++Ernest Excommunicates TEC and ACC

In a polite but strongly worded letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ian Ernest, Archbishop of the Indian Ocean makes clear he has had enough:

I believe that I have been patient and hopeful that our co-operation and listening, our reasoning and brotherly concern would have brought transformation. However it is now abundantly clear to me and to my people that the Episcopal Church has no intention of honouring any of the commitments it has made whether that be in terms of ‘moratoriums’ or ‘gracious restraint’. It is to my mind hell bent on a course that is in radical disobedience to the counsels of God in Holy Scripture.

He therefore excommunicates, even shuns(!), the apostates:

Consequently, I feel constrained by my conscience to uphold my duty as shepherd of the flock and to forthwith suspend all communication both verbal and sacramental with both the TEC and the ACC – their Primates, bishops and clergy until such time as they reverse their theological innovations, and show a commitment to abide by the decisions of the Lambeth Conference. This suspension of communion would not include those bishops and clergy who have distanced themselves from the direction of the TEC (such as the Communion Partners group).

It is gratifying to see there are still Anglicans who know how to excommunicate. He also makes clear he is no longer interested in business as usual from His Grace:

If over 80% of Anglicans live in the global south, why is this not reflected in communion structures? Further attention needs to be given to the adoption of the Anglican Covenant which would bring the communion back to its true calling. However the matter of credibility of the structures which are meant to oversee the process needs to be addressed.

In other words, stop rigging the Anglican Communion, Your Grace.

I also support Archbishop Henry’s call for a Primates meeting. I also will only attend this meeting on condition that we as Primates be consulted first before the agenda is finalised, and on condition that the Primates of TEC and the ACC are not present.

This letter, along with public letters from ++Anis and ++Orombi when TEC is about to ordain a lesbian “bishop” makes one wonder if the Global South is on the verge of laying down the law to Rowan Williams. The 4th Global South to South Encounter is about to meet in Singapore. Will an important statement come from there?