The Archbishop of Canterbury has claimed the authority to determine who is Anglican. In a wide ranging conversation with the Church of Ireland Gazette, the archbishop offered his appreciation of the ecclesiology of the Anglican Communion, placing his office in the center of the church’s polity.
He further stated he saw the Anglican Church in North America as an ecumenical partner, not a member church of the Anglican Communion.
While Archbishop Justin Welby’s comments about the ecclesial relationship between the Church of England and the ACNA break no new ground, his defense of his appointment of an ACNA priest to an honorary post in the Church of England by asserting the priest’s orders were valid as they were conveyed by the Episcopal Church of the USA raises the question of the validity of the ministerial orders conveyed by ACNA’s bishops.
I confess I found the Anglican Ink headline confusing. The interview never directly presents any discussion of the Primates Meeting or the ACC. In discussions with AC leadership the question of a Primates Meeting is still very much a live one (with concern to reattach to Dar es Salaam and move beyond Dublin). I doubt very much that even those who are extremely concerned about +Welby would not still say they believed Canterbury is a critical focus for the Communion (even if to express concern about how it is doing its job). 2 minute snippets really don’t say anything much beyond the most obvious.
(I will let those in ACNA speak to the 2 minutes devoted to Baucum; his status has always been very unclear to those who do not know him well).
The BBC Sunday Programme has Welby saying:
1. the next Lambeth Conference is to be one collegially planned, with an agenda/character the Primates agree and not one imposed;
2. He has not finished his meeting individually with them, but this is on schedule;
3. When he finished, there will be a meeting of the primates regarding the character of LC;
4. It is unlikely this can all move forward quickly enough for 2018.