“To remove people from representative functions [within the Anglican Communion] is not to be [exclusive],” the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, told the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council in a morning session June 18. “Being in full communion does not require us to have people from [a particular church] representing the Anglican Communion.”
Kearon’s comments came during an open session held during the Executive Council’s spring meeting, held at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, Md. Acting on a decision by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Canon Kearon recently removed the Episcopal Church’s representatives from global ecumenical bodies.
A “full communion relationship” does not commit any church body to “everything” done in connection with the Anglican Communion, Kearon said, but indicates a shared fellowship.
Questions by Executive Council members largely focused on two issues: a belief that the Episcopal Church has been unjustly excluded from Anglican bodies, and opposition to the actions of other Anglican Communion provinces in planting churches within the United States and providing structures for parishes that leave the Episcopal Church.
The disciplinary action against the Episcopal Church is “removing precisely the voices that need to be heard,” said the Rev. Dr. Lee Crawford of Vermont, who declared her concern “as a lesbian priest in a 20-year relationship.”
The Rev. Jim Simons of Pennsylvania asked whether provinces “engag[ing] in … jurisdictional incursions” will face any discipline. He said the Southern Cone and the Province of Rwanda are “functioning in [the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh] without licenses and laying claim to some of our parishes … in clear violation of the canons.”
Canon Kearon responded that the Province of the Southern Cone has received a letter relating to these matters and “there is a deadline to this response.” He added that questions related to breaches of the third moratorium of the Windsor Report, which calls for an end to interventions in other provinces, “[have not] been answered by any [instruments] of the Anglican Communion” and he “would like to see it on the agenda of the Anglican Communion.”
Later, the secretary general said he believed “the Southern Cone has breached [the third moratorium]” but refrained from making a similar statement about Rwanda. “What would it mean to be out of fellowship with Rwanda?” he asked.
“I don’t think [Canon Kearon’s] responses clarified matters,” the Rev. Canon Mark Harris told The Living Church.
Sarah Dylan Breuer of Massachusetts said she felt disappointed, particularly over “remov[ing] people from [ecumenical] conversation,” but added: “We have opportunities to get creative.”
Simons called the secretary general’s stance “understandable” from his point of view. “I thought he was clear. … His concerns seems to be not that the actions [against the Episcopal Church] be punitive, but at the service [of ecumenical relations].”
In her closing remarks to the council on Thursday afternoon, House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson referred to a statement made by Canon Kearon that some people desire that the Archbishop of Canterbury act as a pope.
“I’m still an Anglican, and nobody, whether it is a person who is told that they are an Anglican pope or that they should not be an Anglican pope … can tell me that I’m not an Anglican,” she said.
“I love being an Anglican,” she told The Living Church after her address. I love being part of the Episcopal Church,” and any action taken against the Episcopal Church cannot take that identity from her.
She also told The Living Church that she sees the disciplinary actions as contributing to a “strain in Anglican Communion relationships.”
“Do you sign on to … a punitive body of Christ?” she asked. “Are we now part of a punitive body of Christ?”
Ralph Webb, in Linthicum Heights
2 Comments
Several points come to mind. The Episcopal Church and its spiritual leaders have decided to ignore the instrument of Communion and do their "New Thing". Yet, the majority of the rest of the Communion has seen their fruit and found it inconsistent with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such, they "react" rather then respond to the ABC's letter and Kenneth Kearon's diplomatic attempt to express clearly that decisions and actions have consequences.
The Episcopal Church has re-defined Anglicanism. Anglicanism has been understood as the bridge between Roman Catholicism and Reform Protestantism and not between Unitarian Universalism and Paganism with the absence of biblical mores. However, as offensive as this is to the Episcopal Church, this is how they are understood to the majority of the Anglican Communion.
No one is seeking to marginalize them. They are doing it to their selves. In the past those who had the money ruled. It does appear that money is no longer the power it once was and possibly the Archbishop of Canterbury has realized the Leadership of the Episcopal Church is full of pride and arrogance.
Traditionalist are not welcomed in the Episcopal Church whether they are bishops, priests, deacons, or laity. Nonetheless, a faithful remnant will remain to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in spite of the "New Gospel" proclaimed by the Episcopal Church.
Rowan Williams' stance towards The Episcopal Church is anything but Christlike. His "request" (which should have been ignored) that our Presiding Bishop not wear her mitre in Southwark Cathedral was inexcusable. It was an insult directed to her, personally. Other foreign bishops (including Frank Griswold) have worn their mitres in the UK, and specifically, other female bishops (Anne Tottenham of Canada) have done so as well. It was simply "punishment" for Katherine having ordained Mary Douglas Glasspool, an event in which I proudly participated as a choir member. Rowan's purported "exclusion" of Episcopal representatives from the ecumenical dialogs should not be met with acquiescence. Our representatives should continue their activities, accompanied by bodyguards if needed. It is time we stop letting others dump all over us.