ACNS 4189 | ACO | 15 SEPTEMBER 2006
Communiqué from the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission
The Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission met between Monday, September 4th September and Sunday, 10th September at St Julian's Retreat Centre, Limuru. The Commission is grateful for the warmth of the welcome from the staff of the Centre, from the Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya, the Most Revd Benjamin Nzimbi, and for the work of Professor Esther Mombo and Professor Joseph Galgalo, of St Paul's Theological College, Limuru, who were responsible for much of the local organisation in preparation for the Commission's meeting. On the Sunday morning, members of the Commission worshipped with several local congregations.
The work of the Commission concentrated on three areas: continuation of the work of the Communion Study on which the Commission has been working since its formation in 2001, reflection on the proposal for an Anglican Covenant, and preparation for the 2008 Lambeth Conference.
The Commission received the responses to the third round of consultation undertaken with the bishops and theological institutions of the Anglican Communion during the early part of 2006. Four questions had been formulated by the Chairman which reflected the current situation of the Communion, and had been circulated for response. The Commission considered how responses received could be incorporated into its ongoing study, and hopes to move towards the publication of its report in 2007.
The Commission also produced a paper "Responding to a Proposal for a Covenant", in which it reflected on the proposal of the Windsor Report for the establishment of an Anglican Covenant in the life of the Communion. The paper considers the biblical and ecclesiological background of the concept of covenant, and offers particular observations on how the concept of covenant might most fruitfully be employed in the development of a covenant for the Anglican Communion.
The Commission also gave attention to the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury to offer theological resources to the forthcoming Lambeth Conference for the equipping of bishops for their ministry and work. Work was undertaken to formulate a number of theses in relation to the Bishops' ministry in fostering and upholding the Communion of all the baptised, and this work will be made available to the Saint Augustine's Seminars which are undertaking preparatory work in relation to the Conference.
It is the intention of the Commission to meet again in September 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, where it will conclude its work on the Communion Study.
Those present in Limuru were:
The Rt Revd Professor Stephen W Sykes (Chair)
The Revd Dr Philip H E Thomas (Assistant to the Chair) The Revd Canon Gregory Cameron (Secretary) The Revd Dr Victor R Atta-Baffoe The Rt Revd Dr Samuel R Cutting The Rt Revd Tan Sri Dr Lim Cheng Ean The Revd Dr Joseph Galgalo The Revd Dr A Katherine Grieb (Observer) The Revd Dr Bruce N Kaye Dr Esther M Mombo The Rt Revd Dr Matthew Oluremi Owadayo The Revd Canon Luke Pato The Revd Dr Stephen Pickard The Rt Revd Paul Richardson The Revd Dr Nicholas Sagovsky Dr Eileen Scully Dr Jenny Te Paa The Rt Revd Dr N Thomas Wright The Rt Revd Hector 'Tito' Zavala
Administrative staff
Ms Gill Harris-Hogarth The Revd Terrie Robinson
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