THE AMERICANS are coming. Invitations to the 2008 Lambeth Conference went out to 800 bishops on Tuesday, scotching rumours that those in the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Church of Canada would not be welcomed without further concessions over Gene Robinson (and no further initiatives on gay partnerships).
The September deadline set by the Primates for the US bishops to agree an alternative structure for their conservatives still stands, but attendance at the Lambeth Conference will not hang on it. Threats might still be made, and attempts to persuade Dr Williams to invoke his right (which his letter carefully reserves) to withhold or withdraw invitations.
But Dr Williams is unlikely to act so unwisely. For all their talk of alternative gatherings, the conservatives will not want to walk away when they feel in possession of the centre ground, especially given their numerical confidence.
The ABC has issued invitations to American bishops, but has done so in a way that he knows that the vast majority cannot accept (unless they lack any moral backbone whatsoever). They will simply have to decline the invitation, or, more likely, simply not show up next summer. The ABC’s strategy, once more, is not to exclude any province of the Communion, but to allow them to exclude themselves through their OWN actions and decisions. By withholding an invitation to the Bishop of New Hampshire, while simultaneously inviting all other diocesan bishops, the ABC has put the HOB of the American Church in a very difficult spot. Any American bishop who chooses to attend Lambeth ’08 will be publically abandoning the “prophetic” action the majority of the HOB feel they have been called to. On the other hand, if they do not attend, they are, THROUGH THEIR OWN ACTIONS, effectively withdrawing from the Communion.
The ABC has clearly put the boundary crossing primates of the Global South in exactly the same postion — as he must. The Primates have also spoken on this matter, after all. He’s not, and he never will, kick any province out of the Communion. However, what he is doing is using the limited powers of his office effectively in such a manner that others may effectively exclude themselves from the Communion by their actions. Thus, if the Archbishop of Abuja decides that the exclusion of +Minns from Lambeth is so serious an insult to the Church of Nigeria that no bishops of the Church of Nigeria will attend Lambeth, they will have effectively withdrawn themselves from the Communion as well. On reflection I suspect that the Archbishop of Abuja will indeed find a way to attend Lambeth 2008 without his missionary bishop in Virginia. The Archbishop of Abuja has never argued that primatial boundary crossing is “prophetic,” or even a good thing. He has always identified it as a necessary if regretable evil. His position, therefore, is not at all on the same par with the position of the US HOB, which most certainly sees the actions of the American church as profoundly “prophetic.” I don’t see how about 80% of the US HOB can possibly attend Lambeth 2008 if the Bishop of New Hampshire is specifically and uniquely excluded. Both Abuja and 815 will see the bigger picture here, which is why Nigeria will be at Lambeth and 815 will not (unless they can figure some way out of the checkmate the ABC seems to have put them into through these invitations).
It has taken me a couple of days to grasp the brilliance of Rowan Williams, but when you think about it, this man is truly a genius. We’re looking at one of the great bishops of the Church here folks, make NO mistake about that. This is not a pope, this is an archbishiop of the Church acting as primus inter pares (first among equals). This ABC WILL NOT exclude any province, but he will allow them to exclude themselves through their own actions (“prophetic” or otherwise!). His invitations will surely anger folks on both ends of the spectrum in the short-term, but what we have here, once again, is an amazing demonstration of how a truly conciliar church works. Thank you once more +Cantaur for reminding me why I am an Anglican!
#1-
I don’t think spinelessness will reduce the non Windsor-episcopal participation.
But ++Nigeria can just not attend himself, if he agrees with the logic of your thread. All the rest of the Nigerian prelates can attend to the same effect without countenancing +Minns not being invited. So I think that the net effects of the two, by your logic, are completely different.
Chris,
I see your point, but I am not so sure that this is some “grand” strategy that ++Cantuar has worked out. Quite frankly, while I respect Dr. Williams’ intellect, I do not trust him. He has, since the beginning of this crisis, avoided any attempts to discipline the wayward provinces.
If the American reappraiser bishops wish to refuse to come, well and good. In my opinion since TEC is a province in rebellion, to give any weight to their input for the proposed Covenant would be counter-productive to what I see as one of the purposes of the Covenant: a way to set up mechanisms for disciplne of rebellious or wayward provinces. Revising the Covenant to suit TEC would make the entire Windsor “process” another useless sham. It would also indicate to me that the Anglican Communion really does not care about orthodoxy – in the since that the term means “correct belief about the nature and purposes of God” – at all. If that is the case, it might as well break up for all the good it will do for building the Kingdom of God.
That being said, I am sure the TEC rebels will figure out a way to have their cake and eat it too. They may find a way to lobby and interfere with the process of making a Covenant which will have some disciplinary “teeth” in it. We will just have to posess ourselves with patience and await the outcome.
In the meantime, I expect the TEC reappraisers to huff and puff and posture and pontificate as true “prophets” like to do.
Kyrie!
I believe Chris is 180 degrees off. The liberals are already equivocating, hedging and distancing themselves from Integrity’s call to boycott. No, they will be there in full force sans une.
I agree with one thought of the writer. The ABC is not unwise.
He knows full well about the CAPA statement of the GS and their unwillingness to come to Lambeth with non-Windsor American bishops. Who is more likely to stick to their principles? Squirmy liberal American bishops or stalwart Africans? He has succeeded in inviting the American bishops and dis-inviting the GS bishops without the political fallout.
The ABC purposefully clouds his actions, to quote Churchill, “A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.” Actually, many keys: His early writings are supposedly “fully inclusive.” His recent comments on conservatives misreading of Romans 1 (see a disputation here). The ABC’s handpicked committee that declared the TEc to be nearly Windsor compliance, whose conclusions the ABC deliberately delayed to the start of the DeS meeting. See an upset Father Kendall’s response here.
No Chris, the orthodox are again being played for fools, this time by the ABC. Truly, our only hope lies in the GS. They were able to sway the ABC by sheer determination and personal strength. If they do not participate in Lambeth (and they have certainly have crediblity in contrast to the medacious TEc), then it is time to look for a CANA or AMiA church.
#4
‘Sans une’. As you are well aware, I’m ‘liberal’. Nevertheless, I believe that anyone of any decency will find that feminine mean and offensive.
Hey John Scholasticus … I keep reading #4, but I don’t see what’s so offensive in it. What do you see that I don’t?
I expect those bishops with ‘principles’ are now going to have to deal with their wives who are probably already planning their outfits!
We will see.
All of the above comments fail to take into account one very important factor. How might the picture change as a result of the “final” HoB response in September?
Under the present circumstances, ++Akinola and his Nigerian bishops will most likely NOT (repeat: will most likely NOT) attend the 2008 Lambeth. This would not be due to +Cantur’s denial of invitation to +Minns, but on the basis of +Cantur’s refusal to follow up and to honor the resolutions and the mind of the Communion on the North American churches’ apostate teachings and practices.
(By +Cantur’s deliberate encouragement (kid-glove approach) of EcUSA/TEc and of the Canadian Church, coupled with the English Church’s own mess in the Civil Partnership – same-sex relationship Law, Rowan Williams may think he is acting smart and clever and keeping the “conversation†going on indefinitely, but as a Christian, I see this as only being clever by half. Time will tell.)
I do not know ++Akinola personally. But I, like many others, who have never met the man in person, but have met him in his writings, speeches, etc., have a high level of confidence in predicting what is likely going to do in this latest development. This is not a difficult proposition (prediction)- the godly Bishop is consistently on the side of the Clarity of the issues, and on maintaining the Truth of the Gospel, notwithstanding the powers and the spinning of the Liberal Revisionists in the Media and in the high places of the Anglican Communion – Cantur, the Lambeth Palace, and the St. Andrew’s House of the Anglican Consultative Council.
Thank God for the Spine and Guts of the Akinolas of our present age – as few as they are.
To God be the Glory!
RE: “By withholding an invitation to the Bishop of New Hampshire, while simultaneously inviting all other diocesan bishops, the ABC has put the HOB of the American Church in a very difficult spot. Any American bishop who chooses to attend Lambeth ‘08 will be publically abandoning the “prophetic†action the majority of the HOB feel they have been called to. On the other hand, if they do not attend, they are, THROUGH THEIR OWN ACTIONS, effectively withdrawing from the Communion.”
I very much disagree with this statement. First, the writer assumes that the bishops are men of integrity and principle. The vast, vast majority of the HOB will attend Lambeth and there will hinder as best they can any attempts at establishing order and authority.They are very very wedded to the corporate institution.
Furthermore, those who do not attend will not be “withdrawing from the Communion” at all — since they will have received an invitation. It is those who are invited that are recognized by Canterbury as bishops of the Anglican Communion, and not those who “attend” the meeting.
I believe #5’s dismay over #4 is with regard to “une” ascribing the feminine gender (as opposed to “un”) to VGR. Which I’d also agree as being unnecessarily snarky, if indeed robroy intended that rather ironic play on the French potential for sexual innuendo.
“further concessions”?
What “concessions” has ECUSA made, other than to concede that its polity doesn’t extend to the rest of the Anglican Communion?
Thank you Randy (#12) for that good observation.
Honestly, the more I read and listen to all this nonsense from various quarters (on the present crisis in the Communion), the more I realize the hopelessness of continuing playing church with a group of persons who see all this as part of political gamesmanship and very little of the Christian Gospel and Truth.
Obviously, Christ and all the saints are not amused.
Bill Matz, is Sept 30 going to change things? Fathers Kendall, Matt and Geoff had a round table discussion. One of the conclusions was that the ABC’s early round of invitation lowered the pressure on the Americans. He has also said that he did not any decisions made till Lambeth. He has also said that he wants to keep all at the discussion table. Yes, he dangles the “withdraw invitations” possibility to assuage the orthodox. But when the HOB gives (an entirely lacking) counterproposal, he will find it very heartening and sufficient to not invoke the “withdraw invitations” clause.
Again, the orthodox are being strung in like a 7 lb bass.
#6, 11
#11 You’re right. I kept reading it and reading it and couldn’t read it any other way. I still can’t. ‘Dismay’ is a good description.
I think the invites need to be seen as markers. I still think the real show down will be this fall.
I am shocked however that of the 800 bishops invited at least 110 are American – or more than 1/8 while the Episcopal church is less that 1/20th of the Anglican communion.
I agree that most of the American HoB will not have the strength of their own convictions.
It will be interesting, however, to see the fall-out from the left.
The GS, of course, has far too much integrity and honesty to play games and spend much needed money ot go to a conference of game-playing.
The fracture of the Communion continues.