting in certain areas are people who you know personally and associate yourself with.

The Primates were able (bar Nigeria) to stay in communion at their last meeting and if the report from the Primate of Canada is anything to go by a greater understanding by all of how the issue which threatens to divide was gained. They opted for the Common Good by voting (note the democracy part here) for restrictions on TEC's involvement and TEC's Primate to his credit accepted this. He also noted his intention not to leave the communion because of it.

I respect +Tengatenga as a person of faith, but how can one Bishop be allowed to make such a decision?

Father Ron Smith said...

Q: "I respect +Tengatenga as a person of faith, but how can one Bishop be allowed to make such a decision?" - Jeam -

A: Maybe because he is the appointed/elected Chair of the Anglican Consultastive Council (ACC16). He speaks as much for the Anglican Communion as does +Mouneer Anis, in his role as one bishop on the Praimtes' Council and, perhaps, with more authority.

What, Jean, you seem not to understand is that no 'one bishop' has more judicial authority in the Anglican Communion than any other - except, maybe, in their own provincial Church as Primate. This isd Anglicanism we are not subject to 'magisterial'rule from any centre.

Jean said...

Greetings Fr Ron,

There is a difference between speaking for and deciding for. You will be aware ++Welby encouraged Primates of all representative nations to attend the Primates meeting in order to preserve the Communion, however, he did not place himself in the position of deciding for them what the outcome of the meeting would be.

Bryden Black said...

May be this sheds some light folks on Abp MA:

http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/64445/

Father Ron Smith said...

Bryden points us to a couple of comedians, not unlike, but nowhere as entertaining as 'The Twe Ronnies':

http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/64445/

This couple, friends of ACNA - the schismatic North American pseudo-Anglican Church (sponsored by GAFCON) - are co-hosts of a show that affects to denigrate TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada.

Peter Carrell said...

Hi Ron
Your comment verges on ad hominem.
You have not actually cited anything which is "denigratory".
It is well known that this show is critical of TEC and ACCan.
These churches surely are not above criticism, are they?
Especially not at a time when TEC has been transparent about some troubles at head office. (And good on them for being transparent).
I myself watched what they had to say about ACC and Mouneer Anis: I thought they both made fair comment about that situation and reminded us of the crucial role Mouneer paid in securing the agreement of the Primates at the January meeting.
I don't suppose we are able in your view to suggest that +Tengatenga has denigrated that agreement, are we?

Bryden Black said...

One gathers FRS is "not amused" by the infotainment style of Unscripted. Perhaps the information they relay is itself unwelcome ... because "inconvenient". As inconvenient furthermore as the facts behind the CoE's own schism ...

Father Ron Smith said...

"As inconvenient furthermore as the facts behind the CoE's own schism ... -0 Bryden Black -

Not to mention the schism in GAFCON - now that Kenya's own ACC Members have desided to ignore their Archbishop/Chairman's advice not to attend ACC16. This may be an indication of 'the will of the people' - maybe representing a majority of the Gafcon provincial Church Members.

Bryden Black said...

Well Ron; having myself lived in a part of Africa for quite a while, I'd be inclined to say:

Watch and wait - they could just be wanting a bob each way. Africans have their own form of pragmatism!

In addition, knowing a rep from DRC, we might be surprised yet ...

Peter Carrell said...

Hi Ron
I don't think your reply to Bryden helps the conversation along so I am not going to publish it.
You need to respond to Bryden's main point which is about forms of pragmatism, not about who has lived in which country.