Bishops at the meeting in the Rwandan capital suggested that it was time for Episcopalians upset with the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the first openly gay bishop in more than 450 years of Anglican Church history should form their own church.
But Griswold, in a formal response posted on Thursday by the Episcopal News Service, said he believes "such a division would open the way to multiple divisions across other provinces of the Communion, and any sense of a coherent mission would sink into chaos."
The 77-million-member Worldwide Anglican Communion, a loose federation of national churches around the world, is struggling to hold together its liberal minority and the conservative majority vigorously opposed to the Robinson consecration.
Griswold, who supported the choice of Robinson, said the statement from the other primates appeared to be an effort to undermine the dialogue and discussion that has been under way ever since the Anglican leadership criticized the U.S. church in the Windsor Report, a document which asked for an apology.
The Anglican leadership has been pressuring the U.S. church to promise not to consecrate any more gay bishops. At its meeting in June, the Episcopal Church adopted a nonbinding resolution that fell well short of a full promise.
The conservative bishops meeting in Kigali also raised questions about Katharine Jefferts Schori, who will succeed Griswold and become the first woman to head a branch of the Anglican church when she is installed in November as presiding bishop.
"I have sought to bring to the primates' meetings the wide range of opinions and the consequent tensions within our own church," Griswold said. "I have every confidence that Katharine will do the same."
At the Kigali meeting the bishops said, "We are convinced that time has now come to take initial steps toward the formation of what will be recognized as separate ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican communion in the USA" for those who opposed the Robinson elevation and the blessing of same sex unions.
In the midst of all the denial, both liberal and conservative in the American church, it is refreshing to see leaders of the Global South functioning with eyes wide open and available to the Lord. It doesn’t take a genius to see the rift between the American church and the Anglican Communion; nor does it require much of a stretch to understand that a larger rift is coming between the Global South and the Anglican Church of the Northern hemisphere. Essentially, they are from the churches of the ‘old world’ vs. the now dawning ‘new world.’
It should be heartening to Christians who follow the Anglican Way and to Biblically-orthodox Episcopalians that while leadership of the prevailing majority in the TEC cavalierly dismisses them, and Canterbury does little more than drag his feet, the Global South has provided sanctuary and is prepared to offer a happier, more permanent and unquestionably faithful solution for the orthodox in America. Anglicans United salutes the faithful and courageous archbishops of the Global South.
A complete list of Primates in attendance at this meeting is at our website www.anglicansunited.com. I urge you to include these courageous, Godly men in your daily prayers. Bishops from TEC who have applied for Alternative Primatial oversight met 2 weeks ago in New York with Griswold, et. al., to no avail. Windsor Bishops are at Camp Allen today, with too small a number to reform the House of Bishops. Our future truly lies in the hands of the archbishops of the Global South and the Lord who directs them. May God himself lead, guide and protect them.
Greg Griffith: Matt Kennedy and I have made a lot of people upset by characterizing the Camp Allen statement as a failed response to Kigali. Matt termed it a "rebuff of our allies." I said, "I'm looking for an explanation as to how these guys didn't sell us down the river."
Bishop Iker: Everyone needs to keep in mind that Camp Allen wasn't designed to be a response to the meeting in Africa, or even something that was being done in conjunction with it. They were two meetings happening for different purposes, in different places.
Camp Allen was an opportunity for some bishops to stand up and be counted as Windsor bishops. General Convention didn't give us that opportunity in an official capacity, so we created this one. When a group of us visited the Archbishop of Canterbury in May, we said we were concerned that General Convention's response to the Windsor Report might end up being inadequate. If that turned out to be the case, the archbishop said he would like a "head count" of those bishops who were willing to abide by the terms of the report. Was it five of us? Ten? Fifteen?
Look at what came out of this meeting: Twenty-one bishops who occupy a wide variety of positions on the questions before us, agreed to four plainly-stated points:
First, that General Convention didn't make an adequate response to the Windsor Report. Second, that we as a group affirm, embrace, and submit to the report. Third, that we all recognize the perilous position many of our congregations find themselves in; some have already left, some are on the verge of leaving, while many others continue to struggle with the question; and that they all need a safe place. And fourth, that there is a need for different levels of disassociation from what ECUSA is doing.
One of the remarkable things about Camp Allen is that all 21 bishops were able to agree that these dioceses need such a relationship with another primate, whatever you decide to call it. For some, it's APO. For others, it's joining the Network. We were delighted to learn that the Kigali statement recognized the same thing. But quite simply, the Global South primates have had it with ECUSA. Having to deal with our problems is a huge distraction from their mission and ministry.
Greg Griffith: Some people are concerned about the change in language from "alternative primatial oversight" to "alternative primatial relationship." Can you explain to us what that change means?
Bishop Iker: At the New York City meeting, PB-elect Schori responded to our inquiries about alternative oversight by saying that she couldn't give to another primate what she didn't have, which was oversight of our dioceses. Leaders in the Diocese of Springfield said that was correct - that technically, the Presiding Bishop doesn't have what we define as "oversight." Rather, the dioceses that are appealing for alternative "oversight" are looking to place ourselves in an ecclesial relationship with an orthodox primate of the Anglican Communion. So the word "relationship" was suggested as a replacement for "oversight."
Greg Griffith: One of the lines in the statement has caused a lot of concern. It's the one that says you all pledge to work within ECUSA, which many of us we see as the cause of the problem, not the source of the solution.
Bishop Iker: One draft of the statement made mention of "work with our colleagues within ECUSA and the primates," but some of the more centrist bishops objected on the grounds that it might be interpreted to endorse border crossing, so we changed it. There's an interesting story there, as well. The final statement was originally phrased, "We pledge ourselves to work with our episcopal colleagues..." with "episcopal" spelled using a lower-case "e." Somewhere between our agreeing to the statement, and it getting released to the public, that lower-case "e" became a capital "E," implying that we were limiting our scope of partners only to colleagues in ECUSA.
Greg Griffith: Did the bishops at Camp Allen have knowledge of what the Kigali statement contained?
Bishop Iker: A summary of the points in the Kigali statement came to some of us via telephone.
Greg Griffith: When did that happen?
Bishop Iker: I believe it was late Thursday afternoon, but I didn't see the complete, official statement until Friday afternoon.
Greg Griffith: But there was never any intention to respond to it through your statement?
Bishop Iker: No. Again, this meeting was held not to craft a reply to Kigali, but to signal, in an official capacity, our desire to remain a part of the communion under the terms of Windsor. This was a letter from bishops who want to comply with Windsor, to other ECUSA bishops, that said, "For the sake of the communion, we think you should join us." That's why Bishop Wolf, who voted for Gene Robinson, was able to sign it - because while she might have personal differences with Lambeth 1.10, she recognizes that it is nonetheless the mind of the communion, and that Windsor is the way forward in communion. It's not unlike Archbishop Williams, about whom it's been reported that he has personal views more accommodating of the homosexual movement than are expressed in Lambeth 1.10, but he recognizes that it is the mind of the communion right now, and institutionally, he's going to support it.
Greg Griffith: So there was none of the compromise that we all dreaded, and which we talked about before the meeting?
Bishop Iker: I don't believe so. I had my own misgivings about the meeting, because I think anyone who wants to be Windsor-compliant needs to be a member of the Network. I told my fellow bishops, "I'm willing to go to Camp Allen and talk to non-Network bishops who want to be Windsor compliant, but I first want to know why they haven't joined the Network."
Greg Griffith: Do you think the statement the bishops signed will cause more bishops to join the ranks of the Windsor-compliant?
Bishop Iker: I don't know. I just don't know.
Greg Griffith: Bishop, thank you for your leadership, and thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
Bishop Iker: Thank you for what you and your folks are doing.
Bishop-elect Beckwith will be consecrated on January 27, 2007, at a service to be held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, after the required consents from the Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction throughout the United States have been received.
Mark Beckwith has been Rector of All Saints Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, since 1993. He also served as Associate Rector of St. Peter’s, Morristown and Rector of Christ Church, Hackensack. Mark is a 1973 graduate of Amherst College, and a 1978 graduate of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. While in the Diocese of Newark, Mark was a co-founder of Morris Shelter, Inc. and a co-founder and first President of the Inter-Religious Fellowship of the Homeless in Bergen County.
These men have not come to their individual places easily or without great sacrifice. They live in parts of the world with Islamic extremists who attack their offices and homes, beat their families and burn their churches. This culminates in a brand of personal Integrity (and I don’t mean the gay group) that can and does make sense out of the shifting sand we live in.
Other statements of merit from the Communiqué include:
· We are further dismayed to note that their newly elected Presiding Bishop also holds to a position on human sexuality - not to mention other controversial views - in direct contradiction of Lambeth 1.10 and the historic teaching of the Church.
· We are, however, greatly encouraged by the continued faithfulness of the Network Dioceses and all of the other congregations and communities of faithful Anglicans in North America.
· We are aware that a growing number of congregations are receiving oversight from dioceses in the Global South and in recent days we have received requests to provide Alternative Primatial Oversight for a number of dioceses.
· We have asked the Global South Steering Committee to meet with the leadership of the dioceses requesting Alternative Primatial Oversight, in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Network and the 'Windsor Dioceses', to investigate their appeal in greater detail and to develop a proposal identifying the ways by which the requested Primatial oversight can be adequately provided.
· At the next meeting of the Primates in February 2007 some of us will not be able to recognize Katharine Jefferts Schori as a Primate at the table with us. Others will be in impaired communion with her as a representative of The Episcopal Church. Since she cannot represent those dioceses and congregations who are abiding by the teaching of the Communion we propose that another bishop, chosen by these dioceses, be present at the meeting so that we might listen to their voices during our deliberations.
· We are convinced that the time has now come to take initial steps towards the formation of what will be recognized as a separate ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA.
The complete statement follows the list of Primates.
We have asked you repeatedly to pray for these men and their families and their extraordinary call from God for this moment in history. Their names are listed below and we implore you to include them in your daily prayers:
The Church of Bangladesh The Rt Revd Michael S Baroi
The Episcopal Church of Burundi The Most Revd Bernard Ntahoturi
The Church of the Province of Central Africa The Most Revd Bernard Amos Malango
Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo The Most Revd Dr. Dirokpa Balufuga Fidèle
The Church of England The Most Revd Rowan Douglas Williams
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean The Most Revd Gerald James (Ian) Ernest
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East The Most Revd George Clive Handford
The Anglican Church of Kenya The Most Revd Benjamin M P Nzimbi
The Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma) The Most Revd Samuel San Si Htay
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) The Most Revd Peter Jasper Akinola DD
The Church of North India (United) The Most Revd Joel Vidyasagar Mal
L'Eglise Episcopal au Rwanda The Most Revd Emmanuel Musaba Kolini
Church of the Province of South East Asia The Most Revd Dr John Chew
The Church of South India (United) The Most Revd Badda Peter Sugandhar
Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America The Most Revd Gregory James Venables
The Episcopal Church of the Sudan The Most Revd Joseph Biringi Hassan Marona
The Anglican Church of Tanzania The Most Revd Donald Leo Mtetemela
The Church of the Province of Uganda The Most Revd Henry Luke Orombi
The Church of the Province of West Africa The Most Revd Justice Ofei Akrofi
The Church in the Province of the West Indies The Most Revd Drexel Wellington Gomez
Cheryl M. Wetzel, Editor
THE ANGLICAN VOICE of Anglicans United & Latimer Press
ACNS 4193 | RWANDA | 22 SEPTEMBER 2006
Global South Primates Meeting - Kigali Communiqué
Kigali, Rwanda September 2006
1. As Primates and Leaders of the Global South Provinces of the Anglican Communion we gathered at the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali, Rwanda,between 19th and 22nd September 2006. We were called together by the Global South Steering Committee and its chairman, Archbishop Peter J. Akinola. Twenty provinces were represented at the meeting*. We are extremely grateful for the warm welcome shown to us by the Right Honorable Bernard Makuza, Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda, and the hospitality provided by Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini, members of the House of Bishops of the Church of Rwanda and all of the members of the local organizing committee.
2. We have gathered in Rwanda twelve years after the genocide that tragically engulfed this nation and even its churches. During this time Rwanda was abandoned to its fate by the world. Our first action was to
visit the Kigali Genocide Museum at Gisozi for a time of prayer and reflection. We were chastened by this experience and commit ourselves not to abandon the poor or the persecuted wherever they may be and in
whatever circumstances. We add our voices to theirs and we say, "Never Again!"
3. As we prayed and wept at the mass grave of 250,000 helpless victims we confronted the utter depravity and inhumanity to which we are all subject outside of the transforming grace of God. We were reminded again that faith in Jesus Christ must be an active, whole-hearted faith if we are to stand against the evil and violence that threaten to consume our world. We were sobered by the reality that several of our Provinces are presently in the middle of dangerous conflicts. We commit ourselves to intercession for them.
4. We are very aware of the agonizing situation in the Sudan. We appreciate and commend the terms of the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and the South. We dare not, however, close
our eyes to the devastating situation in Darfur. We are conscious of the complexities but there must be no continuation of the slaughter. We invite people from all of the Provinces of the Anglican Communion and
the entire international community to stand in solidarity with the men, women and children in Darfur Sudan.
5. We are here as a people of hope and we have been greatly encouraged as we have witnessed the reconciling power of God's love at work as this nation of Rwanda seeks to rebuild itself. We have been pleased to hear of positive developments in the neighboring country of Burundi as they have recently completed a cease-fire agreement between their government and the Palipehutu-FNL. We are also beginning to see an end to the conflict in Northern Uganda and we note that the Democratic Republic of
the Congo is approaching a historic election that offers promise for a peaceful future. All of these developments are occasions for hope for the future.
6. We have met here as a growing fellowship of Primates and leaders of churches in the Global South representing more than 70 percent of the active membership of the worldwide Anglican Communion. We build on and reaffirm the work of our previous meetings, especially our most recent gathering in Egypt in October 2005. We are mindful of the challenges that face our Communion and recommit ourselves to the abiding truth of the Holy Scriptures and the faithful proclamation of the whole Gospel for the whole world. We recommit ourselves to the vision of our beloved Communion as part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
7. We recognize that because of the ongoing conflict in the Communion many people have lost hope that we will come to any resolution in the foreseeable future. We are grateful therefore, that one sign of promise
is the widespread support for the development of an Anglican Covenant. We are delighted to affirm the extraordinary progress made by the Global South task group on developing an Anglican Covenant. For the past year they have labored on this important task and we look forward to submitting the result of their labor to the rest of the Communion. We are pleased that the Archbishop of Canterbury has recognized the
exemplary scholarship and leadership of Archbishop Drexel Gomez in asking him to chair the Covenant Design Group and look forward with anticipation to the crucial next steps of this historic venture. We
believe that an Anglican Covenant will demonstrate to the world that it is possible to be a truly global communion where differences are not affirmed at the expense of faith and truth but within the framework of a common confession of faith and mutual accountability.
8. We have come together as Anglicans and we celebrate the gift of Anglican identity that is ours today because of the sacrifice made by those who have gone before us. We grieve that, because of the doctrinal
conflict in parts of our Communion, there is now a growing number of congregations and dioceses in the USA and Canada who believe that their Anglican identity is at risk and are appealing to us so that they might remain faithful members of the Communion. As leaders of that Communion we will work together to recognize the Anglican identity of all who receive, hold and maintain the Scriptures as the Word of God written and who seek to live in godly fellowship within our historic ordering.
9. We deeply regret that, at its most recent General Convention, The Episcopal Church gave no clear embrace of the minimal recommendations of the Windsor Report. We observe that a number of the resolutions adopted by the Convention were actually contrary to the Windsor Report. We are further dismayed to note that their newly elected Presiding Bishop also holds to a position on human sexuality - not to mention other controversial views - in direct contradiction of Lambeth 1.10 and the historic teaching of the Church. The actions and decisions of the General Convention raise profound questions on the nature of Anglican identity across the entire Communion.
10. We are, however, greatly encouraged by the continued faithfulness of the Network Dioceses and all of the other congregations and communities of faithful Anglicans in North America. In addition, we commend the members of the Anglican Network in Canada for their commitment to historic, biblical faith and practice. We value their courage and consistent witness. We are also pleased by the emergence of a wider
circle of 'Windsor Dioceses' and urge all of them to walk more closely together and deliberately work towards the unity that Christ enjoins. We are aware that a growing number of congregations are receiving oversight from dioceses in the Global South and in recent days we have received requests to provide Alternative Primatial Oversight for a number of dioceses. This is an unprecedented situation in our Communion that has not been helped by the slow response from the Panel of Reference. After a great deal of prayer and deliberation, and in order to support these faithful Anglican dioceses and parishes, we have come to agreement on the following actions:
a. We have asked the Global South Steering Committee to meet with the leadership of the dioceses requesting Alternative Primatial Oversight, in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Network and the 'Windsor Dioceses', to investigate their appeal in greater detail and to develop a proposal identifying the ways by which the requested Primatial oversight can be adequately provided.
b. At the next meeting of the Primates in February 2007 some of us will not be able to recognize Katharine Jefferts Schori as a Primate at the table with us. Others will be in impaired communion with her as a
representative of The Episcopal Church. Since she cannot represent those dioceses and congregations who are abiding by the teaching of the Communion we propose that another bishop, chosen by these dioceses, be present at the meeting so that we might listen to their voices during our deliberations.
c. We are convinced that the time has now come to take initial steps towards the formation of what will be recognized as a separate ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA. We have
asked the Global South Steering Committee to develop such a proposal in consultation with the appropriate instruments of unity of the Communion. We understand the serious implications of this determination. We believe that we would be failing in our apostolic witness if we do not make this provision for those who hold firmly to a commitment to historic Anglican faith.
11. While we are concerned about the challenges facing our Anglican structures we are also very much aware that these issues can be a distraction from the work of the Gospel. At our meeting in Kigali we
invested a great deal of our time on the day-to-day challenges that confront our various Churches including poverty eradication, HIV/AIDS, peace building and church planting. We were enormously encouraged by the reports of growth and vitality in the many different settings where we live and serve.
12. We received a preliminary report from the Theological Formation and Education (TFE) Task Force. We were pleased to hear of their plans to provide opportunities for theological formation from the most basic
catechism to graduate level training for new and existing Anglican leaders. We request that all Global South provinces share their existing Catechisms and other educational resources with the TFE Task Force for mutual enrichment. We were pleased by their determination to network with other theological institutions and theologians in the Global South as well as with scholars and seminaries who share a similar vision for theological education that is faithful to Scripture and tradition.
13. We were blessed by the presence of a number of Economic Officers (Advisors) from around the Communion. Their determination to find creative ways to offer means of Economic Empowerment at various levels throughout the provinces of the Global South was an inspiration to all of us and resulted in the issuing of a separate summary statement. We note especially their proposed Ethical Economic and Financial Covenant that we adopted as Primates and commended for adoption at all levels of our Provinces. We were impressed by their vision and fully support their proposal to convene an Economic Empowerment consultation in 2007 with participation invited from every Global South Province.
14. We received 'The Road to Lambeth,' a draft report commissioned by the Primates of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) which they have commended to their churches for study and response. It highlights the crisis that now confronts us as we consider the future of the Lambeth Conference. We commend this report for wider reflection.
15. We were challenged by a presentation on the interface between Christianity and Islam and the complex issues that we must now confront at every level of our societies throughout the Global South. We recognized the need for a more thorough education and explored a number of ways that allow us to be faithful disciples to Jesus Christ while respecting the beliefs of others. We condemn all acts of violence in the name of any religion.
16. Throughout our time together in Kigali we have not only shared in discussions such as these we have also spent time together in table fellowship, prayer and worship. We are grateful that because of the time
that we have shared our lives have been strengthened and our love for Christ, His Church and His world confirmed. Accordingly, we pray for God's continued blessing on all members of our beloved Communion that we might all be empowered to continue in our mission to a needy and troubled world.
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ
our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)
* Provinces Represented:
Bangladesh**, Burundi, Central Africa, Church of South India, Congo, Indian Ocean, Jerusalem and Middle East, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines**, Rwanda, Southern Africa, South East Asia, Southern Cone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, West Indies (** Not present but represented)
___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London,
The Rt. Rev. Jim Adams, Bishop of Western Kansas
The Rt. Rev. Bertram Herlong, Bishop of Tennessee
The Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard, Bishop of Florida
The Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge, Bishop of West Texas
The Rt. Rev. John Lipscomb, Bishop of Southwest Florida (retiring 2007)
The Rt. Rev. Edward Little, Bishop of Northern Indiana
The Rt. Rev. D. Bruce MacPherson, Bishop of Western Louisiana
The Rt. Rev. C. Wallis Ohl, Jr., Bishop of Northwest Texas
The Rt. Rev. Michael G. Smith, Bishop of North Dakota
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Steenson, Bishop of the Rio Grande
The Rt. Rev. Don A. Wimberly, Bishop of Texas
The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Bishop of Rhode Island
Foreign Facilitators:
The Rt. Rev. Anthony Burton, Bishop of Saskatchewan, Anglican Church of Canada
The Rt. Rev. Michael Scott-Joynt, Bishop of Winchester, Church of England
And these Network Bishops:
The Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy
The Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith, Bishop of Springfield
The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh
The Rt. Rev. John Howe, Bishop of Central Florida
The Rt. Rev. Jack Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth
The Rt. Rev. William H. Love, Bishop Coadjutor of Albany
The Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Jr., Bishop of South Carolina
The Very Rev. Mark Lawrence, bishop-elect of South Carolina
The Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of San Joaquin
The Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton, Bishop of Dallas
Dallas bishop James M. Stanton issued a statement Friday saying he had taken formal action to let the church leave the denomination and retain its property. "This arrangement secures their title and helps our diocese continue to pursue its mission over the next few years," Stanton said.
Jill Kinsella, a spokeswoman for Christ Church, said Stanton had arranged for the church to be supervised temporarily by the bishop of Peru. Christ Church intends to remain connected with the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Christ Church, located in suburban Plano, was one of the largest Episcopal parishes in the country and averaged about 2,200 worshippers each weekend. Stanton is among the leaders of seven Episcopal dioceses who have rejected the authority of the denomination's incoming national leader, Nevada bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, in the debate over the Bible and the inclusion of gay people tears at the church.
The move, prompted partly by Jefferts Schori's support for gay people in the church, falls just short of a complete break. In October, Dallas-area Episcopalians will meet to more fully consider their future in the denomination.
Christ Church's exit was no surprise. The church's pastor, the Reverend David Roseberry, has been a vocal critic of the decision to consecrate a gay bishop. He turned in his credentials at the 2003 national convention after the decision, and the church hosted a conference of conservative Episcopalians later that year. (AP)
A fifth generation Californian, and a native of Bakersfield, California, Mark Lawrence attended local public schools, wrestled in high school and college, and graduated from California State University, Bakersfield in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. After earning a Master of Divinity from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in 1980, Father Lawrence has spent his entire ordained ministry in parish work. After his diaconal year 1980-81, which he spent assisting in a newly planted church in suburban Fresno, California, and as chaplain at Fresno State University, Bishop Victor Rivera appointed him as the vicar of St. Mark’s Shafter, an Anglo-catholic congregation in the rural San Joaquin Valley.
Mark later served as rector of Saint Stephen’s in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, from 1984-1997, and was subsequently called to Saint Paul’s, Bakersfield, California, where he has served until the present day. He has served as a deputy to the 2003 and 2006 General Conventions from the Diocese of San Joaquin, both times as a member of the Legislative Committee on the Consecration of Bishops.
Mark is a member of the Order of St. Luke, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, and has been active in Cursillo.
He was married to Allison Taylor in 1973. They have five children, and six grandchildren. All are active in parish life and Christian ministry.
“We are very grateful for the election of a bishop and the overwhelming mandate with which it provides our new leader” said Father Dow Sanderson, chairman of the Standing Committee and chair of today’s electing Convention.
Reached by telephone on Saturday afternoon, Mark Lawrence shared the following:
“I had a dream last night that awakened me in the middle of the night, and the person speaking said I had a monumental task pulling me forward and as I heard him I was too horrified to go forward on my own. It encapsulated so well how I have felt in the last few weeks and brought me tremendous comfort. Now as I look ahead I see in considering the dream that there is a monumental task ahead, and no one knows more than I how unworthy I am to fulfill this call. Yet somehow it has pulled me forward thus far, and if I have the assurance of the prayers and trust and love of the people of the Diocese of South Carolina, we will go forward together and under God I believe He will give us what we need to take us where He wishes us to go.”
The summit was called after seven U.S. dioceses asked to be removed from the jurisdiction of the U.S. church leadership. According to Reuters, they suggested being placed under oversight elsewhere, perhaps a Latin American or an African bishop who shares their opposition to the 2003 consecration of the church's first gay bishop and the blessing of same-sex unions.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who called the New York meeting and sent a top emissary to it, suggested in July that the solution for America's 2.4 million Episcopalians and other liberal churches might be a "two-tier" church. Some churches under his plan would have "associate" or something less than full membership in the communion.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the bishops said they recognized the need to accommodate the seven dioceses that have rejected the authority of Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori. But they said they "were unable to come to common agreement on the way forward."
Jefferts Schori is the first woman elected to lead the church and is open to gay ordinations.
In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Pittsburgh, Calif. Bishop Robert Duncan said that Jefferts Schori and outgoing Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold "genuinely wanted to do something" to help conservatives, but believed they did not have the authority to do so without consulting church governing bodies first. Instead, Williams and world Anglican leaders will have to take up the proposal, Duncan said.
Anglican archbishops are scheduled to meet next February in Tanzania.
Bishop Griswold told The AP that it was clear after the meeting that the church needed a "changed environment in which controversial points of view are not treated as beyond the community."
"They have a place within the community to be taken seriously and respected as held by genuine people of faith," he said, reports The AP.
Conservatives are a minority in the 2.3-million-member U.S. church, but a split could still cause extensive damage. A break would likely prompt expensive and bitter legal fights over parishes that want to take their property with them as they leave.
Those who wanted (or feared) any kind of resolution at so brief a meeting were, I think, bound to be disappointed. However, speaking for myself, I believe it was important. I would characterize the meeting as frank and realistic, but also gracious and productive. All the bishops were engaged and open. “Speaking the truth in love” comes to mind. I expect there will be follow-ups to this gathering.
Faithfully, The Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton, Bishop of Dallas
Pittsburgh, PA --Bishop Robert Duncan, moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, thanked the people of the Network for their prayers and support during the just-completed meeting of Episcopal Bishops in New York. The meeting, called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, has not led to a mutually agreeable way forward.
“It was an honest meeting. It became clear that the division in the American church is so great that we are incapable of addressing the divide which has two distinctly different groups both claiming to be the Episcopal Church,” said Bishop Duncan, “Our request for Alternative Primatial Oversight (APO) still stands. We wait on the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates of the Anglican Communion to answer our request,” he added.
Anglican Communion Network Press Release 9/13/06 12:20 PM
Jefferts Schori Comments on meeting:
"The great value in this meeting was the ability to have face-to-face conversations with people who frequently are caricatured by others," Jefferts Schori said after the meeting. "Communicating on the internet about such issues relieves us of the incarnate necessity of engaging our neighbors." [Editor's Note: Oh, yes. She will be much easier to deal with and understand than Frank Griswold was.]
She said that the meeting was "an attempt to provide ministry and pastoral care for all parts of the Episcopal Church." Both (Schori and Griswold) acknowledged that the meeting took place during an anxious time not only in the church, but also in the world.
"I am fond of reminding people," Jefferts Schori added, "that without chaos there would have been no opportunity for creation."
Story written for ENS by Matthew Davies and Mary Francis Schjonberg
New York Bishops Meeting: A Statement
ACNS 4187 | USA | 13 SEPTEMBER 2006
Issued 13 September 2006, 3 p.m. GMT
A group of bishops met in New York on 11-13 September at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and in consultation with the Presiding Bishop to review the current landscape of the church in view of conflicts within the Episcopal Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury had received a request from seven dioceses for alternative primatial pastoral care and asked that American bishops address the question. The co-conveners of the meeting were Bishops Peter James Lee of Virginia and John Lipscomb of Southwest Florida. Other participating bishops were Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori and Bishops Jack Iker of Fort Worth, Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, James Stanton of Dallas, Edward Salmon of South Carolina, Mark Sisk of New York, Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina, and Robert O'Neill of Colorado. Also participating was Canon Kenneth Kearon, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.
We had honest and frank conversations that confronted the depth of the conflicts that we face. We recognized the need to provide sufficient space, but were unable to come to common agreement on the way forward. We could not come to consensus on a common plan to move forward to meet the needs of the dioceses that issued the appeal for Alternate Primatial Oversight. The level of openness and charity in this conference allow us to pledge to hold one another in prayer and to work together until we have reached the solution God holds out for us. Anglican Communion News Service
Archbishop of Canterbury: Response to New York statement
ACNS 4188 | LAMBETH | 13 SEPTEMBER 2006
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has responded to the statement issued earlier today from the meeting of bishops of The Episcopal Church (TEC) being held in New York.
Archbishop Williams said:
It's a positive sign that these difficult conversations have been taking place in a frank and honest way. There is clearly a process at work and although it hasn't yet come to fruition, the openness and charity in which views are being shared and options discussed are nevertheless signs of hope for the future. Our prayers continue. Anglican Communion News Service
Many Nigerians in the US found it increasingly difficult to identify with the Anglican communities, and thus found themselves worshiping in other denominations.
When a Canadian diocese approved church ceremonies to allow homosexuals exchange marital vows and The Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) followed by consecrating a practicing homosexual as a bishop, the spiritual life of many got threatened, and the Church of Nigeria became concerned.
"For us it is crucial and most urgent that we find ways of providing alternative avenues for the thousands of Nigerian Anglicans who live and work beyond our shores,'' said Archbishop Peter Akinola, at the Standing Committee meeting of the Church in Ilesa, March 2004.
What started as an outreach to provide a safe harbour for Nigerians soon became overwhelmed with requests for participation and the Convocation for Anglicans in North America (CANA) was born. Announcing the formation of the Convocation in April 2005, Archbishop Akinola wrote:
“Our intention is not to challenge or intervene in the churches of ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada but rather to provide safe harbour for those who can no longer find their spiritual home in those churches”
In September 2005 at the 8th General Synod of the Church of Nigeria, the necessary constitutional changes were made to permit the formal establishment of the Convocation in the USA and by November the necessary legal framework to establish CANA as a recognized Anglican Church structure in the USA was completed. Abraham N. Yisa, Esq., Registrar of the Church of Nigeria was appointed chairman of the board of trustees, Chief Gboyega Delano of Chicago, the secretary and Mrs. Patience Oruh of Maryland, the treasurer for CANA. The Rev. Canon Nathan Kanu was appointed the interim communicator, and some Nigerian bishops were delegated to give Episcopal oversight.
In November, the Church of Nigeria entered into a covenant agreement with the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Province of America. These are two Churches spread over the US that had also separated from ECUSA on doctrinal issues. Though their bishops and some other faithful bishops in the US continued to be very supportive of the Nigerian initiative, the need to have a US- based Bishop for the growing convocation became more apparent over time, as the ECUSA remained unwilling to change course.
In June 2006, the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria met to among other things, elect bishops to fill vacant Sees after which the names of four new bishops-elect including that of the first CANA bishop was announced. Also a committee led by the Rt. Rev Benjamin Kwashi, Bishop of Jos and including the Rt. Rev Segun Okubadejo, bishop of Ibadan North and the Rt. Rev Ikechi Nwosu, bishop of Umuahia, was appointed to supervise the CANA mission.
The consecration service for the Rev. Canon Martyn Minns as Bishop in the Church of God for the CANA is on Sunday, 20th August 2006.
