Anglican Consultative Council declines to go along with ‘consequences’ [EpiscopalNewsService]

Anglican Consultative Council declines to go along with ‘consequences’

Decision was small part of day that saw action on many issues facing communion, world
By Mary Frances Schjonberg | April 18, 2016



Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, left, and Connecticut Bishop Ian Douglas, Episcopal Church bishop member of the ACC, converse April 18 as ACC members read over the 45 resolutions they were due to consider. Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg/Episcopal News Service

Episcopal News Service – Lusaka, Zambia] An April 18 Anglican Consultative Council marathon resolution-passing session saw ACC members take stands on climate change, gender justice, safe church environments, youth involvement in the communion, solidarity with persecuted people, and interfaith and ecumenical relations, among other issues.

And the council declined to endorse or take any action similar to the primates’ call in January for three years of so-called “consequences” for the Episcopal Church. The primates’ call was in response to the 78th General Convention’s decision to change canonical language that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman (Resolution A036) and authorize two new marriage rites with language allowing them to be used by same-sex or opposite-sex couples (Resolution A054).

The primates had said that they were “requiring” that for those three years the Episcopal Church not serve on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee, and “that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision-making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.”

The ACC did pass a resolution (dubbed C34) that received the Archbishop of Canterbury’s formal report to it on the primates’ gathering and affirmed the primates’ commitment to walk together. The resolution also committed the council “to continue to seek appropriate ways for the provinces of the Anglican Communion to walk together with each other and with the primates and other Instruments of Communion.”

The resolution was passed early in the session with no debate because it was placed on the consent calendar, a new approach for the ACC that allowed for a single up-or-down vote on all of the included resolutions. Another resolution, labeled C35, began the day on the consent calendar and, as the afternoon session began, was withdrawn from consideration. It was a one-sentence statement by which the ACC would have said it “welcomes” the primates’ communique.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the ACC that he would be “very glad” if C35 was withdrawn because C34 “covers the issues we need to cover.”


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