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

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

Monday, June 27, 2005

G8 Summit, Korean unification addressed by ACC

By Neva Rae Fox

ENS 062705-1

[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.

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.

-- Neva Rae Fox, a member of the ENS news team covering ACC-13, is
director
of communications for the Diocese of New York.

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