Archbishops representing Anglican churches in the southern hemisphere will formally accept a covenant aimed at promoting unity within the worldwide denomination when they meet in Singapore 2010.
The Global South Anglican, which brings together 20 of the 38 provinces (churches led by archbishops or their counterparts) in the Anglican Communion and in which the Bishop of Singapore and Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Southeast Asia The Most Revd Dr John Chew serves as incumbent general secretary, will be holding its fourth meeting or ”˜encounter’ from 19 to 23 April.
The Anglican Communion Covenant as it is called was developed over the past number of years to salvage unity within the communion after the ordination of an openly homosexual bishop by The Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of Anglicanism, threatened to split it.
This is excellent news.
But I have a question: Certainly, these 20 primates can get together and declare that the Covenant is a Good Thing. But, don’t the synods and conventions of the various provinces have to individually meet and formally adopt the Covenant, and in some cases amend their respective charters? Or do these primates have the capability to rule by fiat?
Well, let’s see now…….that’ll be twenty down and only eighteen to go, won’t it? I’m not in favor of the Covenant, but if it helps, then I guess there’s no harm in it. Don’t look for TEC to sign onto it, though.
And yes, I believe that at least some of the primates do have that authority to speak for their provinces without an assembly’s concurrence.
I am in favor of the Covenant, but quite perplexed by the “Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion” and its “secret constitution” which seems to have been slipped through under the radar, which is of course an integral part of the whole scheme both for the Covenant and the future governance of the Communion.
I am suprised that no sources are given for the assertions given in the first two paragraphs, particularly the first. The rest could have come straight from the Lambeth Palace press office or ACO.
Right, Pagentmaster.
Edmond Chua is replete with quotes from the Archbishop of Canterbury, but I have yet to see any reporter willing to put the words “will formally accept a covenant” (which I have heard before) into the mouth of any identifiable person.