BODY BLOW
from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor
Mouneer Anis, the Anglican Bishop of Egypt, can’t make himself pretend any longer:

"After much prayer and consideration, I hereby submit my resignation from the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion (SCAC). I have come to realize that my presence in the current SCAC has no value whatsoever and my voice is like a useless cry in the wilderness. Having said that, I must say that since I joined the committee in 2007 I have learnt quite a lot and made friends who may disagree with me whom I appreciate very much and I will miss.

"Many sing praises of “inclusiveness” while at the same time they exclude others. I am deeply disturbed in my conscience when I see a kind of double-standard in dealing with different issues. While emphasizing the importance of caring for for the marginalized in our communities, like the LGBT community, the orthodox Anglicans are being marginalized. I understand that in a family, the concern of every member is cared for; but this is not the reality in our meetings where the orthodox voices are disregarded or suppressed.

"The Listening Process as mentioned in Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10 is to help us all to “minister pastorally and sensitively” to people with homosexual orientation.” I am afraid to say the Listening Process, as it is now, is taken out of the context of the whole resolution which rejects “homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture.” By all means, we should love, welcome and pastorally care for people with homosexual orientation. But it seems as if the aim of the Listening Process is to convince traditional Anglicans, especially in the Global South, that homosexual practice is acceptable.

"In our Communion where some churches depend financially on others, there is no guarantee of a fair, two-way listening process. My heart breaks when some of my colleagues say, “we too reject homosexual practice, but we cannot speak up because we have great financial needs.” It is sad that money speaks louder than the Scriptures. I wish the Anglican Communion Office would clarify with honesty what is the ultimate aim of the Listening Process."

Read the whole devastating thing. [the link is provided in an earlier post. ed.]

Even the Anglican Communion Institute understands that with this resignation, the Anglican Communion has just taken one in le secteur génital.

"We have learned today from Bishop Mouneer Anis that he has submitted his resignation from the former joint standing committee. Following so closely the release in December of the final text of the Anglican Communion Covenant, this resignation underscores the extent to which the Anglican Communion is at a major crossroads. At this decisive moment, however, substantial doubts have been expressed both publicly by Bishop Mouneer and privately by others as to whether this committee, now the standing committee of the Anglican Consultative Council, is the appropriate body to coordinate the implementation of the Covenant. These concerns point to the steps that we believe are necessary to restore the Communion so badly damaged by actions in North America over the last decade."

I may be mistaken but I believe that Henry Orombi is still on the committee. If he follows Anis out, the credibility of the Standing Committee dies unless Dr. Williams reaches out to one or more Anglican conservatives as replacements.

If he does, will they pull his chestnuts out of the fire? Doubtful. If Mouneer Anis realizes that all this has been a sham and if the Anglican Communion Institute is slowly being dragged to the understanding that the Anglican Communion is running on fumes, then absent a major move against the Americans, I don’t see any credible conservatives stepping in to give Dr. Williams cover.

Which means what? Beats me. Traditional Anglican indolence could set in and nothing could happen. But Anis’ letter suggests to me that some Anglicans, even among the hierarchy, are beginning to grasp the idea that if what had been the “Anglican tradition” wants to survive, it’s going to have to radically reinvent itself.

And that that reinvention will probably necessitate cutting ties with Canterbury.

UPDATE: Jim? OutSTANDing job at proving Anis’ point for him. Dumbass.