Global South ordaining bishops again and again.

The so called Global South Primates said this in their Kigali Communique of September 2006:

"We are convinced that the time has now come to take initial steps towards the formation of what will be recognized as a separate ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA. We have asked the Global South Steering Committee to develop such a proposal in consultation with the appropriate instruments of unity of the Communion. We understand the serious implications of this determination. We believe that we would be failing in our apostolic witness if we do not make this provision for those who hold firmly to a commitment to historic Anglican faith."

True to their word, and in conjunction with the Anglican Communion Network bishops and several of the so called Windsor Bishops, they are now putting the beads in place for a new orthodox community in the United States. Rwanda, Nigeria, and soon Kenya have bishops in place, and now Uganda has announced its intention to ordain John Guernsey.

Added to that of course is the Province of the Southern Cone which has Frank Lyon building up his diocese which was very small indeed by adding congregations from the US, and retired Bishop Cox who acts in country on its behalf.

Minns, Atwood and now Guernsey. Guernsey sits on the American Anglican Council board and is Mid Atlantic regional dean for the Anglican Communion Network. Members of the parish voted to leave the Episcopal Church last December.

Let there be no doubt: The hunt is on. This makes three bishops located in the United States who are working for bosses who have agreed "to take initial steps towards the formation of what will be recognized as a separate ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA."

Archbishop Orombi wrote in his announcement letter that the election took place last December but was reaffirmed this week. So prior to the Primates meeting in Dar es Salaam the deal had already been struck. Now it is official, with a September 2nd date for ordination.

Additionally the Archbishop said, "I want to say how pleased and encouraged I am to hear that Bishop Duncan has called for a Council of Bishops meeting for the Common Cause partners in September. This is the kind of movement toward unity among orthodox entities in the USA that is hopeful for the future of a Biblical North American Anglican witness and must be pleasing to our Lord. We have already been assured that Bishop-elect Guernsey will be invited to that meeting, and we have asked him to work closely with all Bishops serving American congregations that are canonically part of Global South Provinces, and with other Bishops with whom the Church of Uganda is in communion."

Two interesting points in this quote. (i) the Council of Bishops meeting called for by the ACN in September is soundly affirmed and Guernsey a part of it. The marching orders for this meeting is a natural result of the agreement last fall that ACN and other bishops would have as their spokesperson the Moderator of the Network and the Moderator would work in conjunction with the Global South Steering Committee's wishes. (ii) the Archbishop speaks of "all Bishops serving American congregations that are canonically part of Global South Provinces." There is now, in the minds of some, an entity called the "Global South." It has a steering committee, it has meetings of self-selected orthodox Provinces. It is now thinking of itself as "Global South Provinces."

The Global South cabal was interested in forming a new Anglican Communion Province. What is shaping up is not that but a different Anglican Communion. We are not far from there being a New Improved Anglican Communion located in the Global South with a Province in North America.

It's hard ball time.

If the Archbishop of Canterbury does not demand a halt to this stuff soon he won't have to worry about what he will have on his plate when he gets home from sabbatical. When he gets home he will be the Archbishop of Canterbury. But it would now appear that he will either be the focus of unity for a somewhat smaller fellowship of churches, or there will be no such fellowship at all.

So Minns and Atwood and Guernsey... The realignment crowd is on the move. If worse comes to worse, I suppose, Bishop Duncan can take early retirement, join the crew, and they can work out who is the lion here among themselves.

Good luck.

When it all shakes out there will still be the fellowship called the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada will be part of it. The NIAC (New Improved Anglican Communion) will be what it will be. Life is like that.