PH: What are your personal thoughts on the Conference?

BKC: There are two words to convey my experience of Lambeth: privilege and pain. The longer I’m here the greater the sense of privilege. This is my first Lambeth Conference, so I have nothing to compare it to ”“ some bishops I’ve spoken to have three Lambeths under their belts!

I do feel privileged to meet with men and women of faith whose stories and experiences are humbling. The contexts of people’s ministries are so varied. One bishop from Sudan has had to literally run for his life once and has been attacked several times. Another bishop is surviving on an income of just $30 per month. The story from Ethiopia and Somalia is that six million people are seriously hungry, close to starving, and this seems likely to rise to 15 million by the end of the year. The impact of these personal testimonies is deep. I do have a strong sense of the amazing family which is the Anglican Communion. It is made up of a huge variety of people working in different contexts, engaged in mission and trying to honour the Lord.

As for the pain, I’m conscious of the profound pain that many bishops are ”“ so evidently ”“ not here. They represent a majority of Anglicans. We are praying for and remembering them every day. I also find it painful that there is division among us. I would say that we are having frank, honest and robust exchanges of views. At this time we face a huge challenge. Our listening must be genuine with an end purpose. There is an understanding of various viewpoints but many I have listened to are convinced that we must move towards some kind of resolution. It is increasingly clear that at the heart of the tension there are those who see developments on human sexuality as that ”“ development, while others see it as a departure from what has been accepted for two thousand years. There is uncertainty about the future. For me it is a deeply painful to see the church I love experiencing such a foundational fissure. The heart of Anglicanism is experiencing a ”˜cardiac arrest’!

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This is a very valuable interview and worth the time. He says he is cautiously “hopeful” going into this week, but concerned about the domination of the conference by the “very vocal” Episcopal Church participants.

Speaking at the Lambeth Conference this week Bishop [Michael] Burrows said “at the end of the day the Church of Ireland is enriched not diminished” by the differing views of its bishops on same sex issues. In his own dioceses same sex matters were “not the big issues”, which would include promotion of the gospel, the Aids crisis and ecumenism. He didn’t think the outcome of the conference would greatly influence people and was “always relieved that Lambeth’s role is advisory not binding”. He rejoiced in belonging to “a church which doesn’t regard its instruments as uttering infallibly”.

He felt this particularly about a resolution on human sexuality from the last Lambeth Conference in 1998 which rejected homosexual practice as incompatible with scripture. The resolution also rejected the legitimising or blessing of same-sex unions or the ordination of those involved in same-gender unions.

He believed a covenant would be drafted towards the end of this conference, but that it would be along Lisbon Treaty lines with “different degrees of signing up to it”. He is finding the process of discussion “very cumbersome . . . physically, very tiring.” It was “a well-intentioned attempt by a dysfunctional family to keep talking until we realise we cannot fall out of love with one another”. But there was, he felt, “a danger of going round and round the elephants rather than going over or through them”.

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The Lambeth Conference is now believed highly unlikely to resolve the controversy over the ordination of actively gay bishops or blessings for same-sex couples.

The two issues have riven the Anglican Communion in recent years and have led to about a quarter of its bishops worldwide boycotting the current conference, which continues until August 3rd.

In a statement yesterday, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Right Rev John Neill, said he believed that “we are now engaged at Lambeth not in solving an issue, but in staying together for the sake of Christ, the church and above all the world which he calls upon us to serve”.

This “has not happened because anybody is trying to impose a liberal agenda.

“Liberals and conservatives should not attempt to demonise one another.

“We need both, but we need more, we need to be together,” he said.

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One of the key elements of this year’s Lambeth Conference is, of course the Indaba groups. The way it works is this: We all meet in small Bible Study groups of around eight people after Breakfast each morning, to study the ”˜I ams’ of St John’s Gospel. This is proving a most productive experience. Perhaps bishops do not get the opportunity often enough to have fellowship in Bible Study groups!

Then, after coffee, five of the Bible Study groups come together to make up one Indaba group. Indaba is, we are told, a Zulu word for a gathering for purposeful discussion, used often when there is a difficult issue to be faced. ”˜It is’ says the opening section introducing the concept, ”˜both a process and method of engagement as we listen to one another concerning challenges that face our community and by extension the Anglican Communion’. It appears that part of the genius of Indaba is being aware of the issues without trying to resolve them immediately: certainly a very Anglican way! There are to be no hidden agendas, we are to think in terms of ”˜both-and’, rather than ”˜either-or’, and to trust our leadership. So far, so good, and the little tasks we have been asked to do on ”˜The Bishop and Anglican Identity’ and ”˜The Bishop and Evangelism’ have been relatively enjoyable – the kind of things you would do at a Youth Fellowship Weekend – but I share a growing uncertainty about where the process is going. The next stage, apparently, is to elect a ”˜listener’ to gather the ideas and take them to the next level, and then there will be various ‘hearings’, but no resolutions.

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THERE IS “a palpable sense of uncertainty about where it is all going” and “a lack of trust under the surface”, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Down and Dromore Right Rev Harold Miller said about the Lambeth Conference yesterday. He also warned that “if there is not a proper place for debate, then that will be exceptionally dangerous for the Anglican Communion”.

Acknowledging there had been just two days of the indaba discussions format, whereby the 670 bishops attending have been meeting in groups of 40, he said he felt one-line summations at the end of the discussions tended towards the bland. There was also uncertainty about being involved in something that would not involve the passing of a resolution, he said.

He welcomed as “brave” and “courageous” a statement from the Sudanese bishops yesterday that rejected homosexual practice as “contrary to biblical teaching and can accept no place for it within ECS (the Episcopal Church of Sudan)”.

They also called on the Anglican Church in the US and Canada to refrain from ordaining practising homosexuals as priests or bishops, from approving rites of blessing for same-sex relationships, to cease court actions with immediate effect, to comply with past Lambeth Conference resolutions, and “to respect the authority of the Bible”.

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Listen to it all (about 11 1/2 minutes total).

Archbishop Harper’s argument that we can come to new conclusions about homosexual unions is poorly cast and shows a need for further research on his part regarding the scriptural evidence in its historical context. Much of what I have written above can be seen in a fuller discussion in my 2003 article, “Does the Bible Regard Same-Sex Intercourse as Intrinsically Sinful?”[1] Put simply, Paul was not presupposing in Rom 1:24-27 that every individual who engages in homosexual practice consciously turns aside from felt heterosexual urges. Rather, they turn aside from clear natural revelation, here given in the obvious embodied complementarity of male and female. Nor is the concept of homosexual orientation wholly unknown in the Greco-Roman milieu. Nor was Paul deriving his view of homosexual practice solely from nature, as if he thought that the creation texts in Genesis 1-2 had nothing to say about homosexual practice by necessary implication. There is absolutely no evidence that modern orientation theory would have had any impact on Paul changing his strong negative valuation of homosexual practice. Indeed, all the extant evidence indicates otherwise.

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Thus, in the case of the passage under discussion, the essentially narrative character of the account rendered by Paul, dealing with a particular situation involving what Paul interprets as the deliberate punishment of God on persons who defy and renounce the truth about Him, and featuring the application of reason and the contemporary knowledge of the time to the activities of persons who appear radically and wilfully to have changed their normal sexual orientation to embrace an orientation that was not originally normal for them, it cannot be held that what is unquestionably Holy Scripture is also a declaration of the Law of God. The only aspect that can be placed in the category of “Law” is the requirement to recognize the truth about God and not to exchange such acknowledgment of truth and the worship that goes with it, for the lie that anything other than the God revealed in scripture and through the created order is worthy of recognition and worship.

Indeed, this is the key, not only to the situation confronted by Paul but also to the situation confronted by the contemporary Church. The issue that confronted Paul and confronts us now is how to get across the damaging futility that will be encountered by those ”“ they are a great majority throughout the world ”“ who defy and deny the truth about God. Paul saw in the depravity of his contemporaries the punishment of God not on account of their depravity (which, Paul says was their punishment not their crime!) but on account of their denial and defiance, which was the sin that counted.

Romans 1, therefore, provides no declaration of the Law of God in respect of homosexuality and homosexual acts. Reference to such acts is what Hooker might call “by-speeches” in the context of an historical narrative and, as such, not a declaration of God’s Law. Furthermore, Paul, in his treatment of the issues, employs reason based upon the knowledge and presuppositions accessible to him in his day. These may be challenged if the knowledge base changes definitively. It is therefore inappropriate on the basis of Romans 1.18-17 and ff to judge or anathematize persons on the basis of sexual orientation. It will be necessary to scrutinize other sections of scripture in a similar way to discover whether elsewhere there may be established evidence of the Law of God in this matter and I have not attempted to do that in this essay. I remain committed to the view, however, that the tools of analysis which Hooker articulated are essential to our contemporary purpose and are especially relevant for the purpose of distilling the Law of God from the total corpus of Holy Scripture.

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Dublin: Irish evangelical leader Bishop Harold Miller of Down and Dromore conceded his decision to attend the Anglican Lambeth Conference “did not make sense” in light of the agenda and invitation list put forward by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but it was important to “give it one more chance” so as to preserve the gathering’s “moral authority.”

In his Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Down and Dromore on June 19, Bishop Miller noted this month’s Lambeth Conference would be marked by the absence of a “quarter of our bishops.” He was “deeply saddened” by their decision as it would undermine the “moral authority” of the Conference, as well as excluding the voices of the most vibrant churches in the Communion.

However, he also expressed concerns about the conference as planned, noting it had been recast into a “retreat-come-training-conference and a meeting and listening place for bishops.”

The agenda “bothers me,” he said, asking “Who is doing the ”˜training’ and how is it going to be ”˜slanted?”

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Today was a short day at GAFCON, but a highly significant day. Details will be released later by the GAFCON leadership, but what can be said is that decisions are being taken by those at GAFCON in a very tangible atmosphere of prayer, joy and worship. Not only is there a deep sense of fellowship in Christ, but also there is a huge desire to move forward under the Lordship of Christ to accomplish his mission in the world.

Yesterday, a wonderful aspect of the corporate worship of GAFCON was the marvellous singing led by the members of the Mothers’ Union Choir of Nigeria. But even that was trumped by a choir of four south American bishops, one toting a guitar, leading in a time of joyful praise – in spanish! Joyful as the fellowship is at GAFCON, it is most certainly not a spiritual ”˜jamboree’. There is a serious determination to be about the heavenly Father’s business and this is expressed in the workshops, the plenary sessions, and in casual conversations.

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There are two segments here, the first an introductory one with Robert Piggott and the second with two Church of Ireland leaders, one of whom is participating in GAFCON, the other of whom is a member of the Church of Ireland General Synod. Listen to them both (about 19 minutes total).

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His picture is here; listen to the whole interview there.

In this context, and looking to the future, it has been proposed and fairly generally accepted throughout the Anglican Communion that there should be a Covenant produced which would express what was essential to being “in communion” with one another in terms of our shared faith and calling, and of our responsibility towards one another. In 2007, a first draft was produced in Nassau which, following miniscule amendment at the Primates’ meeting in Dar es Salaam, was circulated for comment throughout the Communion. The Church of Ireland through the Standing Committee of General Synod established a Covenant Response Group which offered a response and proposed a much shorter redrafting.

Responses were received from many of the Anglican Churches, as well as from individual scholars and conferences and various groupings. These were all carefully examined in January 2008, when the Covenant Design Group, on which I serve, held its second meeting at St Andrew’s House (The Anglican Communion Office) in London. This group is representative of Churches in Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania, and also of the various strands within Anglicanism.

In working with the Covenant Design Group, I learnt a great deal, but I would mention one or two insights that I gained, or gained afresh.

The first was that, in spite of the hyping of differences within our Communion, there is a deep determination to stay together, and that we really experienced a deep unity around prayer, the Bible and sharing in the Eucharist.

The second was that the role of Synods comprising bishops, clergy and laity varies greatly around the Communion. In some parts of the world, what the Primate says on almost any question is regarded as the voice of the Church, even though there has been no work done on the question at synodical level, whereas, in America and Europe, the voice of the Church requires a great deal of consultation before it is articulated.

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A priest has told how compulsory celibacy was part of his personal journey away from the Catholic “church of his youth” towards the Anglican ministry.

The Very Reverend Dermot Dunne also spoke of his concerns over the Catholic Church’s teaching against birth control, on not allowing divorce to couples in broken marriages, as well as its refusal to admit women to the priesthood.

He was speaking in Dublin yesterday at the announcement of his appointment as Dean of the Church of Ireland’s Christ Church cathedral.

Currently the Church of Ireland Archdeacon in the diocese of Ferns, Dean-elect Dunne becomes Christ Church’s first Dean since the 16th Century Reformation to have received his theological education in a Catholic seminary, St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

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The Church of Ireland has responded to the Anglican Draft Covenant by producing its own draft covenant. The document was prepared by a small group former and present Irish members of ACC and other church members experienced in ecumenical affairs, who hold “a wide variety of views in relation to both churchmanship and issues of human sexuality.” It has been presented to both the House of Bishops and the Standing Committee of the Church of Ireland, with suggestions from both bodies incorporated into the document.

In redrafting a proposed Anglican Covenant the working group wanted to express very clearly the themes of Mutual Responsibility and Interdependence within the Body of Christ, to be inclusive, insofar as possible and produce an agreement which might prevent similar crises in the future. To achieve this, the working group sought to remove elements of legislative structure from any proposed Anglican covenant and emphasised provincial autonomy within the Communion.

IrishAngle reproduces the text of the draft covenant below:

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The former Church of Ireland Primate, Lord Robin Eames, is leading an Anglican Communion delegation in North Korea, on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

Lord Eames left Northern Ireland this week to meet up with a group of other Anglicans, including the primates of South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Prior to his departure, Lord Eames told the Belfast Telegraph: “The visit to North Korea is linked to humanitarian aid provided by the Anglican Communion and the project concludes with an international peace conference in South Korea at the weekend.

“During this meeting I will be delivering a keynote speech from the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

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Anglican religious group ‘the traditional rite’ today played down reports that members have asked the Vatican for a “full, corporate, sacramental union” with the Catholic Church.

The request, if successful, could result in some parish communities in Ireland – including a number in the north – being received formally into the Catholic Church, according to The Irish Catholic newspaper.

It stated that the parishes in counties Down, Tyrone and Laois could be affected.

They are part of the ‘traditional rite’ within the Church of Ireland who objected to the introduction of the ordination of women by the Irish House of Bishops.

Overall this could involve some 400,000 Anglicans world-wide, although only a few in Ireland would be involved.

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There have been other conversions over the decades, but there is no record in recent times of a Church of Ireland bishop’s wife taking this step.

Her husband, and Bishop Fleming, were understandably supportive. They said in a joint statement that Mrs Henderson’s decision was a matter of conscience and added: “We trust that people of goodwill will share in this. We commend her for her honesty and courage.”

Some people may be critical of such a move, but the vast majority will be supportive of Mrs Henderson, and not least those in her husband’s Diocese.

The manner in which this has been handled says much about the good relations between the Church of Ireland and Catholics in the Republic.

Most people would have been equally understanding if this had involved a Northern Ireland bishop and his wife, though the cultural differences between north and south are such that others on this side of the border might have found the move more difficult to understand.

In the wider Anglican Church, however, there is a broader view. A significant section of the Church of England would still favour initiatives towards greater communion with Rome.

The Vatican, in turn, has accepted a number of married Protestant clerics who have been become disillusioned with aspects of Anglicanism, though Pope Benedict XVI has made it clear that there will be no slackening of the insistence on celibacy for Catholic clergy.

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The wife of a Church of Ireland bishop has converted to Catholicism in a move unprecedented in modern Irish church history.

The close-knit Anglican community in the west has been stunned by the shock conversion of the wife of Richard Henderson, Bishop of the United Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry.

African-born Anita Henderson — who is also the daughter of a Church of Ireland clergyman in Cork — was received into the Catholic Church at a Sunday evening prayer service in the private chapel of the Catholic Bishop of Killala, John Fleming.

Mrs Henderson’s devoted husband, their two teenage daughters and their schoolboy son attended the service in Bishop Fleming’s palace overlooking the River Moy in the market town of Ballina.

Mrs Henderson said her decision was “the combination of a long journey of spiritual searching.

“I feel under God that is what I am being called to do,” she said.

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