Tim Dakin, CMS general secretary (Photo: (c)Jeremy Woodham/CMS) A controversial proposal for solving arguments within the Anglican Communion has been endorsed by CMS general secretary Canon Tim Dakin.
In an address to the General Synod last week, Dakin said the plans for an Anglican Covenant could equalise skewed power structures and be a resource for mission in all parts of the globe.
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He said the Covenant would mean churches carrying out their mission together as equals because they belonged to the Communion through shared belief rather than via the legacy of colonialism.
“The covenant levels the Communion in a post-colonial context,” he said.
“In this context we need to learn again how to interchange our passions and perspectives and how to understand each other anew in Christ.”
The Covenant has been proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury as a new focus for unity in a rapidly fragmenting Communion. Its adoption would mean the Communion re-forming on a voluntary basis, with churches having to sign up actively to what it means to be Anglican.
It is hoped that by making clearer the terms of membership of the Communion, both the conservative and liberal wings of Anglicanism will cease being able to call for their opponents to be expelled from the Communion for unorthodoxy.
However, the proposal is being opposed by those who say that trying to enshrine beliefs in a code risks robbing Anglicanism of its key strength – its ability to accommodate a spectrum of beliefs and practices.
Canon Dakin begged members of Synod to “hold on to the purpose not the problems” and not to grow weary with the process of consensus.
He advocated the strengthening of the Covenant around mission, quoting a draft the Church of England had submitted to the international covenant design group: “We discover our communion with others in mission through Christ and our mission is to spread the communion of Christ ultimately with the whole of creation.”
Visits to Nigeria and north-east Asia in the past year had, he said, shown him the potential of the Covenant as a resource for mission.
Discussion of the latest draft of the Covenant will continue at the Lambeth Conference in August.
BACKGROUNDER by Jeremy Woodham
What is the Anglican Covenant?
The Covenant was proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, as part of a plan to address current arguments within the Anglican Communion (known as the Windsor Process).
The idea is that instead of having different parts of the Communion arguing about who’s in and who’s out, everyone who signed up to the Covenant would be in the Communion, and those who didn’t, wouldn’t.
So what does the Covenant say?
That’s still under discussion. A design group, made up of Anglican church leaders from all over the world, made a second draft – known as the St Andrew’s draft – in January this year. The Church of England’s Synod debated it last week.
The big discussion about what the Covenant should say will take place at the Lambeth Conference in August, where all the bishops of the Communion meet. Except they won’t; the Church of Uganda has already pulled out because the Episcopal Church in America has been invited. The Americans stand accused of being Communion-wreckers by departing from traditional teaching about homosexuality.
Why is it a good idea?
Supporters of the Covenant say is will bring integrity and coherence to Anglicanism. Critics of Anglicanism often say it’s a Church in which everyone “does what is right in their own eyes.” That will no longer be true.
What’s not to like?
Some people are unhappy with the proposal because it restricts what they see as the glory of Anglicanism, its ability to accommodate a rich variety of beliefs and practices.
Will it work?
There will be opposition from some quarters. After all, the Covenant means less latitude; that, for some, goes against what they think Anglicanism is about. But many will welcome it. Moreover, there are many other denominations across the world who are watching how Anglicanism deals with its current crisis because they know they are in for much the same sooner or later. So there's quite a lot of encouragement from the wider ecumenical scene.
by Jeremy Woodham The Covenant was proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, as part of a plan to address current arguments within the Anglican Communion (known as the Windsor Process). The idea is that instead of having different parts of the Communion arguing about who’s in and who’s out, everyone who signed up to the Covenant would be in the Communion, and those who didn’t, wouldn’t. That’s still under discussion. A design group, made up of Anglican church leaders from all over the world, made a second draft – known as the St Andrew’s draft – in January this year. The Church of England’s Synod debated it last week. The big discussion about what the Covenant should say will take place at the Lambeth Conference in August, where all the bishops of the Communion meet. Except they won’t; the Church of Uganda has already pulled out because the Episcopal Church in America has been invited. The Americans stand accused of being Communion-wreckers by departing from traditional teaching about homosexuality. Supporters of the Covenant say is will bring integrity and coherence to Anglicanism. Critics of Anglicanism often say it’s a Church in which everyone “does what is right in their own eyes.” That will no longer be true. Some people are unhappy with the proposal because it restricts what they see as the glory of Anglicanism, its ability to accommodate a rich variety of beliefs and practices. There will be opposition from some quarters. After all, the Covenant means less latitude; that, for some, goes against what they think Anglicanism is about. But many will welcome it. Moreover, there are many other denominations across the world who are watching how Anglicanism deals with its current crisis because they know they are in for much the same sooner or later. So there's quite a lot of encouragement from the wider ecumenical scene. by Jeremy Woodham The Covenant was proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, as part of a plan to address current arguments within the Anglican Communion (known as the Windsor Process). The idea is that instead of having different parts of the Communion arguing about who’s in and who’s out, everyone who signed up to the Covenant would be in the Communion, and those who didn’t, wouldn’t. That’s still under discussion. A design group, made up of Anglican church leaders from all over the world, made a second draft – known as the St Andrew’s draft – in January this year. The Church of England’s Synod debated it last week. The big discussion about what the Covenant should say will take place at the Lambeth Conference in August, where all the bishops of the Communion meet. Except they won’t; the Church of Uganda has already pulled out because the Episcopal Church in America has been invited. The Americans stand accused of being Communion-wreckers by departing from traditional teaching about homosexuality. Supporters of the Covenant say is will bring integrity and coherence to Anglicanism. Critics of Anglicanism often say it’s a Church in which everyone “does what is right in their own eyes.” That will no longer be true. Some people are unhappy with the proposal because it restricts what they see as the glory of Anglicanism, its ability to accommodate a rich variety of beliefs and practices. There will be opposition from some quarters. After all, the Covenant means less latitude; that, for some, goes against what they think Anglicanism is about. But many will welcome it. Moreover, there are many other denominations across the world who are watching how Anglicanism deals with its current crisis because they know they are in for much the same sooner or later. So there's quite a lot of encouragement from the wider ecumenical scene.