Posted on 09/12/2005 7:18:23 PM PDT by sionnsar
From a comment to this blog (BTW, thanks George, we needed this analysis):
Let me lay out the reasons why I was troubled by the article entitled “Africans set to found rival Anglican church”.
I have problems with the facts as laid out, the reporting methodology, and the opinions express.
The article says a meeting scheduled for October is to be held in Alexandria, Egypt. This is not true. Now if you look on the CAPA website you will see the dates of the meeting and Alexandria listed as its location. However, if you actually talk to those involved you will learn that this is not the location of the meeting. Just like the 2003 Plano meeting wasn’t held in Plano—it was held at the Wyndham Hotel in Dallas—this meeting isn’t being held in Alexandria. Here’s a clue: Sharm el-Sheik bombing, Al-Qaeda — paint a bull’s eye on the Anglican leaders of the Global South in a country with a militant Islamic terror problem.
The article says the meeting is being “organised by angry Africans and Latin Americans”. This is not true. This is the third in a series of South to South meetings—gatherings of Global South Anglicans: from Asia, the Pacific, the Indian subcontinent—and yes, Africa, South & Central America and the West Indies. The last meeting of the South to South group was in Kuala Lumpur. It produced among its many statements and agreements the Kuala Lumpur statement.
The article says the participants seek to supplant Rowan Williams with Peter Akinola of Nigeria. This is fanciful nonsense—-and no proof is offered for this absurd allegation. The meeting is not a single-issue council of war—it will discuss THE ISSUE, but will also discuss issues of concern to the Anglican Churches in the developing world. It is my understanding Rowan Williams will be attending this meeting—-but if an aim of some people is to prevent him from going—-articles like this would be a way of knobbling the horse before the start of the race.
This group does not seek to “exclude homosexuals from full church life” as the article states—-they all affirm the 1998 Lambeth Statement on Human Sexuality: Resolution 1:10. To say they seek to exclude from full church life is partisan raving—it assumes that salvation in Christ comes only with a plastic collar and purple shirt.
The article says, “CAPA’s members include the Anglican dioceses of Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Egypt.” That is wrong—CAPA includes all of the Provinces of the Church in Africa—plus the diocese of Egypt from the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
The article says CAPA “was formed in July at Nassau after Latin American Christians expressed their bitterness towards the Church of England, saying it was prevaricating on the subject of gay rights and same-sex blessings”. This is wrong. Check out CAPA’s website to see the history of this organization. http://www.capa-hq.org/index.php
CAPAC was inaugurated in July following a meeting of Anglican leaders from North, Central, South America and the West Indies.
The quotes from Archbishops Malango, Gomez and Akinola come from earlier printed reports—some of which the imputed speakers claim were taken out of context. The leading gay vicar is an original quote—-but not one I would put too much trust in. It’s a good pub story—but is it anything more? The Nicholas Henderson story is unrelated—but as it involves Anglicans, Africa and THE ISSUE has been tacked on for good measure. And surprise, surprise Henderson has no comment nor does Lambeth Palace.
My opinion: There is a great deal of heavy breathing, shoddy sourcing, loony conspiracy theories and profound ignorance of the people, issues and ways things are done in the Anglican Communion.
These remarks should not be taken anyone as saying that all is well, or that the Global South is not out of sorts over the innovations of doctrine and discipline pursued by portions of the Church in the West. Yes, times are bad. Yes, people are angry and hurt.
Does this article advance the ball? No. Is the situation dire? Yes. Will things fall apart after the October meeting? No. Will they ever fall apart? I don’t know.
So one question remains - what about the exclusion of Brazil from the South-South meeting? - BLD
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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