wfn.org | ACNS3705 The Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3705     |     COMMUNIQUI	   |	 10 DECEMBER 2003 

The Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations

The Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations (IASCER) met
at the Duncan Center, Delray Beach, Florida, from 29 November to 5 December
2003. The Rt Revd Christopher Epting, Deputy to the Presiding Bishop for
Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations welcomed the Commission on behalf of the
Episcopal Church (USA) and the Most Revd Drexel Wellington Gomez, Archbishop
and Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies, took the chair.
The Rt Revd Dr Geoffrey Rowell, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, was elected as
Vice-Chair.

IASCER continued its work of reviewing all the present international
ecumenical dialogues involving Anglicans, and provincial and regional
initiatives towards unity with other Christians. In particular, it evaluated
progress in church unity proposals in Scotland, South Africa and the United
States.

The Commission reflected with concern on the impact of recent developments in
the life of the Anglican Communion for ecumenical relations between Anglican
and other Christian churches. It received with regret the news that the
meeting of the Anglican - Oriental Orthodox International Commission had been
postponed, and that the plenary meeting of the International Anglican - Roman
Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) had been put on hold.

However, it welcomed the establishment of a new sub-committee of IARCCUM,
which, at the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury, would address the
ecclesiological concerns raised in Anglican - Roman Catholic dialogue by
recent developments. It noted that the Most Revd Frank Griswold, Presiding
Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA, had resigned as Anglican Co-Chair of the
Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission, and expressed gratitude
for the work he had done. IASCER looked forward to the appointment of his
successor, and to the completion of the current phase of the Commission's
work with the publication of an Agreed Statement on the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Commission looked forward to the completion of the work of the Anglican
Communion - Baptist World Alliance International Conversations, due to report
in 2004, and the establishment of a new Anglican - Lutheran International
Commission, which it is hoped would be formed by 2005. It also welcomed the
approval and signing of the Covenant between the Church of England and the
Methodist Church of Great Britain, and the signing of the Covenant between
the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches in Papua New Guinea.

IASCER received reports on the work of the Inter Anglican Theological and
Doctrinal Commission (IATDC), the International Anglican Liturgical
Consultation (IALC), and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council
of Churches.

The Commission thanks the Revd Steve Fregeau and his wife, Pat, together with
all the staff of the Duncan Center for the warmth of their welcome and the
hospitality received, and the Rt Revd Christopher Epting for organising a
short excursion around the waterways of Fort Lauderdale and a dinner at which
the Bishop of Southeast Florida, the Rt Revd Leo Frade and Mrs Frade were
guests. The Commission also enjoyed the hospitality of the Church of Bethesda
by the Sea, West Palm Beach, for Sunday worship and lunch.

The Commission consists of representatives from each international dialogue
involving Anglicans, including the multilateral dialogue of Faith and Order,
and of certain other commissions and networks, and consultants who bring
particular regional or theological expertise. 

Present at the meeting at the Duncan Center were: the Revd Prebendary Dr Paul
Avis, the Revd Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, the Revd Canon Gregory K Cameron
(Secretary), the Revd Dr William Crockett, the Rt Revd Christopher Epting,
the Rt Revd Dr John Gladstone, the Most Revd Drexel W Gomez (Chair), the Revd
Canon Jonathan Gough, the Rt Revd John Hind, the Revd Canon Luke Pato, the Rt
Revd Dr Geoffrey Rowell, the Revd Canon Professor J Robert Wright, and the
Revd Dr Karackattil George Pothen of the Mar Thoma Church. Mrs Christine
Codner and the Revd Terrie Robinson of the Anglican Communion Office provided
administrative assistance for the meeting.

The members of the Commission received with sadness the news of the death of
one of their members, the Rt Revd Justus Marcus, Regional Bishop of Saldanha
Bay in the Diocese of Cape Town, in the course of the meeting. They send
their condolences to the Revd Mrs Sarah Marcus, his wife, also a member of
the Commission, and to the family of Bishop Justus.

The next plenary meeting of IASCER is scheduled for 4 - 10 December 2004.

For further information please contact:

The Revd Canon Gregory K Cameron
Director of Ecumenical Affairs and Studies
Anglican Communion Office, London

Tel.: +44 (0)20 7313 3999
Fax: +44 (0)20 7313 3900
Email: gregory.cameron@anglicancommunion.org

Resolution 1.03: Recent Developments in the Anglican Communion

IASCER

* Deeply regrets the ecumenical consequences for Anglican international
ecumenical dialogue resulting from the consecration in the Episcopal Church
(USA) of a non-celibate priest in a committed same-sex relationship as Bishop
Co-adjutor of New Hampshire, noting with particular concern the impairment of
the work of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission (AOOIC)
and of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and
Mission (IARCCUM) and the declaration of the Russian Orthodox Church, which
severed ties with ECUSA whilst "wanting to maintain contacts and co-operation
with the members of the Episcopal Church in the USA who clearly declared
their loyalty to the moral teaching of the Holy Gospel and the Ancient
Undivided Church". 

* acknowledges the urgent need to address the ecclesiological and practical
issues for the Communion and its ecumenical relations that arise from a
province of the Communion taking unilateral action involving a substantive
matter of faith, order or morals. 

* welcomes the establishment by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the request
of the Primates of the Anglican Communion of a Commission to address the
ecclesiological questions concerning the unity and working together of the
Communion. 

* notes that in the past Anglican participation in global ecumenical
dialogues with other world communions has been predicated on the assumption
of common faith and practice, and 

* therefore urges the Commission to find ways of reasserting and maintaining
common faith and practice so that such world-wide ecumenical dialogue may
proceed with confidence in the future. 

Resolution 2.03: Ongoing Studies - Direct Ordination 

IASCER

* notes with concern the suggestion in the IALC statement Anglican Ordination
Rites that 'provinces may wish to consider the possibility of direct
ordination'; 

* observes that the invariable practice of Anglican churches has been
sequential ordination and that this is presupposed in the ecumenical
agreements that they have made. 

Resolution 3.03: Ongoing Studies - Use of Language

IASCER

* recognising that the language of the methods and goals of ecumenical
dialogue is complex and that there is a danger that different parts of the
Anglican Communion may mean different things by the same terms, and may
sometimes describe the same reality by different terms, recommends that a
glossary be produced of this language. 

Resolution 4.03: Anglican - Old Catholic Relations

IASCER:

* reaffirms its support for an international celebration of the 75th
anniversary of the Bonn Agreement in the year 2006, to be held either in
continental Europe or in England, or both, to consist of a major theological
conference and of a major liturgical celebration held either together or
separately; 

* further suggests that the theological conference be held in conjunction
with the regular conference of Old Catholic theologians and either
immediately before or after the next regular meeting of AOCICC, and that
Prebendary Paul Avis serve as the liaison of IASCER for this purpose; 

* also recommends that the major liturgical celebration of the Bonn Agreement
be timed to coincide with a meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion
in the same year, and that consideration be given to holding such a meeting
in an appropriate location on continental Europe. 

Resolution 5.03: Iglesia Filipina Independiente

IASCER

* encourages the Episcopal Church in the United States of America to resume
negotiations with its full communion partner, Iglesia Filipina Independiente,
to establish a formal body to co-ordinate ECUSA-IFI relations and to report
on its progress at the 2004 meeting of IASCER. 

Resolution 6.03: All Africa Anglican - Lutheran Commission

IASCER

* having noted with regret the lack of recent progress by AAALC, encourages
Anglican churches in Africa to advance their relations with their Lutheran
counterparts, acknowledging that it must be for the Anglican and Lutheran
churches involved to determine the most appropriate regional contexts for
such ecumenical initiatives. IASCER looks forward to receiving reports on
progress at their meeting in 2004. 

Resolution 7.03: Papua New Guinea

IASCER

* welcomes the Covenant between the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea and
the Roman Catholic Church in New Guinea, and the Agreed Statement on Baptism
between the Anglican, the Evangelical Lutheran and the Catholic Churches in
Papua New Guinea, and regards both as notable ecumenical advances; 

* in welcoming both developments, IASCER expresses the hope that the Anglican
Communion Office might be given the earliest possible notice of similar
proposed developments in order that IASCER and the other competent bodies of
the Anglican Communion might give due consideration to such proposals.

Resolution 8.03: Reception of Agreed Statements in the Communion

IASCER

* requests the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council
and the Primates' Meeting to clarify the procedures by which agreed
statements from bilateral commissions may be received in the Anglican
Communion. 

Resolution 9.03: Churches Uniting in Christ (United States of America)

IASCER

* is generally encouraged by recent progress within CUIC on the
reconciliation of ministries; 

* is, however, concerned about the extensive use of functional, as opposed to
sacramental, language for ministry; 

* advises that the tendency to use "ministry" as a synonym for Christian life
and discipleship should be avoided; 

* points out that the sufficiency of "servant" language to describe the
diaconate is being widely reconsidered in the light of fresh New Testament
scholarship; 

* expresses the hope that some of this material may be recast to reflect a
theology of ministry and holy order that is more clearly focussed on the
nature and purpose of the Church. 

Resolution 10.03: Reconfiguration of the Ecumenical Movement

IASCER

* re-affirms Resolution IV.7 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference that called for
the reform of the WCC in such wise that the Orthodox Churches would wish to
remain within the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church would wish to participate
more fully in its work; 

* believes that rediscovering the founding vision of the WCC as a 'fellowship
of churches' is the key to a viable future for the WCC; 

* welcomes the recommendations of the Special Commission on Orthodox
Participation in the WCC; 

* questions the wisdom of planning a full Global Christian Forum event in
2007 without considering its relationship to the next Assembly of the WCC in
2006; 

* believes that the reform of the WCC, including a degree of devolution to
global regions and national councils of churches, could make the idea of a
global forum largely redundant.

ENDS

[A photo of the members of the Inter Anglican Standing Commission for
Ecumenical Relations is available at:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/37/00/acns3705.cfm]

___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is
distributed to more than 7,500 journalists and other readers around
the world.  For subscription information please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.html