We reflected and agonized about the pain that had characterized our efforts to uphold the Anglican Communion in good stead; the events of Lambeth 1998, the Primates meeting of Dromantine 2005 and Dar-es-Salaam 2007. We thanked God for sustaining us with courage to stand up for the historic and apostolic Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures. We were particularly thankful for the organs that have mobilized us and kept us focused and engaged around the issues that have plagued the Anglican Communion. CAPA and the Global South were appreciated and Archbishop John Chew who was at the meeting was recognized with deep warmth of Christian love. He warmed up the meeting with the presentation of copies of the Catechism, a product of the Global South. The commitment of the Global South to resource the Communion was underlined by Archbishop Chew and applauded by the meeting. His call for sustained engagement by the Global South with the process of the Anglican Covenant was supported. We further shared our experiences of both GAFCON and Lambeth; and the statements emanating from the two meetings were shared. Those at Lambeth shared how the absence of some of the CAPA Members was acutely felt. They commended the Indaba framework, it provided space for intense and deep conversations guided by Scriptural readings, and they were particularly encouraged by confessions of discomfort by some Bishops from USA and Canada with the persistent undermining of the authority of Scripture by some of their colleagues. Participants from the CAPA family also appreciated the opportunity for fellowship and witness at the Lambeth; the Archbishop of Sudan was particularly commended for his statement. The Lambeth Conference Walk of Witness, which symbolized the Church’s commitment to improving the quality of life of God’s people through the MDGs’ framework and the multicultural worship that permeated the meeting were noted as some of the highlights at Lambeth. The Lambeth Conference, it was highlighted, did not make any resolutions but offered the Anglican Covenant as one the means forward. The GAFCON, it was reported, was a great time of fellowship and spiritual blessings. The Jerusalem venue and the excursions were appreciated by participants as they deepened the reflections, ”˜It was like walking through the Bible Events physically’…
The meeting was in Sept. Does anyone one know when this was drafted and posted? It has a distinctive tone and shows the admixture in the GS.
Where is it possible to get a copy of the catechism mentioned in the article above?
I believe this is the catechism
Although this report carries the name of ++Nzimbi at the bottom (the Primate of Kenya is the Vice Chairman of CAPA and the Chairman was absent due to illness), it seems remarkaly mild in its criticism of Lambeth and surprisingly unenthusiastic about GAFCON. Unfortunately, it tells us very little. Or at least, I got little out of it that was new.
Also, it reads more like an internal organizational memo, listing business items covered at the meeting, rather than as some kind of public statement meant for the outside world. The tedious format of the text, with no paragraph breaks, strengthens my suspicion that it’s not meant for wide circulation, as does the late release of this document, two months after the meeting took place.
However, I’m glad commenters #2 & 3 called attention to the draft of the new GS-sponsored Anglican Catechism (in Outline). Michael Poon’s been working on that for a long time, and it’s good to see it nearing completion. Thanks for providing the link, Fr. Crosthwait.
I find it encouraging that ++John Chew of Singapore was there. There are indeed important differences of opinion among GS primates on how best to proceed in this confusing, tumultuous time (as Dr. Seitz pointed out in his #1). But I’m glad that the main GS leades are working hard at staying well informed about each other’s views and plans and seeking to cooperate. That’s essential.
David Handy+