Michael Poon on the St. Andrews Draft.

The Global South Anglican web pages speak to a much wider range of viewpoints that is sometimes given by the Global South Steering Committee, and certainly a much wider range than is presented by those who are promoting the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). One of the best and most prolific minds in the Global South Anglican community is Dr. Michael Poon. He has just written a longish essay on the St. Andrew's Draft Covenant, known with some wit by Fr. Tobias as the SAD Covenant, and by yours truly as the Ash Wednesday / St Andrews Draft.

Dr. Poon's essay is worth a careful read. You can find it HERE. At the close he writes,

"It is clear then that SAT (the St. Andrew's Text) – the act of covenanting – is intelligible only within a wider ecclesial reality, communities of faith that submissive to a godly order. SAT cannot stand on its own. Neither should it focus its attention towards solving the present crisis. It should seize the opportunity the present crisis provides to provide a proactive structure towards the maturing of the Anglican Communion.

Helpfully, the discussions at Lambeth will be strengthened by reflections from the Theological Education in the Anglican Communion as well. Discussions on the Anglican Way and on theological education in the Communion breathe concrete meaning to the Anglican Covenant. Perhaps it would also be helpful if some attention is given to the formulating of a catechetical framework, as proposed by the Global South Anglican Primates.

Put in another way, Lambeth perhaps should focus its discussion on the essentials in faith and order, that is, St Andrew’s Text itself. I am unclear whether the proposed Appendix on Framework Procedures should be tabled at all for discussion in the foreseeable future. If the bishops at Lambeth are able to agree to a framework of faith, and come to a common mind in giving this concrete embodiment at the parish levels (i.e. in having agreed standards in catechisms, prayer book, and theological education), dioceses across the Communion will draw from it direct spiritual benefit and be strengthened. We all would have come a long way.

The sentence in RED is perhaps the most important. I believe Dr. Poon is right. The Lambeth Conference will bog down almost immediately if it tries to take on both the Text and the Appendix together. As I said earlier they are unequal texts: the first is a great teaching tool and a gathering point for Anglicans. The second is an emerging canon law.

I must say I like the notion that the real benefit of an Anglican Covenant is the possibility that it becomes a teaching tool for the strengthening of the Communion. Then even the process of discussion of the covenant becomes a process of discovery for us all.

Looking at the Text itself there is no question that there is more work to be done. We can hope the bishops at Lambeth will work on that. That will be enough for one three week gathering.

Fr. Tobias Haller in his excellent article raises the immediately important question, namely, is there actually any need for a covenant at all. Read his remarks HERE. His answer? If the covenant is a covenant of death, no thanks. Again, like Dr. Poon, Fr. Haller believes that there is merit in the actual discussions. If out of that discussion there is a growing reason for choosing Life+ Jesus, go for it.