Here is what Bishop Minns said in his "Pastoral Call to the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA)",
"He (the Archbishop of Canterbury) did, however, suggest modest sanctions towards those Provinces that have formally violated the Windsor moratoria. These sanctions are that their representatives should not be participants in the ecumenical dialogues in which the Communion is formally engaged or serve as full members of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order. In truth, depending upon how one interprets the phrase “formally violated”, this actually affects only a
handful of people.
handful of people.
The reaction of TEC leadership, however, has been one of outrage, disbelief and much hand wringing on the Internet! But more insidious they have redoubled their efforts to look for support and spread their revisionist views around the Communion. They are using a variety of means including their considerable financial clout to seduce and divide the orthodox Provinces. Some African bishops have been offered hundreds of thousands of dollars for much needed projects if they will deny their convictions and embrace the TEC viewpoint. Most stand firm but some give way. It is an agonizing time for so many of our sisters and brothers and yet the leadership of the Communion seems unable or unwilling to act in any substantive way."
Where is the proof? If it is there, bring it forward.
I am under the impression that some African bishops may have been offered bribes -- oh, I'm sorry, excuse me, "funding," or "contributions" -- by American religious rightwingers to encourage their ongoing attacks on The Episcopal Church. I believe this to be true, but I personally have no evidence of it. Does anyone else have evidence to share? We might want to bring that forward. (Jim Naughton's "Following the Money" would of course be an excellent place to start.)
ReplyDeleteTo Bishop Minns, regarding "disobedience to the revealed Word of God" (see the following post): please exegete for us Exodus 20:16.
The CANA folks might want to consider the traditional advice, "When you find yourself in a deep hole, first of all, stop digging."
(WV: "brapp." I couldn't resist....)
Minns, of course, is assuming that "our side" is as devoid of morality as his. Therefore, because the Anglican right have bought and paid for a whole range of so-called Global South bishops, he assumes that the Anglican left (and centre left) are prepared to use the same tactics.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, those of us at neither extreme but who have stayed within TEC wonder why these supposed pots of money aren't being used in mission as Christ would have us do...to feed the hungry, heal the sick, comfort the lonely...in other words, to show rather than just say that we love our neighbors as ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI find the idea that Bishops have been "bought" by either liberals or conservatives hard to swallow, at least if it means that Bishops have changed their convictions in exchange for money. The financial support that some conservative African Bishops have received isn't the reason for their convictions about sexuality, although it may account to some extent for their decision to see the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson as communion-breaking. And the continuing Episcopal Church support of ministries in more conservative member churches of the Communion hasn't, IMV, changed those churches stand on sexuality but has, I hope, helped maintain relationships which might help to heal the rifts in the Communion without anyone being required to abandon their convictions.
ReplyDeleteSadly Anglican TV's "So much money" interview with Henry Orombi mysteriously vanished a while back, but during the course of it he, in consultation with Alison Barfoot, who was on the sidelines, admitted receiving $200,000 and up from "our conservative brethren" in the US.
ReplyDeleteI think you may be a wee bit over-charitable, Fr Weir.
A right wing American Conservative group (with an acronym I can't remember) was given time to address the CANA gathering as part of their agenda. This is the group funding so much of these "breakaway" groups, which they are using to undermind "liberal" churches, including TEC.
ReplyDeleteSome time ago I posted the following to Thinking Anglicans. For the most part, it's still relevant:
ReplyDeleteSome time ago, a book was published in the U.S. entitled Interlocking Directorates. The point of its editors was to disclose who really ran US corporations and how they knew each other. At one point, I began a similar inquiry into the religious right, particularly those nominated by +Duncan for African episcopacy. There were clear patterns. Truro (Minns, Nolls,++Carey) Trinty Ambridge (Nolls, Pittsburgh etc.) The A.A.C. David Anderson. +Orombi and St. James Newport etc. But, on looking at it closely, Duncan's nominees shared two characteristics. They either delivered a legitimate constituency, no matter how small or a funding stream. Although the constituency arena concerned me, the funding stream area really gave me pause. Guernsey, Atwood and Anderson, were clearly in this camp. With big money comes big strings and when that money goes offshore, so does its accountability. Anderson runs what is effectively a lobby, not a church or congregation. Guernsey seems, with Dallas and Bishop Stanton's wife, the funding stream for Orombi's "employees" Alison Barfoot and Stephen Nolls, Vice Chancellor of Ugandan Christian University. (Just recently retired) Although Jim Naughton's article was wonderful in identifying the sources of funds (and they were few with big deep pockets), what else is happening to the money is anybody's guess. +Orombi, +Akinola (or his replacement)etc., don't seem to be telling.
Posted by: EmilyH on Saturday, 6 February 2010 at 2:18pm GMT "
Other sources of funds? AID from Anglican Mainstream whose first assistance was to buy bicycles for Sudanese pastors for their evangelical work. --- @100 pounds a piece.
++Orombi has been very vocal about the refusal of his church to accept funds from TEC because of its theology. He, however, has had no problem with funds being funneled his way from those who share his theological perspective. EmilyH
From Father Jake, quoting the Agenda for the CANA Meeting:
ReplyDelete"4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Anglican Action - Institute on Religion & Democracy - Anglican Action promotes orthodox social witness, teaching, and practice within the worldwide Anglican Communion"
This what he says about them:
The IRD promotes social witness? Unbelievable. For those who may have forgotten, the IRD used to be a group of radical anti-communists during the Reagan era. When their fanatacism lead to the death of some innocent missionaries in Central America, they recast their image, with their new target being "progressive" (in their mind, "Marxist") leaders in the mainline Christian denominations. They were still able to draw funds from the same small pool of extreme right backers that supported their anti-communist rhetoric. What brought them to light for most Anglicans was their significant role in the creation of the American Anglican Council, which became the Network, which became ACNA. So why are they present at this Council? Because, when it comes to the schismatic Virginia parishes, the IRD has always been around, usually lurking in the shadows. Consider this quote from a 2006 entry on the Casandra Pages:
...The announcement about the Virginia parishes has been directed by the skillful spokespeople at the Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD), a neo-conservative Washington think-tank that has innumerable connections, through its board of directors and officers, to the conservative Washington area parishes that have recently left the Episcopal Church. These parishes have been home to prominent conservatives such as Oliver North and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as well as top-level IRD Episcopalians. For instance, Fox News commentator Fred Barnes is a member of the Falls Church congregation, and serves on the Board of the IRD; Fox has covered this story extensively and sympathetically, interviewing Barnes as part of a roundtable discussion, but never mentioning his IRD connection...