Saturday, July 3, 2010

Unsteady Standing Committee

What is going on with the Anglican Communion Standing Committee which is losing members and not sorting out the status of Bishop Ian Douglas' membership? Check here and here.

I am picking that the resignations represent discomfort that Presiding Bishop Schori remains a member of the committee. Yes, properly elected etc (to head off one line of comments). But her presence is at odds with the majority understanding of the mind of the Communion.

Stick around as is your legal right; but if the Communion unravels around you, please do not say no one warned that this would happen!

Is this the slow motion Communion train crash gathering speed?

2 comments:

spicksandspecks said...

Hi Peter,
The issue seems to be broader than just the Presiding Bishop's membership of the committee. When Bishop Mounir resigned his membership, his concerns were that the Standing Committee was not serious about resolving the crises in the Communion, especially implementing the recommendations of the Windsor Report and the Primates' Meetings. He also accuses the Standing Committee of ignoring and disregarding orthodox voices, and of usurping the authority of other instruments of Communion.
See link.
http://www.dioceseofegypt.org/english/resignation

So, for Bishop Mounir at least, the issue is a broader one of inaction, bias and usurping authority by the whole Standing Committee, rather than just a protest at the Presiding Bishop's membership.

Best wishes,
Andrew Reid

Peter Carrell said...

Thanks for that broader information, Andrew. But it would be fair to wonder if an SC without the PB and +Douglas would be one more intent on implementing the recommendations of the Windsor Report ...