The Primates Standing Committee

Ruth Gledhill has the scoop of the moment. You can read the whole thing HERE.

She has the names of the new members of the Primates Standing Committee:

The Archbishop of Canterbury (not named, but "of course.")

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, of the Episcopal Church will represent the Americas.

Presiding Bishop Mouneer Anis of Egypt, the newly-elected Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East and treasurer of the Global South, will represent the Middle East, West Asia and Egypt.

Archbishop Luke Orombi, of the Church of Uganda, will represent Africa.

Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, of the Church of Australia, will represent West Asia.

Archbishop Barry Morgan, of the Church of Wales, will represent Europe.

Ruth writes, "The importance of the Standing Committee of the Primates is not to be underestimated. It meets in between the Primates' Meetings and is utterly key in determining future policy questions."

Ruth also reports that "A source close to what's happening in Dar es tells me that things will be "very rough" this afternoon. I am just wondering whether the TEC report, the election of Bishop Schori onto the standing committee and the apparent acquiesence of so many of the Global South Primates in what has been going on so far might perhaps indicate quite a tough, orthodox doctrinal line in the Anglican Covenant."

Who knows. Anglican Mainstream posted this "The final press conference will be addressed by the Archbishops of Tanzania, Canterbury and Australia tonight at 18:45 Tanzania time (GMT 15:45). The Communique is five pages long and will be released with the covenant in time for the press conference. The Communique was presented as a unanimous report by the communique group which included Archbishops John Chew (South East Asia), Ian Ernest (Indian Ocean) and Drexel Gomez (West Indies). Drexel Gomez chaired the discussion of the Communique. The agenda has been completely changed today, the Lambeth Conference will be discussed this afternoon. Jim Rosenthal, the Director of Communications, expects the Primates to be working on the Communique till the last second."

We shall see. My sense is that the Communique will not sit well with the so called "coalition" of Global South leaders and American and British friends. With KJS on the Primates Standing Committee it at least must affirm the place of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion. It may urge a variety of possible solutions to the so called crisis in the US, but it cannot dictate the terms. It may commend certain actions to the ACC and to the Covenant process, but that will be that.

There has been talk of a minority report or a counter report from the group having strategy meetings (Archbishop Akinola and others). Again, we shall see.

I would not be surprised if there were statements from the Anglican Communion Network Moderator and Bishop Minns of CANA immediately following.

All of this will happen in the next hour or so. Stay tuned.