While recent years have seen much talk of \u201cunity\u201d\u009d in certain quarters of the deeply divided Anglican Church of Canada, unity is not just an end in itself, says Archdeacon Michael Thompson, general secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada.
\nIn a November 20 presentation to Council of General Synod (CoGS), Thompson described the unity of the church as \u201cnot just about getting along with each other for the sake of getting along,\u201d\u009d but being a \u201cpart of our ministry and witness.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Thompson said that in a time of rising \u201cnativist and nationalist movements\u201d\u00a6in which people are narrowing their vision to what they perceive to be their own good, even while ignoring the reality that if the common good fails, personal good is hard to achieve,\u201d\u009d the church must be a witness to co-operation and respect across deep differences.<\/p>\n
In the wake of a particularly fractious General Synod in July, where a controversial motion to allow the marriage of same-sex couples passed its first reading, Anglicans need to work to understand each other better, he said.<\/p>\n