wfn.org | [ENS] ACC considers listening on sexuality issues,

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

Thursday, June 23, 2005

ACC considers listening on sexuality issues, Christian-Muslim ties,
environmental advocacy

By Neva Rae Fox and Matthew Davies

ENS 062305-1

[ENS, Nottingham] -- Advances in Christian-Muslim relations and
environmental advocacy were reported today to the Anglican Consultative
Council (ACC), which also heard how the listening process on sexuality
issues is unfolding around the Communion.

Aspects of increasing globalization echoed throughout the morning
session,
during which Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams underscored the
importance of cross-cultural understanding "as the world shrinks."

Meeting at the University of Nottingham through June 28, the ACC is the
principal consultative council of the Anglican Communion and one of its
four
"instruments of unity."

Today's comments on sexuality followed presentations made June 21 by the
Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada which explained, at
the
invitation of the ACC, experience with same-gender relationships.
Representatives from the two North American provinces are attending the
ACC-13 meeting as observers after both churches voluntarily withdrew
them
from active membership in accordance to a request from the February
Primates
meeting.

Provinces outline 'listening process'

ACC chair, Bishop John Paterson of Auckland, New Zealand, opened the
session
with an announcement that Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, a leading
conservative voice on human sexuality issues, had provided a letter
apologizing that he was unable to attend the morning's proceedings. It
was
noted later that Akinola had returned to Nigeria for an important
national
interfaith event linking Christians and Muslims in tsunami relief.

Responding to the listening process requested since the 1998 Lambeth
Conference, the one-hour session elapsed after seven presentations,
leaving
three more for a future session, ACC officers said.

Brazilian primate, Archbishop Orlando Santos de Oliveira, read a
statement
from his House of Bishops explaining that lifestyles and contexts are
currently in the process of change. He also drew attention to the
global,
environmental, social and economic issues in his country. "We believe in
inclusiveness," he said. "We believe in new opportunities for the church
[and in] God's justice and liberation ... We trust in the church because
as
Christians we believe in the healing power of God."

Oliveira asked the council to pray for the life and work of the
Communion.

Bishop John Noble of North Queensland, Australia, underscored the
importance
of understanding the issues of interpreting scripture. "Our dioceses are
required to listen to God, scripture, the spirit, and the cries of the
people beyond our own shores," he said. "We have an obligation to listen
to
one another with respect."

He explained that, through its deliberations, the Anglican Church of
Australia, is giving space to work through the issues with pastoral
sensitivity, while affirming the authority of scripture. "The Church
will
benefit from further exploration, discussion, listening and careful
study,"
he said.

The Venerable Alun Evans, Archdeacon of Carmarthen, Wales, said that his
province has been working on a method and approach to human sexuality
that
is concerned with scripture, tradition and reason, concepts inspired by
16th-century English theologian Richard Hooker.

Evans cited various publications developed by the Church in Wales which
have
been useful in its approach to study and reflection, including a
statement
issued by the House of Bishops in 1988 that initiated the beginning of a
listening process.

More recently, the province's governing body issued a guide on human
sexuality for study throughout the church. "A decision was made to
continue
the process of study," he said. "It is part of long process in which we
are
engaged, [and we are] taking seriously the whole challenge of listening
deeply. In this approach, the Church in Wales has chosen not to be
divisive.
The papers we have produced largely reflect that context."

In a conference held almost two weeks ago, the Church in Wales affirmed
its
commitment to being "an inclusive place" for gay and lesbian people.
"The
way for us as a province is not be make a banging statement," he said.
"What
is vital is to allow informed discussion to give everyone a voice and to
listen to the experience of those who are gay, and make sure the church
is a
place for all of us."

Bishop David Beetge of the Diocese of the Highveld in the Church of the
Province of Southern Africa (CPSA), recognized the benefits of diversity
and
explained that the struggle of apartheid has taught South Africans to
walk
together despite their differences. Citing the 1998 Lambeth Conference
resolution 1.10, he identified the importance of the listening process,
"but
of equal importance is to acknowledge that people of homosexual
orientation
are need to know that they are loved by God" and are full members of the
body of Christ, he said. "We are trying to live that out."

Stanley Isaacs, ACC delegate from South East Asia, said that he had been
disappointed with the consultations that the U.S. Episcopal Church and
the
Anglican Church of Canada presented to the council June 21. "I did not
find
anything in what they said that justified anything on the basis of
scripture," he said. "They gave us a story about how God loves them as
everyone else, and how they love Jesus and their families. I am not
convinced."

Reading from a statement submitted to the ACC by the primate and bishops
of
his province, Isaacs said, "The recent events in ECUSA [Episcopal
Church]
and the Anglican Church of Canada ... have had a negative effect on the
integrity of the Anglican Church in South East Asia ... In a region
dominated by Muslims and Buddhists ... Christianity, which is perceived
as a
religion of the Westerners, has been subjected to embarrassment and
ridicule."

Unable to defend the actions of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican
Church
of Canada because of "violation of the Holy Scripture," the statement
continued: "We are discredited even in the eyes of many governments in
our
region ... when the church expresses herself in the areas of social and
moral ethics and values."

Finally, Isaacs said, "We want to say to the members of the Episcopal
Church
USA and the Anglican Church of Canada that we love you in the unfailing
love
of our Lord Jesus Christ and we long for the time when we can again
embrace
you without reservation as fellow members of the one same Anglican
Communion."

The Very Rev. Michael Burrows, dean of Cork, Ireland, offered one
document
for consideration -- a letter on sexuality presented by the Church of
Ireland bishops nearly two years ago. "This letter comes from the point
of
view of a church that certainly does not find consensus, but one that is
perhaps more historically used to living with bitter difference," he
said.
"We do not intend to impair or break Communion."

The letter explained that the bishops have been engaging in a process of
consultation and research that began before the Lambeth Conference of
1998,
and has been continuing ever since.

"The fact that little has been said collectively is an indication of the
pastoral sensitivities felt by the Bishops, together with the complexity
of
the issue, and of a considerable range of viewpoints among the bishops
themselves," the letter stated. "It is evident that no clear-cut
solution
will be found independently of Biblical reflection, mature thinking, and
patient listening on the part of the Church as a whole. This process
must
involve prayerful and respectful consideration of views and insights
within
the Church and beyond it."

The full text of the letter can be found online at:
http://www.ireland.anglican.org/issues/sexuality.html

Bishop Winston Halapua of the Diocese of Polynesia in Aotearoa, New
Zealand,
spoke about a resolution from his general synod that acknowledges the
contribution of gay and lesbians in the life of church and which
established
an appropriate process to listen. "Any work in our church takes times
because of the particular cultural diversities and the multiple
languages in
which we work," he said. "We happen to go at a pace where we can listen
to
each other."

As the session ended, delegates leaving the lecture hall were presented
with
a publication of the Church in Wales, "Theology Wales: The Church and
Homosexuality, a Contribution to the Debate," and a packet from the
American
Anglican Council including the book "Striving for Gender Identity." The
South East Asia members also offered their statement as a handout.

Imam shares in NIFCON report

Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali of Rochester, England, and president of Network
for
Interfaith Concerns of the Anglican Communion (NIFCON), said the work of
the
network since 1994 poised them for what was needed following the
terrorist
attacks on September 11, 2001, in the United States. "We were
particularly
well prepared to respond in dialogue with religious leaders and with
scholars," he stated.

During the presentation, the Archbishop of Canterbury stressed the
importance of interfaith dialogue and NIFCON. Sharing that he was
"surprised" how much time interfaith matters take of his time, Williams
spoke of a recent meeting at which many faith leaders shared "what we
thought we should be doing in our society." Topics ranged from moral
issues,
family, environment, and raised the sensitive question of human rights,
which is "very differently viewed and interpreted in different
cultures."

"This is a very very important network," Williams said. "As the world
shrinks in terms of communication our divisions seem to get deeper
because
we know more about each other."

NIFCON's work has been shaped by seminars and dialogues. For example,
the
annual Building Bridges conversations between Christians and Muslims
started
in 2002 by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Archdeacon Michael Ipgrace,
formerly interfaith adviser for the Church of England, spoke of the
Building
Brides seminars which was held in most recently in Sarajevo and
previously
in Croatia, Qatar, and in Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) where the
members
read the Bible and Koran at the same time.

NIFCON Coordinator Clare Amos reported on the Anglican Al Azhar
Dialogues
and Study Exchange, held annually either in Cairo or in a city in the
west.
The planning meeting for the first, she shared, occurred in Cairo on
September 11, 2001, so the decision was made that the dialogues would be
held at that time each year. The Archbishop of Canterbury lectured on
September 11, 2004.

Amos said NIFCON is also working on regular study exchanges for young
Muslim
scholar to work at Anglican seminaries and vice versa. "It will help
alleviate misconceptions and help each faith to learn about each other,"
Amos said.

Examples of interfaith dialogues and side-by-side work were presented.
The
Rev. Dr. Guli Francis-Dehquani, commissary of the Anglican Bishop in
Iran,
asked for prayers for the area. "Currently the diocese is without a
bishop,
and in this state, the people are bewildered," she said. "Its place in
the
world is sensitive. It's in the interest of western government to foster
good relations with the government of Iran. The church struggles to
remain
alive. They must not be forgotten."

The Rev. Diane Johns, St Philip's, Leicester, and her neighbor Imam
Ibrahim
Mogra provided a case study of the "most multi religious city in
England."
Mogra "discovered much in common and much we can do together."

NIFCON exists to encourage progress toward genuinely open and loving
relationships between Christians and people of other faiths and to
exchange
news, information, ideas and resources relating to interfaith concerns
between provinces of the Anglican Communion through networks, meetings
and
writings.

For more info on NIFCON: www.anglicannifcon.org

Environmental risk

"It's a reality that the greatest contributors to global climate change
are
not the greatest victims of global climate change," the Rev. Canon Eric
Beresford, dean of Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Canada, in
his
presentation to the council. "There's a disparity in the experience."

Beresford, who is concluding his term as convener of the Anglican
Communion
Environmental Network (ACEN) cited severe droughts and flooding, eroding
mountaintop snow caps and other examples of global warming, using
photographs to illustrate his presentation.

Focusing on data from the network's recent gathering in Canberra,
Australia,
Beresford said delegates from 18 Anglican provinces affirmed the ACEN's
commitment "to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain
and
renew the earth."

Canberra, Beresford said, offered "proximity to many of the most
affected
regions." He presented examples of the effects of global warming: in the
Pacific, which is experiencing an increased severity of storms, causing
flooding; in Africa, with photos proving the retreating snow caps of
Kilimanjaro as well as changes in the rainy season affecting agriculture
and
the increasing spread of the Sahara; flooding in the United Kingdom;
changing rainfall patterns in Australia causing drought as well as algal
blooms; and the North American loss of permafrost and severe storms and
flooding.

He also cited the recently-released UN Millennium assessment report
stating
ecosystems have changed more rapidly in the last 50 years than in any
other
time in history. The global temperature has warmed 2 degrees centigrade,
enough to make a significant impact. This has resulted in "substantial
and
irreversible loss of life on earth."

"We heard a chilling thing that in Australia the government decided it
would
be cheaper for Australia to carry on and deal with changes in the
environment," he shared. "It may be cheaper for Australia but it's not
cheaper for the island nations of the Pacific, it's not good for
Bangladesh,
it's not good for Denmark."

In fact, an ACC representative from the Pacific island nation of Tonga
endorsed the resolution. "Something strange has happened in some of the
islands," he shared. "We watch helplessly. We are the victims. We are
the
helpless, powerless people."

He added, "Maybe I won't see you at the next ACC meeting. The waves will
rise and Tonga will be gone."

ACEN, Beresford said, has taken major steps to combat environmental
problems
through advocacy, development of resources, and promotion of special
projects and initiatives, such as Episcopal Power and Light.

ACC approved a resolution with 13 recommendations for Anglicans and
Provinces, including environmental education, use renewable energy, and
to
"press government, industry and civil society on the moral imperative of
taking practical steps towards building sustainable communities." (Full
text
of resolution will be posted online at www.anglicancommunion.org)

-- Neva Rae Fox is a member of the Episcopal News Service team for
ACC-13.
She is director of communications for the Diocese of New York. Matthew
Davies is staff writer and web manager of Episcopal News Service.

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