I have received news of the proposed consecration of Canon Bill Atwood as Suffragan Bishop of All Saints Cathedral Diocese, Nairobi, in the Anglican Church of Kenya, to serve Kenyan related congregations in North America. Canon Atwood has worked tirelessly throughout the Communion for the sake of the Gospel and is well known to many of us in the Church of Nigeria.
This action demonstrates a growing recognition by Anglican provinces in Africa that the situation in North America continues to deteriorate because of the intransigence of the leadership of The Episcopal Church. This was made most evident by the response of their House of Bishops to the carefully crafted Primates’ Dar es Salaam Communiqué. We cannot sit quietly by while those who continue steadfastly in the ”˜faith once delivered to the saints’ are denied adequate pastoral care and made the targets of pernicious lawsuits.
We look forward to working with Archbishop Nzimbi, Bishop-elect Atwood and this new pastoral initiative from the Anglican Church of Kenya. We pledge our ongoing prayers and enthusiastic support and cooperation through CANA ”“ a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria already established in North America.
It should be noted that there are now more than 250 congregations in North America related to Global South provinces through a growing number of missionary and pastoral initiatives.
Our heartfelt desire continues to be that the Anglican Communion will find a way to move forward together. This can only happen, however, with a Common Faith lived out within the context of an agreed Communion discipline. We continue to pray that The Episcopal Church will heed the call to repentance and make a positive response to the request of the Primates’ in Dar es Salaam.
We continue to offer our prayers for all leaders in the Communion during these challenging times.
Signed
+Peter Abuja
June 13, 2007
“with n an agreed Communion disciplne.”
Here is something from the Church of Nigeria’s Constituation:
“3.1 The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) hereinafter called “The Church of Nigeria†or “This Church†shall be in full communion with all Anglican Churches Dioceses and Provinces that hold and maintain the Historic Faith, Doctrine, Sacrament and Discipline of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church as the Lord has commanded in His holy word and as the same are received as taught in the Book of Common Prayer and the ordinal of 1662and in the Thirty-Nine Article of Religion.
3.2 In the interpretation of the aforementioned formularies and in all questions of Faith, Doctrine and Discipline, the decisions of the Ecclesiastical tribunals of the Church of Nigeria shall be final.”
So, the church of Nigeria, can deterimne all matters of Faith, Doctrine and Discipline for itself. BUt the American’s are subjected to the discipline of the Anglican Communion. How does the church of nigeria relate to the rest of the communion? Could the church of nigeria be disciplined in the same way as is suggested the american church be? Seems Nigeria will be determining who is anglican and who is not. They acceed no authority to the instruments of communion in their own constitution. Intresting. Really intresting.
I hope and pray the best for all those who are re-aligning themselves. May Jesus be with you.
#1, I suspect that this change in the Nigerian church’s constitution was to be able to separate themselves from having to honour such actions in other provinces, seen to be apostate, or heretical.
Before, to consecrate a bishop in any province, and you have consecrated a bishop for the entire communion. Thus, VGR is not only per the AC norms a bishop in TEC, but a bishop in the entire AC.
For the huge majority of the AC, this situation is intolerable.
#2,
That doesn’t answer my questions. You can’t continue to blame VGR or TEC for everybody else actions. If the Nigerian Church wants others to be subject to the “discipline of the Communion” they need to be as well. By the way, no “discipline of the Communion” has been exercised. So far, whatever has been asked of TEC, TEC has answered and complied with the same. The communique gave until Sept 30, for TEC’s house of Bishops to answer thier request. All we have thus far is a few statements, the deadline has not passed, and therefor neither has TEC’s time to answer. These primates need to take as high a moral ground as possible and these continued interventions are not helping their cause.
What use will a covenant be if the main and largest province is unwilling to put itself under the instruments of communion? isn’t that where the final say on doctrine is supposed to be? Otherwise, TEC is completely justified in its “new” theology because, under the nigerian way of thinking each individual provinces coucil are the final “interpretation of the above fromularies and all matters of faith, doctrine and discipline.”
You can’t make this stuff up.
#3, Rather, you should ask yourself: What use will a covenant be, if a small province is unwilling to put itself under the instruments of communion?
This is the situation as it exists today, on the ground, as TEC moves off down the path of its own chosing ….
So, if that is the new theology of TEC, why all the fuss and feathers over what orthodox Anglicans do? The orthodox Anglicans wish simply to maintain the Faith once received and as believed by generations of Anglicans and Christians.
It is obvious to me at least, that the actions of TEC have been flying in the face of the communion for decades, blazing a new path into the frontier of secular humanism and trying to mold Christ into a modified form, so as to fit Him into TEC’s new vision of the world. As it is all in God’s control and will, the fruits will show which pathway leads to God and which leads to secular nothingness.
#4,
It’s not about TEC. If I remember correctly, the Primates are pretty close to expelling, punishing, disciplining TEC for it’s earrant ways. It’s about being in Communion. TEC may have done all you say and suggest, that doesn’t excuse the other provinces suddenly excusing themselves from the same structure of the communion. If Nigeria wants to play- they need to play by the same rules as everyone else.
I wish God’s richest blessing on you Scotsreb.
plainsparson,
Of the 39 Articles of Religion, I believe that TEC is not complying with:
XVIII, XX, XXI, XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXVI.
Which Articles do you think Nigeria is not in compliance with?
Peace.