UPDATE: Kevin Kallsen (who is on his way home as we speak and plans to have video up tomorrow night) reports at Anglican TV that 10,000 people were at the consecration of John Guernsey. More updates coming.
Bishop Martyn Minns reports on his participation at the consecration of Bill Atwood, Bill Murdock, and John Guernsey in Kenya and Uganda:
Over the past few days Angela, Rachel and I have had the joyful privilege of taking part in the consecration of three new bishops from Kenya and Uganda to serve in the USA. We were there, along with representatives from most of the provinces of the Global South, to demonstrate our solidarity with each of these new bishops and their families as they begin their ministries. The actual services were exuberant celebrations attended by thousands and both lasted approximately five hours! They were also important milestones in our effort to build a united, biblically-based, missionary-minded expression of Anglicanism in the USA.
Bishops Bill Atwood, John Guernsey and Bill Murdock are personal friends of many years and we are looking forward to working with them in the coming months as part of the Common Cause Partnership.These new initiatives are a dramatic demonstration that we are not alone as we seek to bear witness to the transforming love of Jesus Christ that is rooted in the 'faith once and for all delivered to the saints.'
These missionary and pastoral initiatives by our friends in the Global South also make clear that they will not abandon us to those who seek to silence our voices by pernicious lawsuits and canonical threats. It is my hope that one result of these creative partnerships will be a renewed emphasis on mission and reaching the unchurched with the Gospel.
Over the coming weeks Angela and I will be taking part in the annual meeting of the Church of Nigeria Standing Committee and also an Economic Empowerment Consultation for the Global South in Accra, Ghana. We will return to the USA on September 23rd in time for the first meeting of the Common Cause Council of Bishops in Pittsburgh.
These are exciting days to be Anglican Christians and while we pass through these times of reordering we know that our future is secure because the One who has called us is faithful.
Your brother in Christ,
+Martyn
17 comments:
Hooray for the CCCB! I love alphabet soup!
The first-ever meeting of the Common Cause Council of Bishops was reported on SF back on Memorial Day. Who Knew that it was going to be such a powerful statement? It's well-nigh time for rampant speculation on the full attendance list for this event, which may will be counted as the re-birth of the Anglican Church in America.
ps: My archbishop (+McClanahan) had sought to bring theCEEC into Common Cause several times, but +Duncan told him, "No, it's not time yet." Perhaps the time for that coalescing to occur has been waiting for the completion of an event such as this one: the first-ever meeting of the CCCB on Sept 25-28.
It is beginning to look as if in early October there will be an orthodox province in North America, supported by a large number of Anglican Primates. The response from TEC will no doubt be rapid, and anything but Christian. We need to not only pray that this will come about, but for those who will bring it about.
Hi Br_er Rabbit,
Has +McClanahan applied to FACA? CC/ACN has a whole lot on it's plate right now and juggling internal and external pressures (TEC diocese and REC, APA, AMiA & CANA all with a different issues) that +Duncan maybe stressed to the point of not wanting one more item on his plate this year (thus maybe the next few as I suspect the TEC diocese issues will consume much effort if they vote to leave and pending 815 reaction.
The FACA would be a door in and may even expedite application in CCP like 'earnest money' type of concept. The FACA being a looser confederation without possible governance plan but under +Venables it has many similar benefits without complexities ACN/CC is facing.
Thanks, Kevin. I was not aware of that particular piece of the Anglican Alphabet Soup (AAS). I looked at their website and it looks interesting as a way forward. I have sent your question to my bishop, and cc'd my archbishop.
Good call, Kevin.
That proposal has been forwarded to our own HOB for consideration. They do not, unlike TEC, have to wait for a scheduled meeting in order to make decisions.
Thanks for the interest.
From the Briar Patch,
The Rabbit
I'm honored and a bit awed to be of assistance.
BB & I have discussed this off-line, I have a longer timetable in my mind to how long Common Cause is going to take to develop fully, I see many nagging details and various different issues presenting themselves. Not a pessimism, rather one of those "if the Lord doesn't do this, it's not going to get done" situations -- +Duncan can be under stress for years to come.
I think FACA fits in the Lord's plan as a good confederation for the here and now, as ACN/CC goes through it's developmental phases (complementary to each-other {obviously with so many shared members}).
I'm glad things are working out and hopefully alleviates some frustrations with processes. I'm sure all will work out, but I'm very aware our God's timing is so much longer than mine, as if He has all Eternity to play with ;-)
Kevin, you've hit upon one of my main complaints. God never seems to follow my schedule.
Maybe that's because He's God and I'm not.
Northern Virginian charismatic, fundmentalist, right-wing evangelicalism is not the 'faith once and for all delivered to the saints.' And I won't even drag in what "Christian" practice is all mixed up in over in Africa.
These lawsuits are not "pernicious". One can see how what both sides are saying has some bearing on the truth. And these "canonical threats"? The bishop simply did what he said he would do and without letters dimissory was his right to do.
This whole letter from Martyn reads like propaganda. But from the church that brought you 40 days of Brainwashing, what should I expect?
Poor Anon, he must have bumped his head, that first paragraph makes no sense, it seems just babble. The second ignores that the the Episcopal bishop of Virginia set up a the committee that produced a protocol that he has retracted, so in error. The the conclusion is nothing more than a personal attack.
You really should learn to make reasoned arguments one day.
Perhaps a cup of chai might help?
Truro's brand of Christianity is not the 'faith once and for all delivered to the saints.' But neither is your average liberal TEC garbage.
Christian practice in Africa is still all wound up in traditional religions involving animal sacrifice, similar to what goes on in Latin America. This too is not the 'faith once and for all delivered to the saints.' I'm not saying, as others have, that the Archbishop is involved, but it is what it is.
To whip out the "protocol" all the time is disingenuous. Everyone knew going into the vote that there was no protocol on the table. The bishop told them so and told them what some of the possible consequences of a vote to leave were. Now you're experiencing them. If you don't care, fine, but don't go on about it like you're victims.
So it does read to a lot of folk like propaganda and that's not personal. Ok, maybe the 40 days of Brainwashing bit was. ;-) But the point of that was that a fair and balanced picture was not presented to the parish. The discernment process was lopsided.
Think they'll all be so pleased when they find out that continuing as Anglicans doesn't involve being in communion with the See of Cantebery?
Next time I'm in DC, I'll take you up on the cup of chai, if you'd even talk to me.
The offer for a cup of chai stands, Anon. As long as we don't start throwing the cream pies, all are welcome.
I know what it had cost the Bishop to endorse the Protocol (it was designed by his committee, chaired by his chancellor. In all times past, if the bishop wanted something done, it got done. I trusted him - I remember conversations about whether he could trusted, and I did trust him. I believed him. I knew it was costly for him - but if anyone was going to find a way through it, to find that center aisle, to find a way for us to have the closest communion possible, it would be Bishop Lee. I watched him try to do that at General Convention (and while his fingerprints are all over B033) he was out witted by the liberal lobby on the Special Committee, I watched it - he had a Windsor Compliant resolution and it was coming to a vote and then they called for one more meeting and when the committee came back, the progressives sank it, Ian Douglas even called Bishop Lee on the carpet publicly for making an ill-advised - at best - remark). It wasn't pretty. I got home and wrote Bishop Lee a letter, commending him on his efforts, he tried. So yes, I trusted him - what did he owe the progressives? It was clear that he was not one part of that lobby at GC, he was like one of the old lions, and his church had changed in front of him. He did look worn when he got back from GC, there's no doubt about that.
He continued to follow the protocol, after the votes even, when he called for the forming of the Property Committee. At Truro we had followed his request and elected our representatives to that committee. We were taking steps forward. And I know it was costly. In fact, Bishop Lee had participated in our 40 Days of Discernment, he made a video which was made available to everyone and continues to be up on the 40 Days website. We also invited the Standing Committee to come and address the congregation freely as they wished and they did and then met with Vestry. The President of the Standing Committee came himself and addressed the Truro congregation. We had a frank and courteous conversation with him.
And then David Booth Beers arrived from 815 on Monday and by Wednesday it was all off and everyone got sued.
That still breaks my heart. And I haven't given up on Bishop Lee, no I haven't, though I do wonder why he "defrocked" all those clergy, some his friends for over twenty years, one of them his own cousin. There's just got to be a better way - and there was a better way.
But we were so much older then ...
bb
"Christian practice in Africa is still all wound up in traditional religions involving animal sacrifice, similar to what goes on in Latin America.
[*LOL*] Anon, have you been to Africa? None of the 20 or so witness who have return from Rwanda give any such report. In fact I have friends who grew up in Egypt others visit the Sudan. I have news for you, that branch of the Church is MUCH older than England, I believe you may have read about their conversion, something in the book of Acts ... I'd be more offended but you're just being so 'out-there' it's funny ... maybe I shouldn't laugh but seriously ...
Anon ... May I recommended a book that really did change my life in the way I engaged people? It's a book by a Baptist theologian Norm L. Geisler, but it's not a theology book, Come, Let Us Reason: An Introduction to Logical Thinking. It's logic book about inductive and deductive reasoning and how to make valid arguments, but uses Bible references in examples, because it noted in the preface, we Christians really don't know how to make a good debate to engage folks. Technically you red flagged out so many times by "ad hominem logical fallacy" that you actually voided all your premises -- this is a bad thing to do. It's why I laughed at you a bit ago, because it was by definition irrational.
For the record, +Lee did send a letter which hinted that 815 didn't like the Protocol. However TEC & DioVA nearly had their whole case thrown out because they named so many defendants (civil judges hate vengeance law suits and it was summed up by Miss Hey that 'the judge made TEC an offer they could not refuse.' Now it a boring property case, not by TEC desires but a judge who seems willing to listen to reason but not emotion (TEC could also learn a time or two from Norm Geisler).
Per Anglicans -- well Truro certainly is in communion with the See of London but certainly not right next door See of Suffolk, so what do you make of that. It's very complex for CofE is also about to splinter.
Per a cup of chai, I talk to all sorts, you might be surprised.
Thanks for your second post, it was easier to follow than your first. May the Lord bless each of us that we may know Him better!
Peace,
Kevin
Anonymous wrote, "Christian practice in Africa is still all wound up in traditional religions involving animal sacrifice, similar to what goes on in Latin America."
Hmm, I looked at Kevin's videos of the ordination services for Bishops Atwood and Murdoch. I must have stepped away to get a cup of chai and missed the ritual animal killings. I am going to look at the Guernsey ordination now. I will try to pay closer attention.
Anonymous, take a look at the interview with Archbishop Orombi just posted at AnglicanTV.org, if you want to see what the Africans have for us.
According to Henry Luke Orombi, "If they're looking for fire, we have it!"
Kevin, (Don't know if you'll see this down here), Here's an update on FACA:
The person who handles the entry applications for FACA was consulted by my Bishop. He learned that FACA is determined to forge forward to "unity" by not allowing anyone to associate with FACA unless they disavow women's ordination. Although my diocese does not ordain women, others in theCEEC do. End of conversation.
We're still out in the cold here. I complained about it HERE: http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/5752/#107673
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