…Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon then gave his address in which he reminded the Standing Committee that it had been a short period of time since the ACC-15 in November 2012 so the programmatic reports would not be a substantial as normal.
He then highlighted the fact that a major issue for the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) is a lack of funding. This, he said, meant that that for a “not negligible amount of time, staff are having to raise money for their own work.”
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His visit to Uruguay in January had been well received, as was his trip to the Diocese of Botswana in March for its anniversary celebrations and farewell to Bishop Trevor Mwamba.
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The afternoon began with a session reflecting on ACC-15. Stephen Lyon began by sharing feedback from ACC members on what they thought had gone well, and what could have been improved for the next meeting. Things to be improved included the handling of resolutions, how the ACC related to the Anglican Communion Networks, and the amount of reading material and preparation required.
Those things particularly appreciated included having members spend time in regional groups;
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During the discussion about the handling of resolutions, both Bishop David Chillingworth and Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak raised questions about the role and functions of the Instruments of Communion. Archbishop Deng Bul Yak said he hoped the Anglican Consultative Council could be more of a forum where issues impacting the global Anglican family could be discussed. Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori recommended more space at the beginning of meetings to “listen deeply to one another and figure out what it is we need to indaba about”.
To “listen deeply to one another and figure out what it is we need to indaba aboutâ€. This is one of the most disingenuous statements I’ve read in a while.
[blockquote] “He then highlighted the fact that a major issue for the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) is a lack of funding. This, he said, meant that that for a “not negligible amount of time, staff are having to raise money for their own workâ€.” [/blockquote]
Good. Why should any orthodox person’s funds be used for the ACO?
Look at the unrepresentative nature of the Standing Committee – very heavily slanted towards declining liberal western provinces and the small number of Global South provinces where the liberals have some influence. This body has little to offer to the orthodox.
[blockquote] “Canon Kearon made it clear that the work around theological education—that the Anglican Communion Office had facilitated in the past—currently had no funding whatsoever, and therefore no immediate future.” [/blockquote]
Thank the Lord for that! The last thing we want is the ACO having input into theological education in the wider Communion. Fortunately, there are orthodox groups who are filling the gap, getting cheap but effective training materials out across Africa, South America and Asia.
[blockquote] “He explained that funding was also part of the thinking about the Anglican Communion’s presence in New York and Geneva for work with the United Nations and other Churches’ and non-governmental organisations’ representatives there.” [/blockquote]
Yes, I am sure that the ACO and its master TEC can still find money for expensive offices and personnel in New York and Geneva. Well, if it keeps them away from the real centre of gravity (theological education) then I am quite happy for them to play their silly games, and even more happy if they do that using TEC money.
[blockquote] “Katharine Jefferts Schori recommended more space at the beginning of meetings to “listen deeply to one another and figure out what it is we need to indaba aboutâ€.” [/blockquote]
Now this is one time where I wholeheartedly agree with Ms Schori – please let the ACO and its standing committee spend a lot of time debating about nothing. The more, the better.
#2 Why should any orthodox person’s funds be used for the ACO?
Good point MichaelA – well it doesn’t seem as if the funds from Trinity Wall Street are flowing quite as generously as they were to fund Canon Kearon’s expensive travels round the world as the Grand Poo-Bah of the Communion – last I heard he was General Secretary of the ACC’s office, the ACO. But inflation of titles must be something he has caught off the American PB.
If he really wanted to save some money he could stop flitting round the world on jollys here and there or better still save his salary and take a wage cut or resign.
So it looks as if the CofE will be funding Canon David Porter as the ACO is bust as usual from its aggrandised spending. Perhaps better to keep the money for the pensioners and proper mission in the CofE and following the ACO example Canon Porter will have been seen with his begging bowl out in the streets of Canterbury this last weekend. Penny for the guy?
Or is someone else funding Canon Porter’s Communion Reconciliation role?
[blockquote]Katharine Jefferts Schori recommended more space at the beginning of meetings to “listen deeply to one another and figure out what it is we need to indaba aboutâ€.[/blockquote] If she really wanted to encourage them to “listen deeply to one another” she would conduct the meetings according to British Parliamentary Procedure or Roberts Rules of Order instead of an obscure procedure called Indaba.
To “listen deeply to one another and figure out what it is we need to indaba aboutâ€. *GAG*
4. But Bettcee, don’t you see? That’s precisely what KJS wanted to avoid, and that’s why she decided to “indaba” instead.
Re. #4: The Covenant is dead, see, dead. Long live devolution…
The Covenant is indeed dead. And an organization that only talks about funding shortfalls, reviews conduct of previous meetings, discusses how to improve the handling of resolutions and whether to listen deeply to figure out what to “indaba” about, is very obviously terminal too. It’s “a show about nothing.”
So: [blockquote]for a “not negligible amount of time, staff are having to raise money for their own work.” [/blockquote] What does that imply for what will happen when the likely inevitable financial difficulties that lie ahead as much of the industrialized world faces the prospect of rampant hyperinflation? When, almost certainly [b]not if[/b], that commences, staff, and many of the laity as well, will be unable to raise money for their own sustenance, let alone for their projects. That day appears to be fast approaching, and the boffins chosen to act as economic and financial counselors to the governments of the industrialized nations who are rushing headlong into greater and greater debt through unbridled government borrowing seem incapable of dismounting the treadmill.
[i]Pax et bonum[/i],
Keith Töpfer
Addendum to my #9, above: [blockquote][i]Mene mene tekel upharsin![/i][/blockquote]
Keith Töpfer