Thursday, May 10, 2012

IGNORE THE ANGLICAN COVENANT AT GENERAL CONVENTION?


Here I am banging on again about the pernicious Anglican Covenant. I'd heard murmurings, which are now more than murmurings, because the talk is now very public, of a move to introduce a resolution at General Convention to ignore the covenant.  Yes, indeed, it's true.  Lionel Diemel says:
One proposed strategy for General Convention is for the church only to affirm our commitment to the Anglican Communion, saying nothing at all about the Anglican Covenant.
Our courageous sisters and brothers in the Church of England, the 'mother' church, faced down the opposition of two archbishops, Rowan Williams and John Sentamu, and 79.79% of the bishops in the church to defeat the covenant in the Church of England.  And yet it is suggested that we in The Episcopal Church ignore the covenant.  I don't understand.

Not only do I see such a resolution as cowardly, but, seconding Lionel Diemel, as arrogant.  The Episcopal Church is often criticized for its individualism, for 'going its own way' without regard for other churches in the Anglican Communion, and such a resolution from GC would only reinforce the opinion that TEC is insufficiently community minded.  As I see it, to ignore the covenant, to pretend that it's not there, would be an insult to all the churches who have taken a stand, whether the vote was to adopt, accede to, subscribe to, give an 'amber light' to, or reject the covenant.  Further, to ignore the covenant would be an affront to all the churches which will declare a position on the covenant in the future.  The proponents of the covenant might very well view ignoring the covenant as worse than rejecting the covenant.

I've heard justifications for the stance of pretending the covenant is not there run the gamut from a desire to stay at the table to a fervent wish to continue in relationship with other churches in the communion.  I want those things, too, and I contend that the concerns are unjustified, especially now that the covenant has been rejected in the Church of England. Is the Church of England still at the table?  Will the Church of England continue in relationships with churches in the communion?  The vote by the English church to reject the covenant is a major game changer.  Shall we also pretend that the rejection didn't happen?

Read our English friend Lay Anglicana, and watch the video posted by Laura, who strove mightily to defeat the Anglican Covenant in England, and see if you still think ignoring the covenant is a viable option.  I could name many other English friends who worked tirelessly to bring down the same odious document that some in TEC will ask the convention to ignore.
 
From Lay Anglicana:
But word reaches me that these good manners may stand in the way of common sense at the TEC General Convention to be held from July 5-12 in Indianapolis: agreeing with me that the current ‘sorry state of things entire’ of the Anglican Covenant is such that it definitely counts as unpleasant, and being unwilling to intrude on private grief,  some say it might be best not to discuss it all, and simply sweep it under the carpet.

Siren voices! Please, fellow Anglicans, do not listen to them! We have managed in the Church of England, diocesan synod by painful diocesan synod, to reject it. But the Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion regards this as merely a little local difficulty. Is he burying his head in the sand like the man in the YouTube video which illustrates this post? That is a matter of opinion.
Hear, hear!

18 comments:

  1. Let's get it over with and vote it down.

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  2. Yes, exactly.

    Anonymous, thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. Please come again, but make up a name and sign your comment. Thanks.

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  3. odious odious odious odious document

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  4. It needs a defeat for the sake of clarity.

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  5. Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Adrian.

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  6. Let' reject the terrible thing in no uncertain terms.
    Ro F
    (BooCat)

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  7. I agree that the Covenant should be rejected, ideally in a resolution that affirmed our continuing commitment to the Communion.

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  8. I don't understand the reasoning behind a resolution to ignore the covenant, which is a pretty big elephant in the room.

    Daniel, I'm sure that any resolution that comes out of GC will include language affirming our commitment to the Anglican Communion.

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  9. Vote the friggin thing down! Go on record and let our voices be heard.

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  10. The vote is unanimous for rejection...at least around here.

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  11. ¨Here¨ is a very healthy place (I´m so tired of codependent operators at Church, on various topics but especially this one, trying to get a corner on wisdom/strut their stuff when common sense is far more appropriate)!

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  12. Common sense is like a breath of fresh air when it blows through.

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  13. chere Mimi
    it's possible the authors of this proposal think they're going to be avoiding further objectification of and acrimony towards the Episcopal Church. and they couldn't be more wrong- hate and fear can always find cause to puff up their chests and get their jaws flapping.
    in addiition to betraying our allies, this motion would, i feel be running interference on the sacred process our Church is currently underdoing: calling an artificial halt to a conversation which always has transformative possibilities. if we don't participate/contribute the conversation if poorer for our absence.
    if we believe we are a people of the living God, then we don't duck out when Ruach and history put us at the table.
    thanks Mimi

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  14. David, I agree with everything you say. Your words are very wise.

    if we believe we are a people of the living God, then we don't duck out when Ruach and history put us at the table.

    Amen!

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  15. Hoping we will just reject the sorry mess and that right after we do someone will stand up and say "Let us go forth rejoicing in the power of the Spirit!"

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  16. I want an outright rejection, too. No kicking the ball down the field to play out the clock, either, because the damned thing is not worth more time, effort, or money.

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