Is this a great idea?

Stand Firm alerts us to this Anglican Communion idea: "continuing indaba".

You can read about it on this Anglican Communion webpage.

Included there is this explanation:

"The arrival of Continuing Indaba on the Internet as part of the Anglican Communion web site makes visible the preparatory work already in hand for the series of pilot conversations between dioceses from different parts of the Communion to take place during 2010 and 2011.

Visitors to the new site will find an outline of the project,, which explains its origins as located within an African conversational method for resolving real or potential conflict through mutual listening and debate. The process emerges from the Indaba-style format used at the 2008 Lambeth Conference which is now being expanded to enhance the world-wide Anglican Communion in its quest to intensify relationships in the cause of shared mission.

These pages carry news of the initial series of ‘hub’ meetings around the world during late 2009 and early 2010 whose remit is to develop resources which can guide and inform the model conversations between participants from dioceses from across the world."

I am all for conversation, relationship, listening, and stuff like that as part of making concrete our Communion together. But in view of other developments in the Communion right now, I cannot help recalling the phrase "fiddling while Rome burned".

OK "Rome" is confusing in this context. Let's try "fiddling while the Communion-as-we-have-known-it burned."