There are those on the right side of the aisle, however, who believe that …[Archbishop Rowan Williams] simply made a human error of judgement in allowing the delaying amendments to be voted on. The problem with this charitable view is that he himself stated that it was section 4 ”“ the very section with disciplinary implications ”“ that needed to be revised because it was causing dissension in the Communion. As if there had not been dissension heretofore leading up to this meeting!
Fine, I am willing to concede that Rowan Williams may have slipped up, or been snookered, in slowing down the approval of the Covenant. If, however, he himself recognizes this to be the case, then I would expect him to appoint a select review group that will uphold the Ridley Cambridge Draft and report out to the JSC an unaltered text or at least one where the key provisions of section 4 (including section 4.1.5) are still in place. I shall then expect him to face down Katherine Jefferts Schori and other objectors on the JSC and see the Covenant through to approval so that it may go out to the Provinces.
If the above paragraphs sound skeptical, it is because many of us conservatives see so little evidence that we can count on Rowan Williams for anything. For instance, even though he signed the unanimous Dar Communiqué and pleaded with Bishop John Howard to refrain from forcing clergy and congregation out of their church home in Jacksonville (I almost slipped and said St. Augustine (!) because one of my former students, a Jamaican, was forced from his parish in that city by the same Bishop Howard), did he speak up in favor of the fourth moratorium? Did he vote for it? I don’t know, but if he did, it didn’t make the headlines.
So what should orthodox folk do, now that the Covenant hope has been extinguished or at best put on hold? First of all, do what we are called to do: worship God and love your neighbor. Beyond that, I hope that the GAFCON and Global South bishops at the international level and the ACNA and Communion Partners in North America can find ways of working together for the up-building and mission of the Church. With or without the Covenant, we need each other. Each of our movements has its assets and deficits and we can share them as the Apostle commends to his churches (2 Corinthians 8:13-15).
Whither the Covenant? I believe that we should pursue dual tracks. Ok, the Ridley Cambridge Draft is not dead; it is on life support. It is my hope that Rowan Williams will repent of his mistake in Jamaica. I hope that “communion conservatives,” like the Anglican Communion Institute, will make a strong case for keeping the Draft exactly as is. I hope that Henry Orombi will attend the JSC meeting at the end of this year and insist on keeping the Covenant strong.
At the same time, I hope that the Global South movement ”“ those identified with the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and those not so identified ”“ will resume its leadership on the Covenant. On the one hand, it can be patient and pressure Lambeth Palace not to change the text. On other hand, it can consider making the text stronger: by adding some elements from the Jerusalem Declaration and making the enforcement clauses even stronger. If the Covenant is not resuscitated by the end of the year, the Global South can ready a new Covenant ”“ a resurrection, as it were ”“ that will serve the mission of the Anglican Communion in the “Global Anglican Future.”
I doubt for all the brilliance touted in Niagara Falls quantities of accolades since his disastrous archbishopric that the ABC made a human error. He merely fulfilled his duty to the entity which has torn the fabric of communion so that it could be ripped to shreds. Human error? Not for all the body’s grace.
Well, we will know soon enough. If Rowan proceeds as Dr. Noll has suggested, it will be apparent that it was simply an error. If not, then our worst thoughts will be confirmed.
I know where my money is.
If ++Rowan made an error is it too much to expect him to acknowledge it and apologize? Silence on his part, I’m afraid will suggest to many that he favored the outcome in Jamaica.
If Abp. Williams made an error, he MUST acknowledge it immediately. Anything short of an apology coming out from Lambeth tomorrow, 11 May, and he de facto confirms complicity. End of chapter. And at that point, ALL orthodox must rise up in unison and inform Mr. Williams directly and with dispatch that what he has done is absolutely counter to the gospel.
Why is it that all of Rowan Williams’ “errors in judgment” stave off consequences to the TEClub?
We were providentially delivered from the Ridley Draft which placed the now plainly seen as perfidious JSC at the center of all things Anglican.
Another unspoken point: Rowan Williams lends his voice to torpedo the Covenant (which places in question of whether he was ever for it or whether it was one more way to get the orthodox to spin their wheels), but does he speak up to condemn the litigation? Has he ever used his position to forcefully condemn the shame? Has he ever done anything to help the orthodox? It is hard for me to keep returning to “Homosexual relationships can be equivalent to Christian marriage.”
[blockquote]Some have questioned my reference to “perfidious Albion†– the fact that Rowan Williams intervened at a critical moment to delay the approval of the Covenant – on the grounds that the current occupant of the throne of Augustine in Canterbury hails from Wales. True, and the occupant of York is Ugandan by birth. But the point is that the Church of England is the Mother Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury occupies his place of honor in the Communion for that reason.[/blockquote]
Thanks Dr Noll for the cameo reference to my comment. I am almost as proud as I was when another comment of mine made it into the blog round up in the Church of England Newspaper.
Yes it is true that Dr Williams is now our Primate, and in that capacity rather good. However I think that his role in the Communion has to be looked at. He has a history of undermining Communion Instruments: first the decisions of the Dar Primates’ meeting; then neutering Lambeth with the most outrageous Indabaing seen, and now the ACC which was Indaba-hell.
I would have given him the benefit of the doubt in Jamaica until I realised that the thing had been fixed with the Resolutions Committee composed of rump small liberal provinces the US, New Zealand and Scotland. Listening to the debate it is pretty clear that the idea of taking Section 4 away from the CDG draft and into the hands of his appointees and the JSC had been on the cards all along. It was all prepared, like the Aspinall resolution, which is why the ABC said that people voting against Resolution A may have had that in mind and should have the chance to vote when the Chair was about to rule against it. You would not have thought that Section 4 like the draft Covenant was his fix to start with would you?
The Communion needs to get away from the Welsh control freakery and use proper procedures. Williams is the problem and I hope that the GS Primates and churches give the lead in reforming the role of the Instrument most in need of it.
Sorry here is my link:
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/22482/#362163
Well apparently we are all to wait expectantly for the Arch-manipulator of Canterbury’s Presidential Address tomorrow afternoon. However nothing short of dealing properly with the gerrymandering and shenanigans of Friday will do with proper votes rather than remitting Section 4 to the JSC/Rowan’s chums for speying.
As James W? said elsewhere:
[blockquote] …. the shenanigans at the ACC were intended by the Western liberals to sever Part 4 of the Covenant, give it over to a small, group of hand-picked appointees by Williams (who they undoubtedly expect to water down Part 4) and then to turn it over to the clearly Western liberal dominated JSC for final approval. Absent some intervening action, this means that the Covenant will effectively die.[/blockquote]
I assume that the Williams/Kearon plan to take Section 4 off to the JSC where it can be nobbled will still be the plan after the Presidential Address, as it is pretty clear was the plan of Dr Williams all along. Weasel words, faux apologies and crocodile tears will not avail.
And it is necessary to take control of meetings, invitations etc out of his control-freak hands and put it into the hands of the Primates or their committee. He is not to be trusted.
The ACI has posted a response to the meeting:
http://www.anglicancommunioninstitute.com/?p=415
In case the above sounds harsh the evidence is:
1. His decision to send this to ACC;
2. His chairing of JSC before the meeting;
3. His rearrangement of ACC procedures into Indabas with the committee of Indaba Facilitators being the Resolutions Committee of liberals: US, Scotland and New Zealand;
4. His press spokesman of choice Aspinall bouncing Resolution C on the conference, a resolution which was pre-printed and handed out by conference officials;
5. His intervention in favour of the incorporation of the Resolution A bits previously voted down into Resolution B;
6. His excuse for doing so, that people will have voted against Resolution A would have done so KNOWING that they would have the chance to consider similar resolutions coming up which [he knew would be coming up] and wanted them to be able to consider them;
7. His and the chair’s failure to correct the absense of vote on the later resolution, a vote only having been taken to amend the resolution to be voted on.
8. His plan conveniently in place which Kearon announced for him to take Section 4 out [on the basis of a non-vote] have it reconsidered by a committee he would dream up taking it out of the hands of the Covenant Design Group properly charged with drafting it and then have that approved by the largely liberal white rump JSC.
9. His involvement and that of the JSC in unseating the alternate for Uganda.
10. The rearguard action taken up by his apologists to blame +Orombi for his shennanigans.
It stinks.
At ANY rate, all orthodox now must know beyond even any scintilla of doubt that Abp. Williams is NEVER to be trusted EVER again. Neither his YES nor his NO have any value whatsoever. His archbishopric, by his own hand, marks the end of the old AC. I wonder how a historian must feel about being the fulcrum that leveraged the end of a 450+ year tradition. Twould take a more than a master-master spinmeister to roll out of this one.
Please note: I have added a third thought (12 hours later) to my piece:
[blockquote]If Rowan Williams really did slip up, as even one of his critics (George Conger) hints, then he could, he must, undo the damage as best he can and as quickly as possible.
1. He can publicly state his error and apologize for the ensuing mess.
2. He can fire Canon Kearon and anyone else responsible for enabling this new crisis.
3. He could convene a special meeting of the JSC immediately and have it declare that the will of the majority of the Communion is to move forward with adoption?
4. He could declare unilaterally that the vote in Jamaica was invalid and that he is sending out the Ridley Cambridge Draft to the Provinces for adoption. There was no constitutional necessity for the ACC to approve the Draft, and in any case the Resolution passed violated the earlier protocol which stated that the Draft would be either voted up or voted down or returned to the Drafting Group.
If he cannot bring himself to do one or more of these items, he should resign.[/blockquote]
If Abp. Williams does none of the above in #13, ALL orthodox leadership in the AC must formally, vigorously, directly, publicly, and with alacrity demand his ouster. No delaying. The orthodox are paying V E R Y close attention. Orthodox “listening” hath come to its end, as of 8 May, 2009!
By the way Archbishop you can use your Presidential Address to tell us about your involvement in the $1.5m funding of your “listening process” by what appears to be a pro abortion as well as pro gay rights organisation the Morehouse-Satcher Health Initiative whose Mission Statement is:
[blockquote]“Conservative and fundamentalist forces use sexuality to attack progressive sectors that work on reproductive health, women’s rights, girls’ education and other issues. Often using religion to justify their actions, these groups see sexuality and sexual rights-particularly women’s control of their own sexuality and LGBT rights-as a tremendous threat to the status quo that they want to maintain (or a former order they are seeking to restore). Indeed, more open and positive attitudes toward sexuality would reduce the ability of vocal fundamentalists to sustain these attacks. If the terrain of sexuality is left uncontested, extremist forces will increasingly occupy the space as a base for their onslaught against human rights, religious pluralism, tolerance and social justice.â€[/blockquote]
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/22457/#362545
It is your call Archbishop, you or your goons chair/sit on all the Communion instruments and committees involved.
Well Archbishop, what about it? When did you start supporting abortion?
Original quote from here:
http://www.americananglican.org/report-from-acc-14-day-six
My neighbor is a very good friend of mine. Over the years there’ve been some small mistakes he’s made, for which he’s always apologized and assured me of his deep devotion to our friendship. By complete accident he’s backed his car over my cat, poisoned my dog, introduced my children to drinking and then drugs, had an affair with my wife who divorced me and married him, and most recently he burned my house down. Well, even though I have lost all those precious things, it is reassuring to know that at least our friendship is intact and I can always count on my friend!
#15, 16–Pageantmaster, that quote is from the Ford Foundation, not Satcher.
Thanks Ralinda. You are correct that the quote is not from Morehouse-Satcher, but from their financial backers.
Thank you also for the links on SF from which the following quote from Morehouse comes:
http://www.msm.edu/Documents/Research/CESH_NCP_InterimReport.pdf
Quite so.
Terry (#18),
Lucky you! What a great neighbor and friend you have!!
I also have such an interesting friend. My friend lives in a palace in far-away Lambeth, England. Over the years there’ve been some small mistakes he’s made, for which he’s NEVER apologized, but has always assured me of his deep devotion to our friendship. By complete accident he had sent out Invitations for a Once-in-Ten-Years meeting to some men and women who had no business being at that meeting. He had, and continues to change terms agreements and understand I have with him and in with our community. My friend has this tendency of speaking from both sides of his mouth, and of using big words and nuances to hide what he is really saying.
With toxic foreign substances, he has poisoned the communal life-giving water supply that is in his custody; introduced our children and our community to drinking Koolaid and mind-altering hetero-orthodoxical drugs. He has not burned my house down, but has supported and encouraged a certain litigious woman and her band of lawyers from New York who are using the courts to take my house and the houses of my friends and community.
Well, even though I have lost all those precious things, and continue to lose even more, it is reassuring to know that at least our friendship is intact and I can always count on my Lambeth friend, as a devoted friend and an instrument that unites me with my community!
Terry, with friends like yours and mine, who needs an enemy?
How fortunate we are!!
Fr. Kingsley Jon-Ubabuco
Arlington Texas
Thanks Pageantmaster. I’m sure they’re myopically referring to the researchers on an individual basis rather than the Morehouse School of Medicine! Good find.