2/22/2007

AMiA is not buying The Communique, much less reading it.

The Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA), a clear intruder agent from another Province, has written a statement concerning the Primate's Meeting. It is unclear if they have read the same document that any of us can download from the Anglican Communion website.

After generally commending the call that the Episcopal Church mind its manners and reform its ways, the AMiA statement begins to wander:

"We believe it should always be remembered that while much of the focus of this recent primates' meeting has revolved around The Episcopal Church's violations of the 1998 Lambeth Resolution I.10 concerning human sexuality, those violations have, in fact, been only a painful symptom of the much greater crisis of faith and leadership that presently exists within TEC and the many questions that TEC has raised in recent years regarding the authority of the Scriptures as our "standard and ultimate rule of faith." [Lambeth Conference of 1888 – Resolution 11] "

Then, in a wonderful example of textual hubris, the AMiA writes this:

"Given the continued crisis in Anglicanism, especially in the U.S., we are thankful that the primates unequivocally rejected The Episcopal Church's request to end all interventions in North America until there is deep and genuine change in The Episcopal Church. [See Communiqué, paragraphs 32 and 34.] This decision provides much needed protection for those who can no longer accept the spiritual authority of TEC."

Paragraphs 32 and 34, along with 31, 33, and 34 are descriptive of various positions and concerns and do not represent the view of the whole Primate's meeting at all.

And then AMiA wanders into an alternative universe. Their statement says,

"We are grateful that the primates see the Anglican Mission as a part of the larger family while recognizing our mission and ministry as a missionary movement of the Province of Rwanda."
No citation is give for this, because no citation is there.

The ONLY citation regarding AMiA is this "Although there are peculiar difficulties associated with AMiA and CANA, the Pastoral Council should negotiate with them and the Primates currently ministering to them to find a place for them within these provisions. we believe that with goodwil this may be possible." That particular paragraph of the "Key Recommendations of the Primates" is a sign of just how tired and foolish the Primates could be. In any event, the "particular difficulties associated with AMiA" is hardly a supportive statement regarding AMiA. Indeed those difficulties include but are not limited to the establishment of alternative churches in the Province that is the Episcopal Church.

And then there is the clincher. Here at least AMiA is clear. It is having none of it - the it being "he Pastoral Council should negotiate with them and the Primates currently ministering to them to find a place for them within these provisions." AMiA says,

"Given our canonical standing within the Province of Rwanda, the Anglican Mission is in no way expected to be placed under the oversight or authority of either the proposed Pastoral Council or a Primatial Vicar."

AMiA did not even make it into the record with its full name.

Can they read?

3 comments:

  1. How very interesting. It appears that the compromise worked out in Tanzania that asked all sides to step back and pause is already being rejected out of hand by the sub-saharan provinces.

    Perhaps CANA and AMiA really aren't willing to negotiate in good faith?

    One wonders exactly what outcome their end-game is playing for...

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  2. It never fails to amaze me that AMiA continually tries to kick the Episcopal Church out of the Anglican Communion when one of it's cofounders, the now retired Most Rev. Moses Tay of South East Asia is, if reports are accurate, now attending a saddleback clone charismatic megachurch in Singapore. Who then are the real Anglicans?

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  3. Kocab, when it comes to the CANA/AMiA "endgame," here's one strong possibility: ++Akinola runs the whole show.

    In fact, that's what he says he's doing now. See the story below, from the Nairobi, Kenya newspaper _The Nation_.

    ++Akinola says he will expel the Church of England from the Anglican Communion unless it gives the same assurances the Episcopal Church has been asked to provide, by the same September 30th deadline. (The unilateral issuance of communiques is of course nothing new for the Lion of Abuja...)

    http://allafrica.com/stories/200702221147.html

    Anglican Bishops Warn of Split

    The Nation (Nairobi)
    NEWS
    February 23, 2007
    Posted to the web February 22, 2007

    By Lucas Barasa and Nyabonyi Kazungu
    Nairobi

    "African Anglican bishops yesterday warned of a split among faithful unless the mother church stopped embracing homosexuality by September 30.

    Led by Nigeria's Archbishop Peter Akinola and Kenya's Benjamin Nzimbi, the bishops said if Canterbury "does not come back to us by September 30, we will decide whether they will continue being with us or not."

    "Let us know if they will have stopped celebrating same sex marriages and ordaining homosexuals," Bishop Akinola who is the chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (Capa) said during the launch of an HIV /Aids prevention plan at Panafric Hotel."

    ReplyDelete

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