Archbishop Peter Akinola: A Most Agonizing Journey towards Lambeth 2008

A plea to the ABC: “We dare not sacrifice eternal truth for mere appeasement.”

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Archbishop Akinola gives us a very simple and honest way forward. His letter is filled with Biblical truth and Christian faith. I would pray that all, especially Archbishop Rowan would read this and take it to heart. If the AC is to survive, we must follow what +Akinola has stated here.

I pray for the ABC and for the rest of the Primates that they will all see the wisdom of this letter and discipline both TEC and ACofC.

In all things may the Lord’s will be done.

It is a pleasure to know the leadership and faithfulness of so many Global South Primates, including this wonderful communication detailing so much that Archbishop Akinola has written.

Although we have many troubles, we are greatly blessed in this sort of leadership in the Communion.

At the end of the letter, as ++Peter made reference to _Pilgrim’s Progress_”, I thought of Bunyan’s hymn:

“No foe shall stay his might
Though he with giants fight.
He will make good his right
To be a pilgrim.”

The truth in love, gracefully spoken.

We have been on this journey for ten long years. It has been costly and debilitating for all concerned as most recently demonstrated by the tepid response to the invitations to the proposed Lambeth Conference 2008. At a time when we should be able to gather together and celebrate remarkable stories of growth and the many wonderful ways in which our God has been at work in our beloved Communion as lives are transformed new churches built and new dioceses established there is little enthusiasm to even meet.

It is this paragraph that ought to tear deeply at the heart the Archbishop of Canterbury and all who wish to keep the Anglican Communion together.  All those efforts, with no joy to show for it.  Bitter fruit, indeed.

o If we fail to act we risk leading millions of people away from the faith revealed in the Holy Scriptures and also, even more seriously, we face the real possibility of denying our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

o The leadership of The Episcopal Church USA (TECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) seem to have concluded that the Bible is no longer authoritative in many areas of human experience especially in salvation and sexuality.

o Both TECUSA and ACoC have been given several opportunities to consult, discuss and prayerfully respond through their recognized structures. While they produced carefully nuanced, deliberately ambiguous statements, their actions have betrayed them. Their intention is clear; they have chosen to walk away from the Biblically based path we once all walked together.

Now here is a biblical servant-leader that will guide, protect, serve, feed, and love the sheep based on the Authority of God’s Inspired Word. 

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, you have been given every reasonable opportunity to reform TEC within a most generous, arguably a far too generous, timeframe.  9/30/07 is coming and it will strike midnight soon.  Pragmatically, it will hinge on Lambeth invitations.

—rw (lower case is self explanatory) sleeps with the jackals. Expect nothing from nothing.
Every agreement point of the DAS agreement has been at best ignored including Kate’s BIG FAT LIE that she did not endorse the communique. TEC followed that display of immorality with the racist response of the HOB.

Thank you ++ Peter. I too will not dishonor God’s table by communing with those who dishonor God.

My prayers tonight for God’s faithful.
Intercessor

Thank you ++ Peter. I too will not dishonor God’s table by communing with those who dishonor God.

Dear Intercessor, I should like to introduce to you a very concise turn of the phrase that was recently coined by the extremely erudite Dr. Tighe.  Dr. Tighe called dishonoring God’s table by communing with those who defiantly dishonor God as “eucharistic promiscuity”.

Do you like his phrase?

God in His glorious wisdom gives each of his followers a unique gift mix.  As such, it might be a mite unfair to compare folks’ charisms.

But supposing it was fair to make comparisons.  Let’s compare ++ Peter Akinola’s spiritual leadership gifts with that of:

o ArchBishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
o ArchBishop of York John Sentamu
o Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori
o Anglican Primate of Ireland, Alan Harper
o Any other GS Primate
o Australian bishop Jensen
o Any ACI scholar

To find an Anglican leader that will defend and deliver the faith once delivered to all the saints so that the sheep entrusted to his care will be loved, fed, protected, and cared for…. well, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone better than the select few of GS primates who have the moral courage to do the heavy lifting required to purify the Communion and preserve it.

It has been clear for a while that the AC is likely to disintegrate soon.  We may disagree among ourselves as to the wisdom of leaving, but the reality is that the break is going to occur if the invitations remain intact.  While I see no alternative, when I am reminded of it like with this article I must admit it makes me sad and a little apprehensive.

I know that from that point forward, there will be less interaction between those previously identified as the Concoms and Fedcoms, as we will no longer tied together by the hope of a reunion in a Canterbury approved Province. I hard to see the ACN continuing to maintain “insiders” and “outsiders” under its umbrella for long. In its absence, I suspect the Camp Allen types remaining in TEC, with help from the never give up ACI writers, will create some type of “blue dog Democrat” group to maintain in communication for a few years. However, with the departure of the lions from the Global South, however, the current controversy and debate in the Anglican Communion will quickly dissipate, and its leaders left to preside in peace over ever shrinking provinces. 

As someone who will no longer be associated with Canterbury under these circumstances, I can only pray that the non-TEC Anglican entities in the US will establish a common identity in the US and become effective evangelists. While I am not as pessimistic as Sarah, when I look around I wonder where the church growth will come from. Those with a record of growth and evangelism, in Texas, Virginia, Kansas, Alabama and elsewhere will need to step up and provide leadership. 

I fear that our identity has for too long been linked to the fight over the Robinson consecration and the sexuality debate in general.  We all know that is a manifestation of a much broader departure from the Faith, But that remains our public identity—an Episcopal looking church without gay Bishops and Priests—then we will suffer the same fate as the Methodist congregations that broke away in the late sixties and early seventies (often over civil rights) to form the Association of Independent Methodists. 

And we will deserve it, because we will have squandered this opportunity.

Episcopal “apostolic pioneers” like Spong and Ingham have cast on themselves the prophetic mantle. In truth, Peter Akinola is the Jeremiah of our day. And the St. John the Divine.

In what may be his parting warning before September 30, he presents his “rib,” his prophetic indictment against the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada. Dip into the Prophet almost anywhere and you will taste the same judgment:

“Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve you!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute. I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? Although you wash yourself with soda and use an abundance of soap (lavabo), the stain of your guilt is still before me,” declares the Sovereign LORD. Jeremiah 2:20-22

I would like to draw attention to one passing comment in quoting from “The Road to Lambeth”:

“the other road has its own obstacles [faithfulness is never an easy way] because it requires changes in the way the Communion has been governed and it challenges [all] our churches to live up to and into their full maturity in Christ.”

Peter Akinola is absolutely right. The present crisis in the Communion is a challenge to all who call themselves Anglicans. We are no longer basking in the glow of the Empire on which the sun never sets. We are living amidst new challenges from miltant secularism and Islam which affect us all. Abp. Akinola has challenged the churches in Africa as well as those in the West to grow up and stand up to these challenges. To be honest, his challenges in Africa have not always been well-received or heeded.

But in terms of the present crisis, I think he is clear that he sees it has culminating in seven weeks, not at Lambeth 2008. Indeed, he has been quite clear about this for at least 18 months since commissioning “The Road to Lambeth.”

I hope against hope that Canterbury will heed Abp. Akinola’s call and take the necessary disciplinary steps against those who have openly defied God’s Word in Scripture and the fundamental articles of the Communion’s identity. I say “hope against hope” because I fear Rowan Williams does not see the situation with the same eyes. But even beyond his personal views, I think he probably represents the Church of England’s inability to accept the reality that a new day has dawned, not ruled from the Anglo-American centers of power. As I have written elsewhere in “The Global Anglican Communion: A Blueprint,” I do not think the Communion can or should be governed as it has in the past. The sacred “Instruments” themselves are of relatively recent origin and overlapping in authority and function. A Communion Covenant is a good thing, but only if it addresses the issues and structures that have led to the present disruption.

Peter Akinola has said that the ideal place where such important changes can be discussed and decided is the Lambeth Conference. Note the final sentence of “The Road to Lambeth”:

“It is our sincere hope that this road may pass through Lambeth, our historical mother. But above all it must be the road of the Cross that leads to life through our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

But he has also said (and rightly) that such a discussion cannot take place at a conference organized by the current Communion bureaucracy with those who have disrupted the Communion participating. So if the Abp. of Canterbury is determined to have the North Americans at the table, then the mapping of the new road will have to be done elsewhere, probably in the continuation of South-South Encounters.

RE: “Let’s compare ++ Peter Akinola’s spiritual leadership gifts with that of:

o ArchBishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
o ArchBishop of York John Sentamu
o Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori
o Anglican Primate of Ireland, Alan Harper
o Any other GS Primate
o Australian bishop Jensen
o Any ACI scholar”

LOL.

Let’s compare ++ Peter Akinola’s spiritual leadership gifts with that of TUAD, or Sarah Hey!  ; > )

Er, just in case anyone else didn’t notice, the ACI folks don’t have even “bishop”, much less “Primate” with which to demonstrate their “spiritual leadership gifts” . . . so they come off just as TUAD and Sarah Hey do—powerless to demonstrate “spiritual leadership gifts”.

And . . . they’re the only name in TUAD’s list that isn’t a bishop!

I personally would like to have compared *my* “secular leadership gifts” with Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher!  ; > )

Seriously, if I were to choose favorite GS Primates, I like Uganda.

But as I said, what a fantastic letter from Archbishop Akinola.  We are blessed indeed.

RE: “I hope against hope that Canterbury will heed Abp. Akinola’s call and take the necessary disciplinary steps against those who have openly defied God’s Word in Scripture and the fundamental articles of the Communion’s identity. I say “hope against hope” because I fear Rowan Williams does not see the situation with the same eyes. But even beyond his personal views, I think he probably represents the Church of England’s inability to accept the reality that a new day has dawned, not ruled from the Anglo-American centers of power. As I have written elsewhere in “The Global Anglican Communion: A Blueprint,” I do not think the Communion can or should be governed as it has in the past. The sacred “Instruments” themselves are of relatively recent origin and overlapping in authority and function. A Communion Covenant is a good thing, but only if it addresses the issues and structures that have led to the present disruption.”

I agree—I hope very much that the ABC understands what he is facing, which is the breakup of the Anglican Communion.

Otherwise, I expect there will be two Anglican entities, the first the Anglican Communion, still centered on Canterbury, made up of the COE, Canada, ECUSA, Brazil, South Africa, much of the Global South that does not feel confident enough to leave, and the second probably something like [or called] the Anglican Confessional Federation, made up of 6-8 Global South Provinces, and the divided portion of the Network.

The numbers will certainly be with the Anglican Confessional Federation, and the Anglican Communion will be a sad shell, with I expect one or two GS Provinces leaving every decade or so.

Such is the price of squandered leadership from Canterbury, if that occurs.

I’ve been reading the blogs but missed reference to:
(Worth a read)
1) Article from: The Ethics & Public Policy Center
Title: The Coming Crisis in Episcopal Demographics
(Vast reduction in clergy by 2025)
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.3019/pub_detail.asp
2) Sunday Telegraph,  August 12, 2007,  By Jonathan Wynne-Jones
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/12/nvicar112.xml
Article: Women priests to match males by 2025

Might we be seeing a self-correction in the TEC
with loss of 7-11% of attendance each year and
only 28% or so of members actually attending, and
in light of the above two articles?

DB in VT

To find an Anglican leader that will defend and deliver the faith once delivered to all the saints so that the sheep entrusted to his care will be loved, fed, protected, and cared for…. well, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone better than the select few of GS primates who have the moral courage to do the heavy lifting required to purify the Communion and preserve it.

Deat TUAD:
Applause…Applause ...Applause…!
and in response to your previous question I hope that those who receive the blessed body and blood but do not believe or refuse to repent of their sins(no shortage of those for me!) will somehow be touched by God. As he is slow to anger and he does not punish as we deserve. If you go to the table not prepared and forgiven then you are indeed are tempting God’s wrath. Back on point the clarity and the poetic purposeness demonstrated by the GS leaders gives me great hope for the Faith.
I will pray for you at Mass this morning.

Intercessor

Thanks be to God for the leadership of these lions of the Christian faith such as Archbishops Akinola, Orombi and others, who have risen to the challenge of leadership in the Anglican Communion.  With God’s help, they are modeling Christian leadership, not just for Anglicans, but for the body of Christ in all denominations.  Their refreshing, healing clarity and their submission to the Lordship of Jesus and the timeless wisdom of God as revealed in Holy Scripture renews our strength and faith and keeps us going.

This letter is a such good summary of the truth of how the current crisis has unfolded during the last ten years, and his repeating the word “intransigence” with regard to the attitude of TEC puts the blame for the lack of healing squarely where it should be.  This letter should be saved and widely shared with those who do not understand the recent history of how we arrived at where we are today.

Spong and Ingham have cast on themselves the prophetic mantle. In truth, Peter Akinola is the Jeremiah of our day.  (Dr. Noll)

I was thinking along those very same lines this morning when I read the first lesson:

Jeremiah 23
....25. ff “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies, in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long shall there be lies in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams which they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Ba’al?  Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has My word speak my word faithfully.  What has the straw in common with the wheat?

Let us pray that +Rowan Williams listens to both the ancient and the modern Jeremiah.
  Whatever comes at the end of September, we know that the Anglican Communion as we have known it will have changed.  It may collapse completely, or may divide into two, or several, new communions.  Or it may rise up in unity as the Church shorn of those who would lead it astray.  To a great extent, which of these things happen will be determined by what is in the heart of one man, at one moment, in September.  Whatever else we say of +Rowan, we must acknowledge that in accepting the bishops “invitation” to New Orleans, he had the courage to take this burden upon himself.  Let us pray for him, and that God shows him mercy, and that the Holy Spirit fills his heart in that hour of decision.

Please, what is the date on this? The way the linked website seems to work, all the news documents show today’s date at the top, I think.

DV: If you go directly to the
Church of Nigeria web site’s home page, news items do have a date attached. For instance, the previous posting of Bishop of Jos, Ben Kwashi’s, thanks for God saving him and his family from the second violent attack by thugs upon them and their home was posted earlier this month and has an August 9 date.

News Today
A MOST AGONIZING JOURNEY
Location : Federal Capital Territory
August 18th, 2007
Archbishop Peter Akinola writes to Nigerian Synods on the Journey towards Lambeth
...[Read details]

LETTER OF THANKS FROM BISHOP BEN KWASHI
Location : Plateau
August 9th, 2007
[Read details]

HOW TO SUCCEED AGAINST CORRUPTION - Rev Sabo
Location : Federal Capital Territory
August 8th, 2007
NAN Report
...[Read details]

A STATEMENT FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH STEERING COMMITTEE
Location : Federal Capital Territory
July 23rd, 2007
...[Read details]

Thank you Bill Cool. I see what you mean.

Here’s another list re ‘walking apart’.
http://hopeanglican.us/walkingapart/tiki-index.php

Another great statement from a courageous amd Godly leader.

I suspect in the next few weeks we will be hearing from the others as well. The gauntlet has been thrown. Let us see if ++Rowan is smart enough to let it lie or if he picks it up and flays the GS primates with it.

The countdown has begun.

Timothy - thanks for your post. I was one who, until recently, held many of the same concerns. However, I no longer do so. I see the work God is doing as much larger than I can imagine - although I believe I have been given a glimpse of what is coming. Today it is spring, soon it will be summer, and sometime following it will be fall. Here is my challenge to you - look where the Holy Spirit is moving and be prepared to surrender everything to gather the harvest for it will be great. Soon we will not talk about planting churches, rather dioceses; not being in a communion, but in “The Church”. And I believe it will happen in my lifetime.

Fantastic, Sarah? - I find it very disappointing.

Did you read to the end of the letter? The list of things that ECUSA must do to remain Christian?  I am afraid that a majority of ECUSA bishops will find a way to acceed to those demands, find a way of saying “B033 means what Windsor wants it to mean”—- and doing so to the satisfaction of the ABC.

And which point they will say to Akinola: why aren’t you there, why have you chosen to walk apart?

James Noble,

I do not share your concerns.

In 2003, leaders like Abp. Akinola believed that TEC/ECUSA would speak with clarity and then match their words with deeds, since any Christian, especially a leader, should have his “Yes” be “Yes”. They quickly learned from the example of Frank Griswold and following that TEC words mean nothing unless the corresponding actions follow, and that individual TEC bishops can with impunity act in contravention to any statement by the General Convention or the HoB without any real action being taken against them. GS leaders are fully aware that, instead of the clarity to which they are accustomed, they can expect obfuscation and mendacity from the TEC HoB.

You are right - there is a steep hill for TEC to climb, starting even before the numbered list in Abp. Akinola’s letter with this:

“It requires a renewed commitment to the Historic Biblical Faith…. it requires repentance, a reversal of current unscriptural policies…”

However, TEC will not be their own referees in this game they think they are playing.

You are right - there is a steep hill for TEC to climb,

There is a steep hill - and then there is a nothing.

The nothing is to say about seven words—- although it would take ECUSA much more than seven words to say this:  B033 means Windsor: we’ll conform until Lambeth. 

This is what the ABC will be asking the HoB to say.  Given that they’ve already said more (if anything) in B033 they have so little to lose and lots to gain by saying this. We know there are mostly likely the numbers for a majority for this, simply because there were the numbers for B033 to pass. And by saying it - and by the communion even asking ECUSA to say it - then gay priests and laypeople and lay leaders and nuptial masses and prayers of celebration for civil unions have been brokered in to the communion for all time. if this is enough then all the liberals need to do is wait and the rest will come in time. So to the liberals this is a nothing - and a nothing that gives them a huge win on the worldwide scale. 

The huge hill?  - conversion to Christ leading to repentance - and then enforcement of standards that are met effortlessly by every single Global South province: by the diocese of Sydney, and even by a few ECUSA diocses (not Pittsburgh, but certainly Texas and San Joaquin).  There can be no question that every non-Network ECUSA bishop (and even a few Network bishops) would need to resign forthwith, and that their successors would need to summarily depose at least 2/3rds of their priests, and close down about half the parishes.  Which is why it will never happen.  What is surprising is that Akinola’s letter can easily be interpreted as saying that it does not have to happen!
My concern is that Akinola’s letter will be taken by the ABC, by the other communion primates, and by liberals everywhere, to mean the nothing rather than to mean conversion, in spite of his words.

Think about the start of the second paragraph: With about seven weeks to go…. Seven weeks until what? Until the Oct 1 deadline! What is that deadline: well according to the text of Dar, the deadline is for ECUSA to respond by confirming B033 (the PV & lawsuits moratoria don’t have deadlines).  So there it is: in relatively moderate terms, Akinola is making the same request as the primates and as the ABC: sign on to Dar B033 and we’ll keep negotiating towards a covenant—- and that convenant will give the “Radner compromise” or the “Windsor compromise” or the “CoE compromise” the force of law, or rather of the Gospel: that you must offer communion to gay parishoners; that you may ordain gay priests and offer recognition to gay relationships short of marriage; that you may not consecrate bishops or authorise marriage services.

So, first note that Tunde has posted corriagenda to this statement over on StandFirm. This includes the line:
Repentance and reversal by these provinces may yet save our Communion.
If this is in fact part of the document, it seems to me Akinola is saying (or at least can be interpreted) precisely as I argue above: that the ECUSA HoB agreeing to the Dar requires regarding B033 will save our communion.

I consider this both very significant and a huge move from his province’s previous position - where he has been very carefully indeed to give the opposite impression!

If anyone in TEC wanted to obfuscate using some phrase from Akinola’s statement, a few verses from the Bible, or a cleverly but foolishly reinterpreted Nicene creed, I’m sure they could manage to do it. Many in TEC have become masters at such deception. My only comment to that is they would be deceiving only themselves.

The intent of Akinola, Orombi, Nzimbi, Gomez, Venables and others in the GS has always been to permit TEC leadership to repent (in the true classic sense of the word - turn away from xxx and turn towards yyy). I have never seen anywhere that these GS leaders have said that merely stating some sort of compliance to B033 was sufficient. B033 requires no change in policy or actions, since it only says “call upon Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint” - not exactly binding policy.

The GS leaders have consistently called upon TEC to turn away from their actions, not play word games.

I will pray for you at Mass this morning.

Intercessor

I am immensely grateful for your prayers Intercessor.  I really DO need your prayers of intercession.

And I, in turn, shall pray for you.  Shalom.

Er, just in case anyone else didn’t notice, the ACI folks don’t have even “bishop”, much less “Primate” with which to demonstrate their “spiritual leadership gifts”...

Ummm, Sarah, the ACI folks actually do have bishops and a Primate with which to demonstrate their “spiritual leadership gifts.”  They are listed on the Board of Advisors on the webpage listing them as Contributing Theologians.
They are:

The Most Rev’d Drexel Wellington Gomez
(Archbishop of the West Indies )
The Rt Rev’d John W. Howe
(Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida)
The Rt Rev’d Edward L. Salmon, Jr
(Bishop of South Carolina)
 
The Rt Revd Michael Scott-Joynt
(Bishop of Winchester)

The Rt Rev’d James M. Stanton
(Bishop of Dallas)

The GS leaders have consistently called upon TEC to turn away from their actions, not play word games.

The GS primates - who’s word we can trust - signed onto the Dar Statement. The only part of the Dar statement with a deadline explicitly calls on US Bishops to:

confirm that the passing of Resolution B033 of the 75th General Convention means that a candidate for episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consent

And to seperately confirm that they

will not authorise any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in their dioceses or through General Convention

Both these resolutions allow gay priest to continue, not only those in place but those still to be ordained. Both of these allow e.g. nuptial masses for gay couples right after they come from their civil union at City Hall.  In other words, I think it quite possible for ECUSA to sign up to letter of these demands - and to keep within those demands - whle remaning essentially unchanged.

You might wish the deadline requires every liberal bishop and priest in ECUSA to resign or be deposted. it does not. You might wish the deadline require ECUSA to stop giving communion to gay couples. It does not - if anything, an earlier statement requires this.

If you’d like to keep ECUSA together, and keep the communion together, well I believe this is about the only possibility. But for an evangelical christian this compromise enshrines heresy: which is why I find Akinola’s latest letter so very disappointing.