AMiA AND The Primates William's overture of reconciliation a decided turn in policy To appear in tomorrow's edition of the Church of England Newspaper but not in the online edition. In surprise move, this week's Primates' Meeting will see a discussion of the contentious topic of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA). This will be Dr. Rowan Williams first meeting as Archbishop of Canterbury and may see a more aggressive response from the Primates to the problems of the Church in North America. Dr. William's overture of reconciliation towards the AMiA marks a decided turn in policy by Lambeth Palace. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, made no secret of his displeasure with both the AMiA and liberal church leaders. At last September's meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, Dr. Carey stated, "scarcely a week goes by without some report reaching me of clergy teetering on the brink of leaving the Anglican Communion for [the AMiA]. I have been clear in my condemnation of the schism created by AMiA … Sadly, I see little sign of willingness on the part of some bishops in the Communion to play their part in discouraging teaching or action that leads some conscientious clergy to conclude that they have no option other than to leave us for AMiA." Archbishops Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia and Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda will share with the Primates a 34-page white paper entitled The Basis of Our Unity: Territory or Faith. An Apologetic for the Anglican Mission in America. The paper lays out the events surrounding the creation of the AMiA and its rapid growth to 55 congregations and 12,000 members within three years. The Basis of Our Unity states the AMiA is "not schismatic and not a new 'church' or new denomination" but "an Anglican missionary outreach under the authority of the Archbishops of Rwanda and South East Asia for faithful Anglicans in the United States and new converts for the Faith." The Archbishops created the AMiA as "a response to a crisis of faith, leadership and mission" in the American Church. The paper cites examples of recent excesses including the Bishop of Pennsylvania's 2003 Easter Letter stating Jesus was a sinner. The paper quotes retired Bishop John Spong of Newark claims that the Apostle Paul was a repressed homosexual and that Jesus was "narrow minded" and "vindictive". The paper disputes the theological stance that unity of fellowship is the paramount virtue of the Church. "Our fierce commitment to truth" stated Dr. Carey in Charleston, South Carolina in 1999, "must be moderated within the believing fellowship". The Basis of Our Unity rejects this argument in favor of the teaching that unity of doctrine takes precedence over unity of fellowship. "We believe that what the people of the United States need and long for is the un-compromised and undiluted Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ", states Bishop Murphy. "We - of the Anglican Mission -- are resolved to provide an Anglican witness in America that faithfully guards the heart and soul of the Christian message." In support of its contention that overlapping jurisdictions in one country or place is not "un-Anglican", The Basis of Our Unity demonstrates that from 1745 to the present day, the Anglican Communion has had overlapping ecclesial jurisdictions. Examples of these practices are cited from the history of the Anglican churches in Scotland, China and South Africa. The paper cites several current examples of overlapping jurisdictions. These include familiar examples such as the Provincial Episcopal Visitor programme in England and Wales and the American and English dioceses on the Continent, and lesser-known examples. In the Arabian Gulf bishops from the Church of South India, Pakistan and the Province of Jerusalem minister to three separate Anglican communities. In the United States, the Church of South India maintains 20 parishes outside the jurisdiction of the Episcopal Church. In South Africa, the episcopal-led Order of Ethiopia maintains congregations independent of diocesan control. Moreover, in New Zealand five dioceses serving Maori Anglicans overlap seven dioceses serving the descendants of Europeans. The paper includes endorsements from prominent Anglicans including JI Packer of Regents College, Vancouver and the Archbishop of Canterbury's Senior Advisor on Evangelism, Canon Michael Green. The Bishop of Central Florida, the Rt Rev John Howe is quoted as saying, "I see the hand of God blessing the Anglican Mission in America, and I think their commitment to the gospel and evangelism makes them allies rather than enemies. I am saddened that they have been maligned as 'sheep stealers' when in fact, I believe, they have rescued many who otherwise would have left Anglicanism altogether." A retired American bishop told The Church of England Newspaper that The Basis of Our Unity was "masterful", and should serve to dispel fears that overlapping or parallel jurisdiction are somehow "un-Anglican". Representatives of the Presiding Bishops office in New York were unavailable for comment at the time this article went to press. A Clarification The Executive Officer (AMIA), The Rev Tim Smith, offers the following clarification to this Church of England Newspaper piece. "Though the Anglican Mission in America is delighted that the prestigous Church of England Newspaper has provided coverage of our "Apologetic Vindicating the Creation, Organization and Purposes of the Anglican Mission in America" in a document entitled "The Basis of Our Unity: Territory or Faith," we wish to clarify that at no time was this document to be formally or officially presented as a part of the agenda of the Primates' Meeting. It was written as a part of our sponsoring primates' desire to be adequately prepared for that Meeting and to be sent in advance to the other Primates of the Anglican Communion, as it was. Simply put, the sponsoring archbishops of the Anglican Mission were never asked by anyone or requested of anyone to make a formal presentation in this regard as a part of the agenda of the Primates' Meeting currently underway in Gramado, Brazil. That having been clarified, it is most noteworthy that "The Basis of Our Unity: Territory or Faith" cites numerous examples of overlapping jurisidictions within the Anglican Communion. Several of these examples involve substantial differences on theological or doctrinal matters. These latter examples go back to 1745 when the English Parliament recognized two Anglican churches in Scotland with linkage to two different Anglican jurisdictions. Thus, there exists historical precedent in the Anglican Communion for the creation, existence and purposes of the Anglican Mission in America which is moving forward to reach those who need to know the love of God in Christ Jesus." - Published on: 2003-05-23 CANN ____________________________________________________________ Get advanced SPAM filtering on Webmail or POP Mail ... Get Lycos Mail! http://login.mail.lycos.com/r/referral?aid=27005