Ridley Tec Response

8/4/2019 Ridley Tec Response

1/6

A Response to12345

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

2526

27

28

29

30

31

32

3334

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

Resolution ACC 14.11: The Anglican Communion Covenant

by the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church

1. Introduction

WearewritingastheExecutiveCouncilofTheEpiscopalChurchinresponseto

Resolution14.11:TheAnglicanCommunionCovenantpassedbytheMay2009

meetingoftheAnglicanConsultativeCouncilaskingProvincestoconsiderand

reportonSectionFouroftheRidleyCambridgeDraft(RCD)anditspossible

revision. WearegratefultoACC14forgivingtheprovincestheopportunityto

considertheRCDinthehopesofrealizingafullymaturedAnglicanCovenant.

ResolutionA166ofthe2006GeneralConventionaskedtheExecutiveCouncilto

facilitateTheEpiscopalChurchsresponsetothedevelopmentofanAnglican

Covenantthatunderscoresourunityinfaith,order,andcommonlifeinthe

serviceofGodsmission.Infurtheranceofthatrole,theExecutiveCouncil

providesthefollowingresponsetotheRCDwithspecialattentiontoSection

Four.

Thisresponseismadeupoffivesections.Followingthisbriefintroductionthere

isadiscussionoftheprocessbywhichtheExecutiveCouncilsolicitedinputin

thedraftingofthisresponsefromthediocesandeputationsofthe2009General

ConventionofTheEpiscopalChurch.NextisadetailedexpositionofresponsesreceivedfromacrossTheEpiscopalChurchrelatingtoSectionFouroftheRCD.

FollowingthatwillbeadditionalmaterialrelatedtotheAnglicanCommunion

CovenantgeneratedbyvariousbodiesinTheEpiscopalChurchbeforeandafter

the2009GeneralConvention.Thedocumentconcludeswithapresentationon

thenextstepsthatTheEpiscopalChurchenvisionsasourchurchsongoing

participationinthedevelopmentofanAnglicanCommunionCovenant.

2. Process

Uponreceiptoftheletterof28May2009fromtheSecretaryGeneralofthe

AnglicanCommunionaskingthatSectionFouroftheRCDbeconsideredby

eachprovince,PresidingBishopKatharineJeffertsSchori,PresidentoftheHouse

ofDeputiesBonnieAnderson,andChairoftheExecutiveCouncilsTaskForce

ontheAnglicanCovenant,RosalieSimmondsBallentine,communicatedwiththe

BishopsandDeputiestothe2009GeneralConventioninaletterof29June2009


2/6

2

askingeachdeputationtoconsidertheRCDandreportbacktotheExecutive

Councilby1September2009(Seeattachedletterof29June,2009).Tofacilitate

thediocesanconsiderationoftheRCDwithparticularattentiontoSectionFour,

theExecutiveCouncilsTaskForceontheAnglicanCovenantproducedSix

StudyQuestions (Seeattached).

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

5455

5657

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

TheExecutiveCouncilsTaskForcereceived34responsestotheSixStudy

Questionsfrombothdiocesandeputationsandfromindividualdeputies. Full

deputationresponseswerereceivedfromAtlanta,theConvocationofthe

ChurchesinEurope,Massachusetts,Michigan,RhodeIsland,Northern

Michigan,SanJoaquin,Springfield,andWesternNewYork.

3. Responses to the RCD with Attention to Section Four

WeobservethatasweapproachthethirddraftofanAnglicanCovenant,weare

beginningtoaddresssomeofthemostdifficultmattersandsubstancerelatingto

suchacovenant.WhilethetaskathandwastorespondspecificallytoSectionIV,

commentsonthedraftcovenantasawholearesointerwoventhatseparatingthe

twoisdifficult.

Themajorityofdeputationsandindividualdeputiesthatrespondedarenot

convincedthatthecovenantinitscurrentformwillbringaboutdeeper

communion.SeveralstatedthattheoverallideaofacovenantisunAnglican.

Onewentasfarastosaythatthedocumentincorporatesanxiety.However,

anotherdeputyobservedthatthecovenantisapresentationoftheChristian

communityasadynamicspiritualbodyinwhichGodgivenfreedomis

inextricablyboundupwithGodgivenaccountability.

Themajorityofrespondentsdonotsupportthefourthsectionofthedraft

covenant.Onedeputationstatedthatsection4isdisturbingbecauseitcreatesa

systemofgovernancecontrarytoourunderstandingofAnglicanismand

establishesapunitivesystemexecutedbyaselectcommittee.Ontheotherhand,

adeputationfeltthatthefourthsectionisimportantbecauseagovernance

sectionisneeded tomaintainacovenant.

Manyindividualsandsomedeputationsraisedquestionsaboutinternal

contradictionsinthedraft.Someresponsesnotedthetensionbetweenautonomy


3/6

3

ofprovincesandhavingsomecentralbodyintheAnglicanCommunionthat

wouldensurecompliancewiththeAnglicanCovenant.

80

81

82

83

84

85

87

88

89

90

91

9293

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

115

Inadditiontotheabovebroadconcerns,thefollowingspecificissueswere

raised:

Severalcommentsexpressedconcernaboutthesilencingofpropheticvoices86bytheproposednecessityofseekingasharedmind.Thereisthesensethat

thissharedmindmightmeanauniformityinwhichdifferencesarenot

tolerated.Onepersoncommentedthatasharedmindisnotourgoalas

Christians.OurgoalistoputonthemindofChrist.Onedeputationfelt

thattherewasacontradictionbetweenstatementsaffirmingdiversityand

autonomy

with

those

suggesting

that

certain

controversial

actions

might

be

deferredwiththethreatofrelationalconsequences.

Thephraserelationalconsequencesraisedmanyquestions. Somefeltthat

thiswasaeuphemismforpunishment.Onepersonexpressedconcernthat

thereisnotsufficientprovisionforhearings,dueprocessoralistening

processbeforejudgmentmayberendered.Ontheotherhand,adeputation

feltthatthisphraseremainsintentionallyambiguoussoastoallowthe

processesandprocedurestodeterminetheconsequences.

SomeresponsesworriedabouttheincreasedpowerabrogatedtotheJoint

StandingCommittee(nowunderstoodastheStandingCommitteeofthe

AnglicanCommunion)thatconstitutionallyhasnothadsuchauthority.

Thereissomeconcernthatthenewstandingcommitteecouldbecomeafifth

orasuperInstrumentofCommunion.Ifthereweretobeabodythat

determinedmembershipandimplementationofacovenant,deputiesand

deputationsfeltthatshouldbeexclusivelytheroleoftheAnglican

ConsultativeCouncil.Onedeputationexpresseditsfearsabout4.2.2because

thepowersweresoilldefinedastoendangertheveryessenceof

Anglicanism.Further,somealsowonderedwhowoulddefinethehighest

degreeofcommunionandwhatthismeans.

Mostresponsesfoundthattheconceptofchurchin4.1.5oftheRCDwas114confusing,specifically:doestheword,churchmeanotherAnglicanbodies


4/6

4

thatarenotpartofthescheduledmembershipoftheACCordoesitreferto

ecumenicalpartners?Asonepersonwrote,Theuseofotherchurchesin

Section4.1.5isparticularlyunclearanditalsoseemstobeaimedatadifferent

purposethantheoverallcovenantproposal.Thisindividualsuggests

creatingaglossarytofleshoutthisandotherbroadbrushterms. Other

personsqueriedwhetherchurchmeansaparish,oranAnglicanreligious

order,oracompetingprovinceinageographiclocationcanjoin.Ifaprovince

inonegeographicareachosenottosigntheCovenant,couldanew

provinceinthatgeographicareadoso?

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

132

133

135

136

137138139140141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

Somedeputationsanddeputiesfocusedonthelackofattentiongiventothe

laity.Asnotedinourresponsestopreviousdraftsofthecovenant,therole

andauthorityofthelaityallthebaptizedagainisneglected.One

deputationobservedthatSection3.1.3neglectstheprimacyofbaptism.

Onedeputationsuggestedthatinlieuofusingtheword,covenant,the131documentshouldbecalledaDeclarationofCommunion.

Anotherdeputationwonderedwhatwouldconstituteenactmentofthe134covenant.Nodrafthasspecifiedwhoisneededorwhatpercentageofthe

AnglicanCommunionneedstosignonforthecovenanttogointoeffect.This

deputationsuggested3/4membershiptoaffirmthecovenant.

4. Additional discussions related to RCD

TheExecutiveCouncilisawarethatreactionstotheRCDarenotlimitedtothe

responsesreceivedtotheSixStudyQuestionspreparedbytheExecutive

CouncilsTaskForce.

Inresponsetosomeactionsofthe2009GeneralConvention,36activeandretired

bishopsofTheEpiscopalChurchhavesignedtheAnaheimstatement,partsof

whicharegermanetoTheEpiscopalChurchsdiscussionsrelatedtothe

AnglicanCommunionCovenantprocess. Specificallythestatementsays, We

reaffirmourcommitmenttotheAnglicanCommunionCovenantprocess

currentlyunderway,withthehopeofworkingtowarditsimplementationacross

theCommuniononceaCovenantiscompleted.


5/6

5

InthesemanydiscussionsandintheExecutiveCouncilsformalresponsesto

boththeNassauandSt.Andrewsdrafts,itisclearthatTheEpiscopalChurch

takesveryseriouslyitsroleasaconstituentmemberoftheAnglicanCommunion

andiscommittedtoparticipatinginthedevelopmentprocessesoftheAnglican

CommunionCovenant.

154

155

156

157

158159160161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187188

189

190

191

192

193

5. Next Steps

The2009GeneralConventionofTheEpiscopalChurchreaffirmedTheEpiscopal

ChurchsongoingcommitmenttoparticipateinthedevelopmentofanAnglican

CommunionCovenant.MorespecificallyResolution2009D020statesthe

following:

Resolved,

the

House

of

Bishops

concurring,

That

the

76th

General

ConventionoftheEpiscopalChurchcommendtheAnglicanCovenant

proposedinthemostrecenttextoftheCovenantDesignGroup(the

RidleyCambridgeDraft)andanysuccessivedraftstothediocesesfor

studyandcommentduringthecomingtriennium;andbeitfurther

Resolved,ThatdiocesesreportontheirstudytotheExecutiveCouncilin

keepingwithResolution2006A166;andbeitfurther

Resolved,ThatExecutiveCouncilprepareareporttothe77thGeneral

ConventionoftheEpiscopalChurchthatincludesdraftlegislation

concerningthisChurchsresponsetoanAnglicanCovenant;andbeit

further

Resolved,Thatdiocesesandcongregationsbeinvitedtoconsiderthe

AnglicanCovenantproposeddraftasadocumenttoinformtheir

understandingofandcommitmenttoourcommonlifeintheAnglican

Communion.

AsthehighestlegislativeauthorityofTheEpiscopalChurch,theGeneralConventionisthebodythatwillultimatelydecideTheEpiscopalChurchs

positionwithrespecttoitsparticipationinanAnglicanCommunionCovenant.

TherearesomeinTheEpiscopalChurchandbeyondwhowanttoprejudgeThe

GeneralConventionsdecisionontheAnglicanCommunionCovenant.Wefind

suchpredictionsandpronouncementsprematureandunhelpful.


6/6

6

AsdirectedbyResolution2009D020,theExecutiveCouncilcontinuesits

commitmenttofacilitatingTheEpiscopalChurchsresponsetotheAnglican

CommunionCovenant.WeontheExecutiveCouncilentrustthisworktothe

leadingoftheHolySpiritandlookforwardtothenextthreeyearsaswegrow

moredeeplyintoourcommonlifeintheAnglicanCommunion.

194

195

196

197

198

199200201202203

ECTFAC/DC

Documents

Ridley Tec Response