wfn.org | [ACNS] G8 Summit, Korean unification addressed by ACC

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 3998     |     ACO     |	  28JUNE 2005

G8 Summit, Korean unification addressed by ACC

>From Monday's Sessions, June 27, 2005

[ACNS,ENS, Nottingham] Requesting the Archbishop of Canterbury to remind
the upcoming G8 Summit of its responsibility to eradicate poverty, the
Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) opened its June 27 business sessions
advocating for the unification of Korea, where fears of war are
escalating.

Resolutions filled the business day for the council, which is meeting
through June 28 at the University of Nottingham in England. ACC is the
principal consultative body within the Anglican Communion and its 77
million people in 164 nations.

Other key discussions focused on ecumenical and mission work.

Recognizing that the G8 conference "is right around the corner," the
Rev. Canon Mwita Akiri of Tanzania presented "a resolution of
solidarity, shared responsibility and hope.

"It's about the issues that are in the (UN) Millennium Development Goals
so that the leaders of G8 states do hear from this council," he said.

The resolution adopted by ACC "requests the Archbishop of Canterbury, in
his capacity as President of the Council, to convey to the leaders of
the G8 states prior to their meeting in July 2005, a reminder of their
responsibility towards the eradication of poverty in the world and the
promotion of fair terms of international trade."

Korea

"Since the Korean War in the 1950s, North Korea announced it has
produced the nuclear bomb," the Rev. Abraham Kim of the Anglican Church
of Korea told the ACC. "What might happen on the Korean peninsula is
what happened in Iraq."

"Tension in the Korean peninsula is a grave concern for Japan too,"
Bishop Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu of Japan said during the discussion.
"The separation of two states in that peninsula was in some ways a
result of Japanese colonistic policy to invade Korea before World War
II. Therefore we are obliged to support the peaceful unification in
Korea. If a conflict takes place on the Korean peninsula, it will be
inevitable that Japan will be involved."

Through a unanimously approved resolution, the ACC "expresses its
profound concern about the deepening crisis in the Korean peninsula,
consequent upon the announcements by the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) that it is developing nuclear weapons and by the USA that
it is contemplating the use of military force against DPRK in order to
prevent this; believes that for the sake of peace in North East Asia and
the world, armed conflict in the Korean peninsula must be prevented, and
to that end the DPRK and the USA should renounce the acquisition of
nuclear weapons and the use of military force respectfully and endeavor
to resolve the present crisis through dialogue and negotiation;
recognize that the origin of the present crisis threatening peace in the
Korean peninsula and North East Asia lies in the division of the Korean
peninsula into two states, and therefore supports and encourages the
Anglican Church in Korea in its work for reunification of the two
Koreas."

Ecumenical activity

Father Wietse van der Velde from the Churches of the Union of Utrecht
presented the day's ecumenical greeting on behalf of the Archbishop of
Utrecht.

"The Anglican and the Old Catholic Churches are not only partners," the
archbishop wrote to ACC. "Both churches faced modern developments since
the age of enlightenment. Both have opened themselves to the challenge
of secularization. One of the most important characteristics, we both
are bridge churches. Our churches build bridges between the great
Christian traditions. We Old Catholics want to express our gratitude to
the ACC by all the work done by it to building bridges."

Noting that 2006 will be the 75th anniversary of communion between
Anglican and Old Catholic churches, he observed: "Anglicans and Old
Catholics have important work to do on the European continent. We thank
you for the opportunities for collaboration."

In the last of three presentations on ecumenical affairs, ACC approved a
series of resolutions focusing on the breadth of the Anglican ecumenical
affairs, presented by the Rev. Canon Gregory Cameron, ACC deputy
secretary general and director of ecumenical affairs.

The first encouraged the establishment of the All African
Anglican-Lutheran Commission, an initiative outlined by Bishop Sebastian
Bakare of the Diocese of Manicaland in Zimbabwe. "At all these meetings
we found a very interesting common language, seeking ways to become
closer."

A second resolution welcomed closer relations between Anglican and
Methodist churches across the world.

A third concerned Anglican-Old Catholic relations, as relayed in the
earlier ecumenical greeting, and gave thanks for 75 years of "shared
life in communion with the Churches of the Union of Utrecht."

A fourth resolution seeks to restart the dialogue of Anglican-Oriental
Orthodox Relations,

A fifth measure encouraged dialogue with the Anglican Orthodox relations
to "move towards the publication of their agreed statements." Before
becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Williams worked in this area, and
contributed to a forthcoming study on the ordination of women.

In regional developments, the next resolution: welcomed the
establishment of the Communion of Churches in India and cooperation
between the United Churches of North and South India and the Mar Thoma
Syrian Church of Malabar; welcomed the covenant commitment between the
Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea, the Roman Catholic Church in New
Guinea and the New Guinea Evangelical Lutheran Church; and welcomed the
covenant between the Church of the Province of South Africa and the
Ethiopian Episcopal Church. The Rev. Janet Trisk of Southern Africa
pointed out the Ethiopian Episcopal Church "has nothing to do with the
country of Ethiopia."

Another resolution requested the World Council of Churches to find ways
for the Anglican Communion to enhance its participation and affirms the
work of Global Christian Forum.

In the last resolution, ACC accepted the work of the Inter-Anglican
Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations and the Inter-Anglican
Theological and Doctrinal Commission.

Mission and Evangelism

The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Mission and Evangelism
(IASCOME) provided an overview of its five-year work culminating in the
Covenant for Communion in Mission.

Co-chair Bishop Sebastian Bakare spoke of the meetings held in South
Africa, Scotland, Jamaica and Cyprus. "Every time we met we were so much
privileged to visit the local congregation where we listened and were
exposed to the way the church in each of these places was doing
mission."

He added that members of the commission were willing to translate the
IASCOME report into Spanish, Portuguese and French. A request was made
to include Swahili in the translated documents.

The Rev. Tim Dakin, secretary general of the Church Mission Society
(CMS), said, "The exciting thing about this Covenant for Communion in
Mission is its nature. It's not a question of setting a boundary but in
finding a center."

In support of the IASCOME, ACC received the report, and will forward
Covenant for Communion in Mission to those bodies of the Anglican
Communion tasked to consider an Anglican Covenant as commented by the
Windsor Report and the February 2005 Primates Meeting.

Fair trade products

In another resolution, the ACC agreed at all future meetings, "where
possible and practical, to serve only fairly traded beverages, fruit and
other produces, and to provide drinking water only from suppliers
offering financial support for water-supply and irrigation projects in
the developing world."

"If we are asking governments to do this, we should be doing these
things ourselves," said Kate Turner of Ireland.

Central America

ACC also voted to assist the Extra-Provincial Diocese of Cuba in its
missionary work by making available to it resource materials on the
history of Anglicanism, theological education and Anglican liturgy;
calls on provinces of the Communion to contribute, as their resources
allow, to the development of Anglicanism in Cuba.

"I believe that as Cuba's closest neighbor -- and the diocese that can
assist greatly the council which can help the implement this resolution
-- I support and welcome Cuba's presence at this council," noted Bishop
Robert Thompson from the West Indies.

Other resolutions

In other resolutions ACC:

- acknowledged and thanked the Compass Rose Society for "its generous
financial support:
- Expressed gratitude to Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama
Tuatagaloa-Matalavea for her four dedicated years as Anglican Observer
to the United Nations and set out steps for defining a job description,
the roles of the Observer and the Advisory Council and budget for the
next observer for a term not to exceed five years.

Resolutions from 23 June

Nifcon

The Anglican Consultative Council:

- receives the report of the Network for Inter Faith Concerns
- commends its insights to the Provinces for reflection in the period
leading up to the Lambeth Conference 2008
- asks the Standing Committee to give consideration to the NIFCON
request for Commission status

Anglican Communion Environmental Network

The Anglican Consultative Council notes the Statement to the Anglican
Communion from the ACEN, and

1. endorses its recommendation that all Anglicans be encouraged to:
- recognise that global climatic change is real and that we are
contributing to the despoiling of creation;
commend initiatives that address the moral transformation needed for
environmentally sustainable economic practices such as the Contraction
and Convergence process championed by the Archbishop of Canterbury;
- understand that, for the sake of future generations and the good of
God's creation, those of us in the rich nations need to be ready to make
sacrifices in the level of comfort and luxury we have come to enjoy;
- expect mission, vision and value statements to contain commitment to
environmental responsibility at all levels of church activity;
- educate all church members about the Christian mandate to care for
creation;
- work on these issues ecumenically and with all faith communities and
people of good will everywhere;
- ensure that the voices of women, indigenous peoples and youth are
heard;
- press government, industry and civil society on the moral imperative
of taking practical steps towards building sustainable communities.

2. Asks Provinces to take the following steps urgently:
- Include environmental education as an integral part of all theological
training;
- Take targeted and specific actions to assess and reduce our
environmental footprint, particularly greenhouse gas emissions. Such
actions could include energy and resource audits, land management, just
trading and purchasing, socially and ethically responsible investment;
- Promote and commit ourselves to use renewable energy wherever
possible;
- Revise our liturgies and our calendar and lectionaries in ways that
more fully reflect the role and work of God as Creator;
- Press for urgent initiation of discussions, which should include all
nations, leading to a just and effective development beyond the Kyoto
Protocol,;
- Support the work of the World Council of Churches Climate Change
Action Group;
- Bring before governments the imperative to use all means, including
legislation and removal of subsidies, to reduce greenhouse gases.

Unfinished business

Among items that ACC will revisit June 28 is a resolution focusing on
corruption in government. Although no one disputed that there are
instances of corruption, much debate surrounding the resolution,
originally submitted by the African nations, dealt with wording, what
should (and should not) be included.

Meanwhile, resolutions approved previously concerning the Anglican
Observer to the United Nations were withdrawn for further review and
will be reconsidered tomorrow.

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