During the two-hour service, which was primarily conducted in Spanish with English translations, the Rt. Rev. Carlos Lozan Lopez, Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain, welcomed three new honorary canons: Eliseo Villa and the Rev. Anthony Ball from the international office at Lambeth Palace in London, and the Rev. James H. Cooper, rector of Trinity Wall Street.
“Trinity Church is an active partner in the global south, especially strengthening the Church in Africa by facilitating the ability of its leaders to take control of factors that influence their lives,” stated Fr. Cooper in a Trinity press release. “Diocesan partnerships are a vital route to achieving important goals both locally and globally. We look forward this week to challenging conversations, inspired thinking, and renewed commitments to partnership and mission.”
It would be of interest to learn how many other African dioceses, if any more, have partnership relationships with other TEC dioceses. The presence of some African primates at this meeting is of significance, given all the noise coming from the GSSC. As i said in an earlier posting, this is an encouraging development.
(My diocese is partnered with one in North India, and there must be many other dioceses whose relationships are with dioceses beyond Africa.)
You’re gloating, Bob, over something that is insignificant. Trinity’s overtures are to people with whom Trinity has established ties. If anything significant happens to change the direction of the key players of the Global South you can read about it at The Global South website.
Let’s not be naive here. It’s very clear what Trinity Wall Street is up to.
bb
BabyBlue (#3) wrote:
“Let’s not be naive here. It’s very clear what Trinity Wall Street is up to.”
Spreading the Gospel? Helping those in need despite theological differences? Acting as Christ would have us act?
Al freÃr será el reÃr, y al pagar será el llorar.
Correction to #4:
Acting as Christ would have us act instead of ascribing without evidence nefarious motives to our brothers and sisters in Christ?
“Spreading the Gospel? Helping those in need despite theological differences? Acting as Christ would have us act? ”
Lobbying? With a big fat money bag and promise of more?
Nadie va a reir cuando venga nuestro Senor para juzgar.
Well, I’ll leaving the judging to Him. He’s much more qualified than any of us.
Ah, I love it when I post a note and then get trashed with comments like “You’re gloating…” Come now, Alice, “encouraging development” hardly qualifies as a gloat. Or, “Let’s not be naive…” Oh, “naive”? And of course, we all know “what Trinity is up to.” These remarks say much more about those who made them than they do about me.
I think Kevin is closer to what the purpose of the conference is. It appears that Trinity is footing the bill for the conference, but that hardly qualifies as bribery. These present comments are also insulting to those African diocesans who want to maintain relationships with their sister dioceses in the US, and to continue to benefit from their mutual support. Do you think the African primates and bishops in attendance would be there if they thought they were being bought off? Are you all that cynical? Do you have that low of an opinion of these Africans?
I’m off for a few weeks. I’ll miss you guys!
BB (#4), I cheekily must say that it is not clear at all what they are trying to do. After all, what the heck do they mean by “strengthening the Church in Africa by facilitating the ability of its leaders to take control of factors that influence their lives”???
My reading of this suggests that perhaps they’re purchasing weather-manipulation technology for local bishops, who will then be able to take control of the climate in order to ensure fair weather and therefore a healthy turnout for evangelistic outreach events?
😉
It seems clear to me. TEC is preparing for the day (Oct 1?) when they will declare that the Global South is actually of a split mind, and that only a small and insignificant minority of provinces have declared TEC heretical.
BR: It is already clear that the GS is not unanimous, at least if “GS” is taken as a geographic term. South Africa, for example, is not just some tiny missionary outpost.
And while the provinces opposed to TEC count huge numbers of communicants, the number of [i]provinces[/i], while not insignificant, is relatively small. A minority, in fact.
I see financial coercion at work here! Does the old phrase “money talks” sound familiar? It should, because that’s what Trinity is up to!
Cennydd, I suggest you are giving our African brothers and sisters far too little credit for a theology that puts mission before non-doctrinal differences. In fact, I suggest that you are insulting their integrity, as well as the ethos of Trinity Wall Street. You might take a moment to look at their financial records and their history of giving enormous sums to worthy endeavors in the name of our Lord.