Press Releases09 Feb 04

First meeting of the International Anglican Commission on Structures and Relations

FIRST MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ANGLICAN STRUCTURES AND RELATIONS

Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of all Ireland, is to chair the first full meeting this week of the international Commission on Anglican Structures and Relations set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

The meeting in England will consider what ways the highest degree of communion and relationship can be maintained given the serious divisions now facing the Anglican Communion.

The Commission comprises seventeen Church leaders, theologians and lawyers. Their task will be to analyse the implications for the world-wide Anglican Communion of the election of the first openly gay bishop in the Diocese of New Hampshire and the approval of rites for blessing same-sex unions in Canada.

At a meeting of Primates in Lambeth Palace last October the Archbishop of Canterbury was invited to appoint an international Commission under the chairmanship of Archbishop Eames to consider how to respond structurally to the divisions of the Communion which are emerging.

The mandate given to the Commission does not include the responsibility of making judgements on issues of sexuality but requests recommendations on how the Anglican Communion can deal with divisive issues which threaten the overall unity of the world-wide Church. It is due to report to the Archbishop of Canterbury next September and its findings will be submitted to the Primates and Provinces shortly afterwards.

Archbishop Eames commented: ?The divisions which are emerging are serious and question what sort of Anglican Communion its members wish to see in future. Sincerely held views are being expressed on all sides of the argument but it is vital that ways are found of dealing with division on any issue which will stand the test of time.

?There is a widespread desire to maintain Anglicanism as a world Communion. To enable this to happen decisions need to be taken which will allow autonomy to relate to communion and relationships while acknowledging the on-going mission of the Church throughout the world.?

The members of the Commission are:

• Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland, Chairman
• The Revd Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director of Faith, Worship and Ministry, the Anglican Church of Canada
• Bishop David Beetge, Dean of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa
• Professor Norman Doe, Director of the Centre for Law and Religion, Cardiff University, Wales
• Bishop Mark Dyer, Director of Spiritual Formation, Virginia Theological Seminary, USA
• Archbishop Drexel Gomez, Primate of the West Indies
• Archbishop Josiah Iduwo-Fearon, Archbishop of Kaduna, the Anglican Church of Nigeria
• The Revd Dorothy Lau, Director of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council
• Ms Anne McGavin, Advocate, formerly Legal Adviser to the College of Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church
• Archbishop Bernard Malango, Primate of Central Africa
• Dr Esther Mombo, Academic Dean of St Paul?s United Theological Seminary, Limuru, Kenya
• Archbishop Barry Morgan, Primate of Wales
• Chancellor Rubie Nottage, Chancellor of the West Indies
• Bishop John Paterson, Primate of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, and Chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council
• Dr Jenny Te Paa, Principal of College of Saint John the Evangelist, Auckland, New Zealand
• Bishop James Terom, Moderator, the Church of North India
• Bishop N Thomas Wright, Bishop of Durham, the Church of England.

The Mandate of the Commission is to consider the issue of Communion in the context of Anglican structures and relations. It will give primary consideration to the resolutions of the Lambeth Conferences of 1988 and 1998 on this issue, together with a consideration of what has been achieved in the Grindrod, Eames and Virginia Reports, which addressed matters of communion. It will also consider recent work of the Inter Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission on the theological nature of communion, and the various statements and pastoral letters issued by the Primates at their recent meetings.

Several African, Far East and South American Anglican Churches have announced their intention to sever links with the American Church and within the Episcopal Church of the USA itself a grouping of those opposed to recent actions have formed a network in opposition to these actions.

Information on the Commission and its ongoing work may be found on the web site:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/commission/index.cfm

or by contacting the Secretary to the Commission, the Revd Canon Gregory Cameron, email: Commission Secretary

Media enquiries should be addressed to the Press Officer of the Archbishop of Armagh:

Revd Brian Parker
Tel: + 44 (0) 28 90 232909
Mobile: + 44 (0) 7775 927807
Email: Press Officer

The meetings are private.