A FIRM "NO" TO THE ANGLICAN COVENANT AT GC 2015

As a member of the No Anglican Covenent Coalition, I support Resolution D022 which has been submitted to General Convention 2015.

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church affirm our common identity and membership in the Anglican Communion, neither the present nor any desired future nature of which is properly described by the Anglican Communion Covenant; and be it further

Resolved, That the 78th General Convention direct The Episcopal Church’s members of the Anglican Consultative Council to express our appreciation to the 16th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC16, Lusaka 2016) for the gift of inter-Anglican conversation and mutuality in God’s mission engendered by the Anglican Communion Covenant process.

The previous GC declined to vote a firm "No" to the covenant, and now it's past time to lay the Anglican Covenant to its final rest and give it the decent burial it so richly deserves. The courageous dioceses in the Church of England and other churches in the communion voted the covenant down, so, for all intents and purposes, it is dead, and I hope General Convention will add its signature to the death certificate.

Many thanks to Lionel Deimel for his major effort to formulate the resolution and gather the support of a sufficient number of deputies to submit the resolution to GC.

WITHER GOETH THE ACNA?

Excerpts from Archbishop Robert Duncan's address to the Provincial Council of the ACNA.

The Anglican Church in North America continues to secure its place in global Anglican circles.  The amazing work of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund is a huge part of the story: 134 development projects in 36 nations, alongside of millions of dollars of relief work in global disasters, has shown the Anglican world that we desire to be agents of the transforming love of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.  In a different way, as a GAFCON/GFCA Province we are full partners with a majority of the world’s Anglicans.  Twice a year I participate in the GAFCON/GFCA Primates Council.  An even larger constellation of Anglican Provinces – the so-called Global South – also always includes our leadership in their global gatherings.  The Church of England continues to follow-through on the General Synod motion of 2010, a follow-through that, I am convinced, will lead to the recognition of our orders within another year or so.  Recently I spent four and a half hours with the Archbishop of Canterbury, at his invitation.  Last week I spent five hours of private time with the Primate of Nigeria, deepening our relationship and commitment to one another.  The role of the Anglican Church in North America in GAFCON 2 in October in Nairobi – some one-hundred-thirty-four of us – will be an immensely significant one.  The Anglican Church in North America is a significant player on the Global Anglican stage.  (My emphasis)

Regarding Duncan's confidence that the Church of England will recognize ACNA's orders within a year or so, who am I to say it won't happen?  At first, I thought the juxtaposition of Duncan's mention of the two meetings - four and a half hours with the Archbishop of Canterbury and five hours with the Primate of Nigeria - was a bit strange, but perhaps not. 

Lionel Deimel, to whom I am indebted for the link to Robert Duncan's address, has further interesting commentary about the content of the speech, especially with regard to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and the ACNA's choice of Nashotah House for their meeting.  

YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!

I am not kidding. Lionel Deimel has gone and done it. He's created a whole line of clothing and other "NO ANGLICAN COVENANT" products. Check it OUT!

Pictured above is the value T-shirt for only $9.99.

Read all about how Lionel's online shop came to be.

H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead.