BREAKING: Anglican Communion Network on December 18th Common Cause Meeting
I just got this. The emphasis is mine.
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Dear Network,
The next major milestone in the development of Common Cause is next week, when the Common Cause Leadership Council gathers in Orlando, Florida on December 18 for its inaugural meeting. The Council comprises the head bishop, a clergy representative, and a lay representative from each Partner. This body represents Common Cause in all its fullness, and has the authority to do the work of the Partnership.
This is the organizing meeting of Common Cause, at which the assembly will elect its first officers and establish its initial committees and task forces. As such, December 18, 2007 will mark the formal beginning of a "separate ecclesiastical structure" in North America. Following this meeting, Common Cause will be in a place to seek official recognition from the Primates of our Communion.
We at the Network are pleased to have been given the Kingdom assignment of building unity among the Common Cause Partners. Thank you for sharing with us in this task, and please pray for our work next week.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Canon Daryl Fenton
Chief Operating Officer
Anglican Communion Network
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With everything else going on, this has snuck up on us, has it not? But I think this highly significant. I expect I will comment in due time.
MORE:
Having let this sink in some, I now have some thoughts:
The Common Cause Partners aren’t wasting any time, are they? The Panel of Reference they’re not. I think they are engaging in deliberate speed for three main reasons:
1. They realize the urgent need to provide credible safe places for distressed Anglicans. North American Anglicanism is bleeding people to Rome and various other churches, including the church of the sacred pillow. Many determined to remain faithful Anglicans need a safe place and soon.
2. As much as they can and as quickly as they can, they want to end the scandalous joke of the Anglican “alphabet soup.” For those who claim to be catholic to be so splintered is not right. The current environment makes it all the more urgent to be much more united. (And, by the way, I’m proud that my once sectarian Reformed Episcopal Church has taken a significant role in this effort.)
3. They are responding to the call of at least some Primates for a “separate ecclesiastical structure.”
I don’t think forcing ++Rowan Williams’ hand is a motive, but it likely will be an effect. With dioceses leaving The Episcopal Church and fleeing to the shelter of ++Greg Venables and now with Common Cause getting ready “to seek official recognition from the Primates” perhaps by the New Year and perhaps as a province, I suspect ++Rowan will have to make decisions and take sides in the New Year whether he wants to or not.
6 comments:
This is REALLY interesting. I agree with you that they probably did not have as their primary intention to force Rowan Williams' hand, but that will almost certainly be a result.
And that will be a good thing; Rowan Williams, I must admit, makes me wonder how a two-legged being can simultaneously straddle a dozen fences.
Will (from Prydain)
Will,
it must certainly be painful :-)
Newbie,
Yes, this is an exciting time. One point that needs to be made is to your point number 2. Nothing in the CCP will "eliminate the alphabet soup." The APA, REC, AMiA, CANA etc will all continue to exist as independant bodies in a "Partnership" with a Common Cause. I have it on good authoritiy from several REC bishops that THIS IS NOT A MERGER and the individual jurisdictions will remain.
Thanks, REC Chip. I was aware of that, but should have made that more clear in my post.
mark
Mark,
Hey no problem brother! I have to keep explaining that myself. We have a number of folks who are very concerned about any merger (except with the APA) with other groups due to differences on WO, Prayer Book and worship style.
I enjoyed reading your notes from Oxford (with Much envy!!). Next time, let's go together. You have the fun and I will do ALL the papers for both of us!! I love academics.
We are looking forward to getting to know one of your (Diocese of Mid America's) current Bishops, Daniel Morse. He is going to be our new Missionary Bishop in the New Missionary Diocese of the Central States.
Hi Tex. In and with Christ from the frozen chosen (Toronto)
I have followed from the beginning the journey of decay and it was not until I first came across the words Common Cause Partners (through pubs from mt "Anglican Network Canada") that I immediately saw a light in a continually lengthening and darkening tunnel. It was not long after that I envisioned (no alcohol) a complete world wide revival of Anglicanism based on old and established truths. So - were is T.A.C. were is the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada. Finally were is the fear of unity coming from (Past blogs)
God Bless,
Z - Applicant Friar the Order of St. Augustine
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