…our own Church’s Constitution in its Preamble (18) already speaks of our being “part of and belong[ing] to the Anglican Communion, which is a fellowship … in communion with the See of Canterbury, sharing with one another … life and mission in a spirit of mutual responsibility and interdependence.”
Indeed, we in Aotearoa New Zealand have already “covenanted with each other … to implement and enrich the principles of partnership” (Preamble 13) among us, given the unique history of our Islands.
The Anglican Communion Covenant has become the necessary tool for establishing an authoritative identity among Anglicans. It grants us the means to continue as a global Church, as a catholic community of churches. Without it, we shall simply fragment into groups of associated bodies, held together by allegiances derived from things less than and even other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ himself.
The question is ours: to sign, or not to sign … May we say clearly, “Sign!” – and that “right soon”.