At least I’m not alone in my disappointment.

The ACoC escaped without so much as a scolding, the likelihood of the sanctions producing repentance are non-existent, there is no mention of recognition for ACNA and no mention of the continuing litigation; for all intents an purposes this is a marginally less feeble repeat of Dromantine; and there is going to be more talking.

From here:

Statement by the GAFCON Chairman, The Most Rev. Dr. Eliud Wabukala and The GAFCON General Secretary, The Most Rev. Dr. Peter Jensen

January 14, 2016

The Anglican Communion is our spiritual home and the GAFCON Primates travelled to England in the hope that godly faith and order could be restored through renewed obedience to the Bible.

We are pleased that Archbishop Foley Beach of the Anglican Church in North America has played a full part in the Canterbury meeting of Primates and that sanctions have been applied to the Episcopal Church of the United States, (TEC) recognising the need for mutual accountability on matters of doctrine within the family of the Communion. However, this action must not be seen as an end, but as a beginning.

There is much that causes us concern, especially the failure to recognise the fact that the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) has also rejected the collegial mind of the Communion by unilaterally permitting the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of those in active homosexual relationships.

We fear that other provinces will do the same. Since the beginning of the crisis in the Communion brought about by the actions of both TEC and the ACoC, the Anglican instruments of unity have been unable to guard biblical truth and restore godly order.

There must therefore be doubt about the effectiveness of the sanctions that have been agreed. In particular, it must be recognised that the continuing brokenness of the Communion is not the result simply of failed relationships, but is caused by the persistent rejection of biblical and apostolic faith as set out in Lambeth Resolution 1.10.

We are therefore disappointed that the Primates’ statement makes no reference to the need for repentance. The need for the GAFCON movement is being recognised by an ever increasing number of people and we are encouraged in our conviction that God has called us to work for an Anglican Communion which is a truly global family of Churches.

We long to see a united, confident and courageous witness to God who by the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ has given us an unshakeable hope and assures us of his unfailing love.

The official statement from the Primates’ gathering has been released. I note that a Task Group to maintain conversation will be formed. That makes me feel so much better:

Statement from Primates 2016

14 Jan 2016

Both VOL and Anglican Ink are reporting that TEC is to be sanctioned over its same-sex marriage canon.

VOL:

Reliable sources have told VOL that the Episcopal Church will be sanctioned by the Primates of the Anglican Communion following the passage of the Marriage Canon passed last summer at General Convention in Salt Lake City.

The Primates unanimously recognized that the Marriage Canon passed by the Episcopal Church was a departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of Provinces, and was a departure from the mutual accountability and interdependence implied through being in relationship with each other in the Anglican Communion.

As a consequence sanctions have been passed that for three years TEC may no longer have representatives on ecumenical and interfaith bodies. Secondly, TEC should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and can only have voice but not vote in the Instruments of Communion.

Anglican Ink:

The primates of the Anglican Communion have suspended the Episcopal Church from full participation in the life and work of the Anglican Communion. On 14 January 2016 a motion was presented to the gathering of archbishops and moderators gathered in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral that called for the Episcopal Church to be suspended for a period of three years.

The resolution as shared with Anglican Ink calls for the Episcopal Church to lose its “vote” in meetings of pan-Anglican institutions and assemblies, but preserves its “voice”, demoting the church to observer status..

The motion asks that representatives of the Episcopal Church not be permitted to represent the Communion in interfaith and ecumenical bodies or dialogue commissions, nor serve on the Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council, nor vote at meetings of the Anglican Consultative Council — whose next meeting is this summer in Lusaka. Unlike the recommendations of the Windsor Report, which called for the “voluntary withdrawal” of the Episcopal Church from the life of the Communion, today’s vote directs the archbishop to discipline the American church.

The Episcopal Church may not take part in the decision making process “on issues of doctrine or polity”, either, agreed the primates.

The motion further asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to “appoint a task group to maintain conversations among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of commonality, and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held in the love and grace of Christ.”

The archbishop’s task group will be tasked with implementing the dialogue and codifying what “this looks like” a source familiar with the deliberations told AI.

The motion was passed by a two thirds margin, sources tell AI.

The three year time frame to repent and bring its house in order was given so as to “respect the polity of the Episcopal Church” a source tells us. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has no authority to bind the American church. That can only be done by the Church’s General Convention which is scheduled to meet in 2018.

Fred Hiltz managed to worm his way out of being lumped with TEC by pleading that the ACoC has not yet passed its marriage canon resolution:

Leaders of the GAFCON movement, at the start of the meeting, sought to group the Anglican Church of Canada with the Episcopal Church, but Canadian Archbishop Fred Hiltz told the gathering his church had yet to adopt provincial-wide rites for same-sex marriage. It would come before the next meeting of General Synod, he explained, but had not been settled. Archbishop Hiltz’s explanation appears to have satisfied the group as a whole as the motion proposed and its accompanying debate focused on the Episcopal Church.

Although time will tell, I very much fear this is too little, too late and that the Archbishop of Uganda had the right idea when he walked out.

Perhaps, though, if ACNA is recognised as an Anglican Province in communion with Canterbury it would compensate somewhat for lashing TEC with nothing but a wet noodle.

More news is trickling out of Canterbury. I’ll update this post as it appears.

From Kevin Kallsen who is in Canterbury:

14 Jan 2016

The CofE communications director is denying that cell phones were confiscated:

From VOL:

Newspaper reports that bullying is going on is simply untrue. VOL was told that it has been a dignified, orderly process — obviously being guided, but always stopping to consider all the perspectives.

A report by John Bingham of The Telegraph that the Primates were being treated like children was described as “nonsense”.

What is happening is vigorous conversation, using the Delphi technique and indaba processes to move the conversation forward. The days of patronizing the Africans and making them look like simpletons is over, if it was ever true.

Furthermore reports that cell/mobile phones of GAFCON primates have been taken from them is totally untrue. I have been told that no cell phone has been relinquished to anyone. The last and only time that happened was when John Peterson was running the Anglican Communion Office and he confiscated cell phones when the primates met at Kanuga in the US. No one has ever attempted that again.

In fact the opposite is true. Here the primates have been given iPads to work from which are hooked up to the Internet, so if they wanted to send a message they could easily do so. Apparently with the blanket shutdown of nearly all communication very little is being leaked. The one person who has gotten closer to the primates, and that means Archbishop Foley Beach is the Rev. Peter Ould and he has been acting in the role of prayer warrior to Beach.

[…]

Rumors that it was all over on Monday, then Tuesday and then Wednesday have all turned out to be wrong. Today Thursday the primates will take up the person and role of ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach. That will be decisive and whatever is said and one we will not know officially till tomorrow.

There will be a full court press Friday at about noon in the lodge of Canterbury cathedral when we will be told fully what happened. Until then be careful what you read because it will probably not be true or at the mostly speculative.

From here:

Archbishop Stanley Ntagali’s Update on the Primates Gathering in Canterbury

13th January 2016

Dear Bishops, Clergy, and Lay Leaders in the Church of Uganda,

Praise the Lord! Thank you so much for your prayers for me as I traveled to Canterbury, England, for the gathering of Primates called by the Archbishop of Canterbury to address the events that caused the fabric of the Anglican Communion to be torn at its deepest level. We traveled well, and I’m writing to give you a brief update.

On the second day of the gathering, I moved a resolution that asked the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada to voluntarily withdraw from the meeting and other Anglican Communion activities until they repented of their decisions that have torn the fabric of the Anglican Communion at its deepest level. They would not agree to this request nor did it appear that the Archbishop of Canterbury and his facilitators would ensure that this matter be substantively addressed in a timely manner.

Sadly, after two long days of discussions, I was concerned that the process set up for this meeting would not permit us to address the unfinished business from the 2007 Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam.

In accordance with the resolution of our Provincial Assembly, it was, therefore, necessary for me to withdraw from the meeting, which I did at the end of the second day. It seemed that I was being manipulated into participating in a long meeting with the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada without the necessary discipline being upheld.  My conscience is at peace.

I have left the meeting in Canterbury, but I want to make it clear that we are not leaving the Anglican Communion. Together with our fellow GAFCON Provinces and others in the Global South, we are the Anglican Communion; the future is bright. The door is open for all those who seek communion on the basis of a common confession of our historic, Biblical faith for which the Ugandan Martyrs, Archbishop James Hannington, Archbishop Janani Luwum and many others around the world have died. We are part of a global movement of Anglicans who follow the God who “so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

I will share more with you in due course, but I wanted you to know directly from me what is happening in Canterbury. I have never been more happy and proud to be part of the Church of Uganda.

Yours, in Christ,

The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali

NPR interviewed a number of people, including Charlie Masters who is in Canterbury, on the Primates’ gathering:

There is a transcript here.

In further news, Anglican Ink is reporting that there is a call for TEC and, presumably the ACoC to be sanctioned.

It now seems that the ACoC is not to be included in the sanctions and the sanctions themselves may not amount to much; just what I feared:

According to VOL, while one Primate has already left Canterbury, Foley Beach is still part of the proceedings and the Primates intend to continue in the gathering until the bitter end.

I also understand from another source that, contrary to a previous report, some think that the longer the meeting drags on, the more favourable it is to Welby’s reconciliation machinations:

It should have ended by lunchtime today with nine or so GAFCON primates walking out.

It did not happen. By midday it was clear the GAFCON Primates were not ready to leave; powerful forces were at work to keep them all at the table led by the reconciling voice of Canon David Porter, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Director of Reconciliation. No one has been ejected, but no one ever thought that would happen, but it is incorrect to say that no one has left. (I am not permitted to say which Primate).

[…..]

Deep concerns have been expressed that Archbishop Welby has substituted a management style for ecclesial leadership but not the spiritual leadership needed to navigate these perilous spiritual waters.

Clearly unity has not been achieved. The conservatives have neither caved in nor achieved their goals, but there is enormous pressure being put on them to accommodate to Welby. There is enormous frustration all round.

Archbishop Beach is clearly visible and was present in the quire tonight at Evensong, but that proves nothing. Not all the primates attend Evensong so that also proves nothing. He has been participating fully, according to my source.

Tomorrow, Thursday and the subject will be the ACNA and Foley Beach. What will they do to him or for him is the question. What leverage does Welby have to include him with revisionist archbishops like Canadian Primate Fred Hiltz wanting him gone?

This I know, Archbishop beach will not accommodate anything to appease the liberal revisionist western primates. He will concede nothing like a federation or commonwealth or two integrities living side by side like a divorced couple still living in the same house. He has been abundantly clear on that score and he has the total support of Primates like Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria, Eliud Wabukala of Kenya and Stanley Ntagali of Uganda. Perhaps others. After all he got brutalized by TEC so what is in it for him to cave into anything TEC or the ACoC would offer even coming from the “reconciling” hand of Justin Welby.

I have been told that the primates will go the full course that is, we won’t truly know anything till Friday when all will be made known. Stay tuned.

Another report from the Telegraph, has the Primates complaining of being “treated like children”, of being separated from one another to prevent collusion and of being made to hand over their mobile phones. I never thought I’d see the day, but it would appear that Anglicanism is being transformed into a cult under the auspices of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The facilitators have been accused of “manipulation“, the process as being “rigged” and the talks as being a “weasel process“. In other words, just like a typical ACoC or TEC synod. The facilitating sounds like one typically employed by large corporations to create an illusion of activity, line the pockets of the consultant facilitators and nudge participants to the predefined conclusion. Having worked for large companies for almost 50 years and being compelled to participate in many of these activities, I made my peace with the exercise by learning to doze with my eyes open while consoling myself that I was being paid to perfect the technique:

The Archbishop of Canterbury was last night accused treating African archbishops “like children” in an attempt to avoid a full public walkout during make-or-break talks on the future of the worldwide Anglican church.

Sources close to the behind-closed-doors negotiations in Canterbury claimed a handful of clerics had already temporarily taken “time out” from the negotiations but returned to the discussions to avoid splitting the traditionalist camp.

Up to 15 of the 38 prelates taking part in the talks are also understood to have withdrawn from joint prayer services in Canterbury Cathedral in a sign of the depth of the divisions over issues such as homosexuality.

But sources claimed that fears of a dramatic public walkout on the first few days of the talks had been avoided by negotiation tactics involving separating people into small groups, unable even to communicate with each other for most of the time.

Clerics are understood to have been asked to hand in mobile phones for much of the time during the talks, overseen by two trained “facilitators” specialising in “reconciliation” tactics.

One said that the traditionalists had been so effectively segregated that some had even resorted to holding snatched meetings in each other’s rooms in their accommodation at night.

“They have been treated like children,” the source added.

“The whole process has been rigged from the start.”

He branded the talks a “weasel” process which could not ultimately prevent a permanent schism in Anglicanism.

Another added: “There has been a combination of deference and manipulation.

“They have not been allowed to speak to each other

“They are honourable men and if you are part of the process you have to stay in the process.”

[…..]

one source close to the traditionalists said: “There is a 90 per cent chance that the schism that took place with the consecration of Gene Robinson will now be full articulated by Friday teatime – with or without people walking out of the gate.

“By the end of the week there will be some who say that the version of Christianity practised by the Episcopal Church and the Church of England is not something we can be part of.”

Here is some late news sure to set the teeth of Fred Hiltz and Michael Curry on edge – never a bad thing:

What can be reported is Anglican Church in North America primate Foley Beach has become a de facto primate of the communion, at this point in the meeting. He has participated fully in the gathering and contrary to assertions made by Lambeth Palace staffers and some primates in the weeks before the meeting, he has not been asked to withdraw after the first day, nor shunted to one corner to be talked about — AI’s sources are unanimous in saying the ACNA archbishop is a full participant.

And, the momentum of the meeting through Wednesday was favorable towards the GAFCON faction. Several undecided primates are now known to have cast their lot with the conservatives — one writing to his bishops that he had joined the side “fighting the Americans and Canadians”.