BREAKING NEWS: ACNA Canons published, comments welcome

Bishop Bob Duncan writes:

The Leadership Council is scheduled to meet and to act as the Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America on April 24th and 25th, 2009.

The draft canons attempt to order the life of the Church, consistent with the Provisional Constitution (now proposed for slight amendment) and nine initial canons adopted by the Council in December of 2008. Several principles should be obvious:

1. confessional unity, expressed in matters of Faith and Order;
2. subsidiarity, where what may be wisely left to the local level (both diocesan and congregational) is left to the local level, including property ownership;
3. missionary focus, especially in structures, roles and representation;
4. flexibility, recognizing the diversity of Godly approaches common among the partners coming into union;
5. disciplinary reform, including address of concerns for Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders, as well as provision of a provincial tribunal.
6. collegial accountability, especially in matters relating to bishops.

The charge to the Governance Task Force was to provide a strong skeleton around which a living Church could be built.

Read it all here, as well as links to the proposed canons. Reading music provided below.