A Message from Bishop David Anderson

This message is from last week and was not fully distributed. ed.

Beloved in Christ,

The breaking news in the global Anglican world is the release of the Alexandria Primates' Communiqué. While there are things positive to note and things negative to ponder, one might wonder if all the footnotes that are an integral part of the document were available to the primates, and if they were, how such agreement could be found. The Rev. Phil Ashey, J.D., the AAC's Chief Operating Officer and Chaplain, has written a careful analysis of the Communiqué, and this is included as an article below.

Homosexual activist Colin Coward of Changing Attitude in the UK has made several comments about the Primates' Meeting from his vantage point on the outside of the security line, noting at the beginning that the usual AAC/Anglican Mainstream team of Minns, Anderson and Sugden were missing from the lineup. It is always nice to be noticed and missed even by those on the other side of salvific issues. In his blog, Mr. Coward goes on to make the wild assertion that ". . . We [those who are homosexual] are also inside the Primates Meeting. There are Primates who are gay, but understandably conceal their sexuality. . . " Such a remark must be challenged. Who specifically is he saying is homosexual?

Apparently the Primates and the Archbishop of Canterbury wish to have a professionally mediated conversation with the members of the Common Cause Partnership. They go on to say: "We commit ourselves to support these processes and to participate as appropriate. We earnestly desire reconciliation with these dear sisters and brothers for whom we understand membership in the Anglican Communion is profoundly important. We recognise that these processes cannot be rushed, but neither should they be postponed." The AAC would welcome such a conversation. Since the orthodox Anglicans who left TEC have been talked about at length by the Lambeth powers but not talked to officially or "on the record," it would be nice to sit down and tell it like it is. The meeting should not be planned for an hour over tea, for there is very much that needs to be said, and it should not take forever to arrange as was the case with the Panel of Reference. That Potemkin Village of an offer was one of the low points of Lambeth's caritas, designed as it was to fail from the moment of birth. We pray that Lambeth has moved forward from that.

The Episcopal News Service has reported that a Special Counsel (attorney) for property litigation and discipline has been hired to report to the Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori. Mrs. Mary E. Kostel is also the chancellor of the Diocese of Washington, and may be reached at mkostel@episcopalchurch.org.

The level of existing and anticipated litigation that the Presiding Bishop is planning is disheartening from a Christian standpoint; disheartening for those orthodox Anglican believers outside of TEC who are the object of her wrath; and disheartening for those orthodox Episcopal believers and their congregations inside TEC whose tithes and offerings are being used for litigation and destruction rather than bringing people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

May the Lord uphold us and guide us in these challenging times.

Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,

The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council