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.
I am not impressed!
Groan.
Half a loaf is better than no bread. Think how long the process was when it came to the challenge of Arianism.
I am also not impressed but I am not surprised. About a year back the ABC called on the apostate Michael Ingham and another apostate to discuss problems with the Communion. This act in itself clearly shows Justin Welby is in the camp of the apostates and had it not been for the orthodox primates I doubt any action would have been taken against the TEC and I believe that action was an attempt to placate the orthodox primates and I am glad to see they are also disappointed with the results of the meeting. From my perspective there is only ONE Gospel and you either accept both the full authority of Scripture and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ or you have NOTHING. This is precisely why i believe references to “liberals” and/or “conservatives” basically plays into the hands of the apostates. The ABC has simply proved he is either an apostate or afraid of the backlash from the civil governments which have no real interest in the Gospel. He has shown himself to be unworthy of his position. If we had a leader like William Temple the results would have been much different.
I do think that it is proper to make a distinction between the official and the unofficial actions of a church. So far the ACoC has not completely left the rails officially.
Frank: I am glad William Temple (1881-1944) was mentioned in your comment. In Nature, Man and God (1934, p. 317), Archbishop Temple wrote: “There is no such thing as revealed truth. There are truths of revelation, that is to say, propositions which express the result of correct thinking concerning revelation; but they are not themselves directly revealed”. Temple was a great Bishop; but he was not a conservative.
It will be interesting to see what happens at General Synod now. Three years ago, Synod bailed out of changing the marriage canon and set up a commission to look at the issue to avoid being suspended. The decision was looking like a foregone conclusion this time, but Synod can hardly set up another commission and delay the decision another three years. Do the liberals really see this as a matter of principle, or will they try to weasel out again to avoid being suspended?
This is the right time for earnest prayer. The conservative bishops in our HoB have the opportunity to do a solid educational job on their fellows before the special February meeting. That body has suffered all along from a general lack of education.
It really comes down to where it goes from here. Is it the case that after 3 years, everything is now OK and TEC is restored? Or after 3 years does something more permanent happen?
I think everybody recognizes it’s a weak step. But at least it is in the right direction. Subsequent steps are crucial for this to mean anything.
In the meantime GAFCON and ACNA continue and there is a Church to grow.
“You, sinful and godless you !” … yelled the African bishop from the pulpit…while his three wives listened attentively from the pews
Sadly the Worldwide Anglican Communion is a zombie, a walking corpse. Anyone who looks at it with even the smallest amount of objectivity can see that it already fractured beyond repair. Does anyone honestly think that AcoC or TEc will undue all that they have done over the past 40+ years? I don’t. And with that is the nail in the coffin. Another three years of talking will not change their hearts nor their obsession with sinful sex. What will happen is a continuing decline in the membership of the AcoC and TEc. Meanwhile ACNA will grow, although most likely slowly, but still grow none-the-less. ACNA is already greater in membership and attendance than the AcoC and in time will be greater then the TEc. Then things will get interesting.