From Anglicans United by Cheryl Wetzel via TitusOneNine:
April 20th, 2010
This morning in the second Plenary session, Archbishop Mouneer Anis, Egypt and the Middle East, spoke about structures in the Communion. At the beginning of his talk, he showed a picture through power point and told a wonderful story that I want to share with you.
He began with a picture on screen of a round loaf of bread with a cross in the center.
He said, “This is the holy bread used in Orthodox Church and we use it in Anglican churches in Egypt. I have been priviledged to attend Mass with Pope Shenudo and the Orthodox Church in Egypt. At beginning of Mass, the ushers bring forth a basket and in the basket is about 10 of these holy breads. The bishop or person celebrating the Eucharist picks one up and really looks at it. Lying that one aside, he picks up a second and then a third, looking each one over. Finally, he chooses one. He holds the perfectly rounded holy bread before the people and in that way, be beings the story of the Passover lamb into focus. He calls the holy bread ‘The Lamb and the symbol of Christ’ and as he breaks it in two says, ‘This is my body which is broken for you.’
“Chosen. The Lamb was chosen. He was perfect. We are not perfect. But we are called to be perfect like our father is perfect. The only thing that guarantees our perfection is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.”
Abp. Mouneer went on to talk of the structure in the Communion. I will have that for you later tonight after the final sessions of the evening.
Cherie Wetzel reporting from Singapore
Abp. Mouneer Anis: Structures and the Global South Plenary Session Two Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What I am going to introduce today is a structure. It is not perfect and we are not perfect , even though we are called to be perfect.
So I want to introduce to you the history of the Global South, and why we need a structure.
Our first meeting was in 1994 in Limuru, Kenya. The question for that meeting was, “ How can we be Anglican while also true to our cultural contexts?”
Our Statement said that the Church exists for the sake of God’s mission. God invites us to be His Church – People who experience God’s salvation and bear witness to God’ love, mercy and compassion ….
The second meeting was in Kuala Lumpur in 1997. We made a statement there about human sexuality: “The Scripture bears witness to God’s will regarding human sexuality which is to be expressed only within the life-long union of a man and woman in life-long holy matrimony. The Scriptures are clear in teaching that all sexual promiscuity is sin. We are convinced that his includes homosexual practice between men and/or women as well as heterosexual relations outside of marriage. “
At Lambeth 1998 the Global South bishops were instrumental in passing the Resolution I.10.
Our next meeting was at Cairo in 2000 and at Oxford in 2001 we held meetings to revive the Global South. In 2000 in Cairo Abp. Akinola and Abp. Yong Ping started to plan for 3rd encounter, held in Egypt at the Red Sea in 2005.
At the Red Sea Encounter, held there so we could get back to the roots of the Old Testament, we made these important decisions:
1) that we held a common understanding of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.
2) We issued a strong warning to the Anglican Communion about the crisis.
3) We agreed on self reliance among ourselves; this was the first meeting not paid for by the Anglican Communion office in London. We knew it was time to be self-sufficient financially.
4) We approved a Global South Catechism. Abp. Yong Ping has copies available.
5) advancing Christ’s mission became an even higher priority
This is the 4th Global South Encounter. Today’s context and challenges include:
1) Progressive revisions of the Faith by TEC, Canada and other provinces in the following ways:
A) ordination and consecration of clergy in homosexual relations -TEC
B) Blessing gay unions in church- TEC and Canada
There is a possibility that there is an Ecclesial deficit, shown as undermining the authority of the Primates communiqué’s and Lambeth Conference of bishop s :
C) No follow through for the recommendations of Windsor Report and the Primate’s meetings, especially Dar es Salaam. Failed to make disciplinary decisions
D) Broken communion between provinces continues
E ) Strained ecumenical relations
F) No support given from the official instrument of Communion to the faithful when TEC or Canada deposes priests and bishops; no recognition of ACNA (Anglican Church in North America)
G) Litigation and depositions of bishops and threats from TEC
H) Strained relations between some orthodox Anglicans
Why do we need structures?
-To enhance and sustain Christ’s mission.
-To further active partnership in the Gospel and guarantee our interdependence in the Communion
-To compensate for the undermining of bishops and primates who have made proper vows and have determined those vows will not be violated . To our sorrow, they are still deposed.
Let me say this clearly. We do not need another Communion. WE are the Communion. Others may wish to form a new communion. That is not our desire. We are not to compete with the current dysfunctional structure of the Anglican Communion, but find a way forward at the current time. It is time to stop reacting and get on with the important job of Christ’s mission that we have been given.
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