General Synod was given the opportunity to record their own opinions in small group meetings. They heard the case for the Americans put by Robert Fordham, Australia’s representative on the global church’s top decision making body called the Anglican Consultative Council. The case against was presented by the Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen.
It appeared that Dr Jensen’s speech was well-received by General Synod delegates.
“I am sure that the American response was well-intentioned,” he said. “But it has not yet healed the rift which opened as a result of their actions in 2003, because those actions arose from a way of looking at the world which most in the Communion believe to be unbiblical.”
During small group discussion, there was widespread concern expressed at the American response from across many Dioceses.
Kendall,
Does anyone know what the current “score” is of the 39 Provinces? By that, I mean, USA and I assume Canada, are in favor of SSU’s. Where do the other provinces stand? Are they split like the vote for VGR at GC03, or is there a strong leaning to the right?
Not only is Kearon continuing his ridiculous spin, he now adds a blatant falsehood in calling this “the Primates’ meeting with the” HOB. He ill-serves the Anglican Communion and the ABC by being so beholden to TEC’s $$$ that he will do anything. Shameful conduct.
[blockquote] “What I saw at the [b] Primates’ [/b] meeting with the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church of the USA,†said Canon Kearon, “was a genuine attempt by both to seriously repair the breeches of trust which have arisen.†[/blockquote]
Not only is Kearon continuing his ridiculous spin, he now adds a blatant falsehood in calling this “the [b] Primates’ [/b] meeting with the” HOB. He ill-serves the Anglican Communion and the ABC by being so beholden to TEC’s $$$ that he will do anything. Shameful conduct.
Hanks (#3) said
“He ill-serves the Anglican Communion and the ABC by being so beholden to TEC’s $$$ that he will do anything.”
It seems that the old adage
“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”
can now be modified to read
“The road to Hell is paved with TEC $$$.”
or the
“The progressive/revisionist road to Lambeth and then to Hell is paved with TEC $$$.”
“Breeches” of trust, indeed; the Emperor has no “breeches” nor any other clothing, for that matter!
I am afraid those breeches are still torn at their deepest level and in need of repair.
I think they have been torn for too long. Having been dragged around the world for the last few years now they are frayed beyond repair. Continue in foolish nakedness? Or, perhaps is time to weave a new fabric.
I find this to be passing strange.
I had thought that Sydney was essentially the “conservative” diocese in a liberal province called Australia.
One free pass to the Laffin’ Place for William Tighe.
Wonder what this means, given that Atheism is the fastest growing faith in Australia….
and in the USA — or is it surpassed by Islam??
Either way Episcopalian’s are not leading the charge — even in your parish John!
I am not surprised by this — indeed I continue to be surprised by those who speculate that the New Zealand church might support the American position. There is not a hope.
You see while there are some high profile, and well placed, Liberals in the church (who it should be added are the first and often only port of call for the secular press who approve of their ramblings), the rank and file are very largely traditional believers, who do not follow them. And the high profile “leaders” know just how vulnerable they are if they lose their grassroots. Neither the Australian nor the New Zealand church have the equivalent of the TEC’s trust funds to provide for “the prophetic ones” salaries, and in both cases, it is the conservative dioceses that are the rich ones (in people and therefore money) while the ones led by the liberal leaders are small (and getting smaller by the day) and poor (and getting poorer by the day as well).
Havind done a bit more of a web search, I found the following article on the listening process interesting largely because of the very serious attempt at getting a diverse range of people — not just the one sided “listening” approach usually taken. They had four autobiographical staements:
1. a gay priest who believes he has to stay under the radar
2. a gay former priest in a 40 year relationship
3. a gay man who is committed to a chaste life
4. a former lesbian who has now adopted a heterosexual lifestyle and says her former life was a result of her broken-ness and not her sexuality.
All are well reported – but especially the second and the last.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/a-question-of-staying-or-straying/2007/10/26/1192941339545.html?page=3
# 12: helpful comments, Margaret. my impresion is that the liberals down under are vocal and have the ear of the press (well, orthodoxy is hardly newsworthy, is it? Lloyd Geering, Richard Randerson – ex-Christians who make the headlines), but they don’t have ‘the numbers’ in struggling, shrinking churches with few young people – while orthodox parishes and dioceses seem to be holding their own and sometimes flexing their muscles. They can go it alone if need be and ordain their own clergy while the liberal-run institutions decline. Tours by Spong and VGR will hardly revive liberal fortunes.
It would seem that the Australians share enough of a common language with America such that they can ascertain “no” when Kearon cannot. But we shall see, we shall see, and all manner of men shall see.