“19 October 2006: Anglican Church of Burundi issues a statement.The Anglican Communion News Service has distributed this statement from the Anglican Church of Burundi announcing their support for some of the resolutions of the most recent Lambeth conference and for various conservative platforms issued since. We predict that Burundi will end up joining the Nigerian Communion once its membership details are defined.”
I have taken a less pessimistic view on the matter, but that is neither here or there. What is interesting in this notice is that Anglicans Online made a prediction about Burundi naming “the Nigerian Communion” as its eventual landing place.
This is the first time I have seen the phrase, “the Nigerian Communion” used.
There seems little doubt, following the Kigali Communiqué that plans are underway to define an Anglican configuration in which Provinces will not be the building blocks of the Communion but rather so called “orthodox” Provinces, dioceses, and in “unfriendly” environments convocations of churches, networks, alternative diocesan systems, etc. Still the stark name, “The Nigerian Communion,” puts the skunk on the table.
The declaration of war on Provincial autonomy and boundries is at the heart of the Kigali threat. The Nigerian decision to open up CANA (the Convocation of Anglicans in North America) and to ordain Bishop Minns essentially dismisses the long standing, and mostly observed, rule about Bishops staying out of each others yards. Thanks to a comment on this site for the heads up on this.
The CANA Website has this map: Imagine a Nigerian Communion with Nigeria at the center and dioceses and Provinces all over the world looking to it as the "connection" that makes for the REAL Anglican Communion.At one time there was a rumor that the realignment crowd was interested in having Alexandria, Egypt as a headquarters of a new communion, thinking that Nigeria might be too much to hope for, or perhaps deal with. But times change. Maybe now Nigeria thinks it is time to take a bite out of the big Apple.
There are snakes in the churchyard, lightening in the sky.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteOh my! That makes the outline of at least one plan clear. I wonder how the accomidationists in Canterbury are taking it?
One of the lessons here is that no matter how far you let a bully push he will push further. One would have thought the English with the example of Mr. Chamberline so much a part of their history, would have known. We can only hope and pray that the presiding bishop elect will come to understand the same point as she contemplates B033 and its results.
FWIW
jimB
Hi Mark
ReplyDeleteI may have found a possible fly in the conservative ointment.
http://revjph.blogspot.com/2006/10/jensens-dimensions-to-encroach-into.html#links
Also, Mark,
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I've also come up with a name for this new denomination.
I'm sorry - I couldn't help myself.
http://revjph.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-denomination-new-name.html#links
No fan of schism I, but this would be the first sub-Saharan branch of the church catholic, depending on your definition.
ReplyDeleteI'm fond of "Akinolan Communion," myself.
ReplyDeleteMuch more truthful.