In the fog of conflict one often yearns for moments of clarity. I read this reflection from a group of Anglican clergy who I think are speaking with anointed clarity. Dave+
What really happened in Auckland NZ at Anglican Consultative Council-15 (Oct 28-Nov 7, 2012)
From: Archbishop Ikechi Nwosu, Church of Nigeria
The Right Rev. Samson Mwaluda, Church of Kenya
The Ven. Archdeacon Abraham Okoriah, Church of Nigeria
The Ven. Canon Philip Obwogi, Church of Kenya
Hon. Abraham Yissa, Registrar, Church of Nigeria
Hon. Samuel Mukunya, Church of Kenya
"Dear
friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,
I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for
all entrusted to the saints..." Jude 3
To our brothers and sisters in
Christ, Anglicans everywhere, Grace and Peace to you in the mighty name of Jesus
Christ our only Lord and Saviour. We write to you as representatives to the
Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-15), which has just concluded in Auckland NZ.
We represent the Church of Nigeria and the Church of Kenya, approximately 31
million active and worshipping Anglicans within our Anglican Communion. We write
in the spirit of Jude 3 to express our concerns about the directions taken by
ACC-15.
1. We are grateful for the warm Christian welcome we received
from the "three Tikanga" Anglican Church of New Zealand, whose overlapping
jurisdictions among the Pakeha, Maori and Polynesian peoples have enabled the
gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached far and wide, with enduring faithfulness
especially among the Maori and Polynesian peoples. We believe this model
provides fresh room for reconsidering how our Anglican structures can fulfill
our Lord Jesus Christ's Great Commission to make disciples of all peoples and
nations. (Matthew 28:16-20)
2. At the same time, we are grieved that this
meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council avoided the real crisis in the
Anglican Communion. Since Lambeth Conference 1998, the ongoing conflict in our
beloved Communion continues to be a crisis of Gospel truth, not only regarding
matters of human sexuality but the authority of Holy Scripture as the Word of
God written and the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ the Son of
God.
3. In the discussion on the proposed Anglican Covenant, we avoided
the serious issues pertaining to discipline in the Church. Instead, we were
asked to discuss our feelings about the Covenant-"Why is it a sign of fear for
some and a sign of hope for others?" We already have four Instruments of
Anglican Communion: the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates meetings, the
Lambeth Conference of Bishops, and the ACC. If our identity, faith and order as
Anglicans cannot be maintained by these Instruments, the Covenant will not solve
our problems.
4. Since the Reformation, our core identity, faith and
order as Anglicans lies in a Church whose doctrine, discipline and mission are
grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the Ancient Fathers and
Councils of the Church that agree with the Scriptures. We find this core
Anglican identity, faith and order in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the
Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. Many of us have reaffirmed this identity
in the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration. The current crisis over Gospel truth and the
confusion and conflict in Anglican identity, faith and order is a result of a
failure of governance by the Instruments of Communion. This is a failure and, at
times, subversion of leadership at the highest levels.
5. For this
reason, we believe it is time for the Primates themselves to elect one of their
own who will call their meetings with an enhanced responsibility to guard the
Faith and Order of the Anglican Communion. We believe this can be done without
sacrificing the primacy of honour we bestow upon the historic See of Canterbury,
or diminishing the civic and ecclesiastical role Canterbury plays in the life of
the Church of England.
6. While there were many reports and resolutions
at ACC-15, we wish to highlight our concerns over the report and the resolution
on "The Bible in the Life of the Church" project. There is much to commend in
this report on the central role the Holy Scriptures play in the life of
Anglicans everywhere. We affirm the need to address the gap between the pulpit
and the pew, the scholars and ordinary Anglicans who are seeking to apply the
Bible to their daily lives. However, we are seriously concerned that the context
in which people interpret the Bible is considered as important as what the Bible
actually says.
7. In our reflection groups, we heard Anglicans from the
west say that this conclusion requires us to honour any interpretation of the
Bible-since every context from which the Scriptures are read is to be honoured.
We reject this assertion and the claim that there are no justifiable limits in
interpreting and applying God's word. The Bible stands over context, not the
context over the Bible. God's Word changes us-we do not change God's Word. We
note that in April of this year over 200 leaders-Archbishops, bishops, clergy
and laity-gathered in London from 30 countries and 25 provinces within the
Anglican Communion. They read, studied and proclaimed the Holy Scriptures
together, focusing on Paul's Letter to the Colossians . Despite their diversity
of contexts, they affirmed in a spirit of unity and joy the Lordship of Jesus
Christ, his uniqueness and sufficiency for the salvation of all people.
8. We close with an observation from the Right Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali on
the limits of biblical interpretation: "We cannot, because of a process of
inculturation, produce forms of the Christian faith that are entirely opaque to
Christians elsewhere." We are grieved that the Anglican Consultative Council
continues to tolerate, and even honour, The Episcopal Church USA, the Anglican
Church of Canada and other provinces who continue to produce revisionist forms
of the Christian faith that are unrecognizable to the majority of Anglicans
worldwide, contrary to a plain reading of God's Word and in violation of
Anglican Faith and Order.
9. We call upon all Anglicans to pray that our
beloved Communion will stand firm in honouring the unique and universal Lordship
of Jesus Christ as the Son Of God, and the authority of God's Word written over
all contexts, and in every matter of faith and practice.
"But you dear
friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy
Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." Jude 21
