Gafcon Update: Canterbury says something, but what, and does it really matter ...

Faced with a GAFCon statement that essentially writes him off a relic of history and totally irrelevant to a resolution of the current hostility that has resulted in "a church within a church", ++Rowan Williams has responded to the GAFCon statement (and with uncharacteristic speed). Unfortunately though, the bottom line for Dr. Williams is the same song that he's been singing since 2003 - - wait, confer and be patient.

I am one of those types of folks that has to pray about, and for, patience all of the time. God has been very kind to me in that regard and He is working with me. However, this is one time when I will not be praying for patience, either for myself or my church. Quite the contrary, this is a time for action and it is not a time to allow the momentum to be lost that GAFCon has generated.

Dr. Williams states that he has been telling "some in the Communion who would call themselves radicals" (meaning the prophetic progressives - - TEC and ACC) to follow the admonition provided in 1 Cor. 11:33 "...wait for one another...", and so he now repeats the same message to those rallying underneath the GAFCon banner. Well, the progressives certainly did not listen to ++Williams' plea and, pray God, neither shall GAFCon pilgrims!!

Dr. Williams is probably correct when he says that "GAFCon's proposals for the way ahead are problematic in all sorts of ways ...", but the problems that he raises: the legitimacy of a self - selected group from among the Primates and a claim to be free to exercise extra provincial boundary jurisdiction, pale in comparison to the problems that presently exist with regard to TEC's and ACC's willful and unilateral disregard for the heretofore respected "mind of the Communion" with regard to matters of core theology and human sexuality (I intentionally exclude human sexuality from "core theology" in deference to those who feel that the former does not include the latter).

We would not be where we are today if Dr. Williams had functioned effectively and used the Communion's Instruments of Unity in order to clarify the "mind of the Communion" through an expedited Windsor Process. Had he done that we likely would already be at a point where the Communion could have voted upon a Covenant and individual Provinces and / or Dioceses could then have opted in or out. But he did not and because he has allowed the Windsor Process to languish to the point that it is almost irrelevant, the GAFCon pilgrims have given us a framework upon which to decide now what it is that we Anglicans believe, who it is that we Anglicans are, and how it is that we Anglicans choose to manage (govern) our relationship with each other - - The Jerusalem Declaration.

The progressives are as I write heaping praise on Dr. Williams for his rapid response. No surprise there and it should come as no surprise to them that further calls for delay will not slow down the movement born and launched last week in Jerusalem.

In closing, Dr. Williams, you call upon those bishops that participated in GAFCon to come to Lambeth to address with the assembled Communion bishops the issues about which the GAFCon Statement and Jerusalem declaration have so simply and directly spoken. Some are coming Dr. Williams and I pray that you and the assembled bishops will engage them in a meaningful way. Who knows, if you make the meeting a truly substantive one, you might be surprised at who might show up and what you, and the assembled bishops, might have the opportunity to discuss and accomplish for the unity of Christ's Church. I won't be holding my breath for that to happen, however.

Also, here is +Jack Iker's endorsement of the Jerusalem Declaration and GAFCon statement.

God's peace to all.

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