wfn.org | The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>]

The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations

Posted On : December 17, 2008 4:06 PM | Posted By : Webmaster
ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/12/17/ACNS4549
Related Categories: ACO - Ecumenical

The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations (IASCER)
held its last meeting in Kyoto, Japan, under the chairmanship of the
Most Revd Drexel Gomez, Primate of the Church in the Province of the
West Indies. The Commission is charged with reviewing current
international ecumenical dialogues involving Anglicans, and provincial
and regional initiatives towards unity with other Christians. IASCER
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.

Reports were received of all current bilateral and multilateral
theological dialogues of the Anglican Communion, as well as of
developments from particular regions of the globe. In the course of
reflections on the current life of the Anglican Communion, the
Commission also reflected further on aspects of the interface between
ecumenical and Anglican Communion matters. This work is reflected in the
documentation and resolutions produced at this meeting. These pieces of
work will be published when available through the Anglican Communion
website. IASCER also gave some considerable attention to reviewing the
breadth of their work in the period since their formation and first
meeting in 2000. It is the intention to produce a comprehensive report
and review of their work (The Vision Before Us) which can be presented
to the fourteenth meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, which
will meet in Jamaica in May 2009.

The Commission is extremely grateful for the warm welcome given to them
by Nippon Sei Ko Kai (NSKK), the Anglican Church in Japan, especially
the logistical support from the Diocese of Kyoto in whose offices the
meeting was held. On the first evening of the meeting, Archbishop
Nathaniel of Japan welcomed IASCER to a dinner with the bishops of NSKK;
members of the Church guided IASCER members on visits to local sites in
Kyoto, and shared in worship with them at Nara Christ Church on Sunday,
7 December. IASCER also welcomed the opportunity to meet and worship
with the students of Bishop Williams' Theological School. IASCER is
grateful to the Revd Professor Renta Nishihara, one of its members, for
his co-ordination and planning for this meeting.

Present at the meeting in Kyoto were: the Revd 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 Revd Dr John Gibaut, the Most Revd Dr John Gladstone, the
Most Revd Drexel W Gomez (Chair), the Revd Canon Jonathan Goodall, the
Rt Revd John Hind, the Revd Professor Renta Nishihara, the Revd Canon
Luke Pato, the Rt Revd Dr Geoffrey Rowell (Vice-Chair), the Revd Sarah
Rowland Jones, the Rt Revd Dr James Tengatenga and the Revd Professor J
Robert Wright. The Venerable Jane Namugenyi was unable to be with us at
this meeting. The Revd Terrie Robinson and Mrs Gill Harris-Hogarth of
the Anglican Communion Office provided administrative and logistical
assistance for the meeting.

In the course of the meeting, news was received of the death of the
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, His Holiness Alexy II. The
Commission passed a resolution of condolence to the faithful of the
Russian Orthodox Church, as well as marking the deaths of Bishop David
Beetge, Anglican Co-Chair of IARCCUM, and the Revd Professor Henry
Chadwick, former member of ARCIC. May God's servants rest in peace, and
rise in Glory.

This meeting concluded the work of IASCER, and letters of greeting and
thanks were received from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Secretary
General of the Anglican Communion. The Joint Standing Committee of the
Anglican Communion has already approved the mandate of a successor body,
the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission for Unity, Faith and Order
(IASCUFO), which is scheduled to hold its first meeting in late 2009.

> For further information contact

> The Revd Canon Gregory K Cameron
> Anglican Communion Office, London
> Email: gregory.cameron@anglicancommunion.org
> Tel: +44 (0)20 7313 3900, Fax: +44 (0)20 7313 3999

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