Anglican Consultative Council Deliberates on Issues of Communion, Struggles with New Direction in Face of Budget Crisis
Episcopal News Service. August 7, 1990 [90188]
CARDIFF, WALES, August 3 -- Seventy delegates from 36 countries brought their deepest concerns to the eighth meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and left with the realization that their deliberations had, in large measure, been deeply shaped by outside world and church events.
The surprise announcement of the appointment of the next archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey; the civil war in Liberia and the uncertainty of the safety of Archbishop George Browne caught in his country's strife; tensions in the Middle East and the war in Kuwait; and lingering unrest in other parts of the world served to divert the delegates' attention from an agenda jammed with weighty internal theological issues, such as identity and authority, and the autonomy of the provinces.
Delegates also expressed very real anxieties about strengthening the role of the Primates' meeting as an authoritative body, especially in arbitrating disputes, or for deciding key issues of doctrine or practice in the 28 autonomous provinces of the Anglican Communion. In the end, the council raised anew more questions than it answered and deferred some decisions until the next meeting in 1994 in Cape Town, South Africa.
In what some participants called a transitional meeting, ACC-8 nudged the communion in new directions. In a bite-the-bullet acknowledgment that the ACC faces a serious budget crisis, for example, the delegates accepted budget cuts that will reschedule meetings and refocus mission priorities for lack of staff. To show the depth of their frustration, a few even questioned whether or not the communion can afford another Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops.
The effect of the changes could result in a shift of power to the provinces, some observed. Instead of creating an Inter-Anglican Doctrinal Commission, for example, provinces will be asked to pick up the most important structural issues not resolved at this ACC meeting. And ACC must still determine what, if any, limits can be placed on the autonomy of the provinces without damaging the "defiant independence" they enjoy.
Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie articulated those tensions in his opening address in the Council Chamber in Cardiff City Hall when he said that the Anglican Communion has three features: "its capacity to use affection and friendship creatively; its ability to value diversity; and its difficulty in maintaining communion without abandoning the principle of autonomy.
"These themes are not new. And they are not exclusively Anglican issues," Runcie said. "... Our untidiness is potentially creative."
In setting forth his thoughts on the ACC, Runcie said, "The creation of ACC was our communion's boldest attempt to match the need for coherence and order with the widest degree of freedom and autonomy our provinces enjoy. But the creation of the ACC does not in itself answer the problem. It provides a vehicle for addressing issues -- of which one of the most pressing is our difficulty in maintaining communion without abandoning the principle of autonomy."
ACC Secretary General Sam Van Culin echoed those remarks by saying there is a "critical need for a common vision, a common understanding, and a common 'identity', if diversity is not to disintegrate into chaos."
Brazilian theologican Jaci Maraschin, however, laid down a direct challenge to the traditional sources of communion.
Growth of communion won't come through structures or institutions, Maraschin argued. The archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference of Bishops, the meeting of Primates, and the ACC itself "belong to our tradition," but they are "the outcome of communion instead of being the agents of communion," the professor from Sao Paulo said.
These four institutions "were born out of historical needs and respond to some degree to the development of our denominational consciousness and identification," but that is not the same thing as communion. In fact, Maraschin said, this hierarchical structure "contrasts vividly with the image of a church of the people, growing from grass roots, expanded through base communities, and holding faithfully to the priesthood of all believers.
"We can grow in communion when we come down from our higher positions, from our sublime institutions, and join people in digging together....It means going to the depth of our faith," Maraschin concluded.
Indeed, the visible signs of communion happened at ACC-8 in small groups and Bible study -- not in the formal decision-making mechanisms of plenary sessions.
Van Culin said in a closing press conference, "In an age when we have amazing electronic communications, people still need to meet together. It's a good and healthy thing that church leaders meet in prayer and study to discern what we need to do and where we need to go."
This ACC meeting used a small-group model similar to that used at Lambeth 1988. Each day was divided into segments of Bible study, smallgroup discussion sections, frequent worship, and occasional plenary. "The Bible studies showed us that it is possible to develop respect and bonds of affection even when we disagree on some issues," observed Pamela Chinnis, a delegate from the Episcopal Church who chaired one of the sections.
The delegates were divided into four sections, and in a series of a dozen meetings, they wrote reports that will form the official document of this meeting of the ACC.
They were assigned almost overwhelming topics for consideration: Mission, Culture, and Human Development; Unity and Creation; Evangelism and Communication; and Spirituality and Justice. Having studied articles and documents beforehand, each section spent a significant amount of time sharing the experiences of the Anglican Church in various parts of the world and relating those experiences to the church and world issues at hand.
There was a clear realization of the need for communicating these shared experiences back to the provinces, dioceses, parishes, and families. This desire was most clearly expressed by the section on Unity and Creation, which authored a letter to the children of the Anglican Communion, signed by Archbishop Runcie.
The letter, which was released for distribution immediately, offered an apology for the part this generation has played in abusing God's creation. In simple language and through brief narratives, the letter concluded with a pledge that we will join our children in looking after creation so that "they will be able to enjoy the gift that God has created for them."
The section on Mission, Culture, and Human Development echoed this theme in its reports, adding a fifth element to the definition of mission currently in use in the Anglican Communion. In addition to proclaiming the Good News, teaching, baptizing, and nurturing new believers, responding to human need, and seeking to transform the unjust structures of society, the group said that "our understanding of the ecological crisis, and indeed the threats to the unity of all creation, mean that we have to add a fifth affirmation: The mission of the church is to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth."
Discussions in sections and plenary also touched on the Decade of Evangelism. Sections and delegates concurred that evangelism is the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But one group warned that it is not enough to stress proclamation during the Decade of Evangelism -- proclamation must be accompanied by transformation. "This concept of transformation can be a corrective to a tendency to isolate evangelism from social responsibility. The Decade of Evangelism must also be a decade of transformation."
The section on Spirituality and Justice helped focus the conference on the spiritual framework of all aspects of the church -- personal commitment and prayer.
The discussions and report of the Spirituality and Justice section revolved around a single verse, from Micah 6:8 "This is what God asks of you; only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God." The section agreed that the reliance of a Christian on prayer and on the will of God "will free us from the temptation to rely on our own efforts and our own programs and desires...."
The members of the Spirituality and Justice section, therefore, called upon "individuals, prayer groups, congregations, devotional organizations, and religious communities to give renewed emphasis to the work of prayer. We call upon all bishops of the Anglican Communion to give a strong lead in the ministry of prayer in all its forms, so that we may know God's will for our time and be empowered for the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ."
Recognizing the tensions in many parts of the world -- particularly in Liberia, Kenya, Trinidad, Central America, and the Middle East -- the delegates sponsored several resolutions calling upon the United Nations and other international councils to heed the call for justice and peace.
On the issue of identity and authority, an ad hoc group prepared a paper that was a pointed critique of the ACC's ability to identify and deal with numerous issues. It suggested that more work needs to be done in articulating theological issues, and there is still a need to answer questions such as: "What is the Anglican Communion? What is its place in the universal church? And is its authority dispersed or gathered?"
Echoing Maraschin's message, the ad hoc group's report suggested that some of the language used by the ACC sends the wrong signals. For example, it said, "authority suggests top-down, papal rather than consultative in style. Should we be talking about 'communion' throughout, rather than 'unity'?"
Also questioned were the very structures the ACC has established during the past 21 years. "What are they there to do? Who coordinates them? Who allocates resources? Who sets priorities? Do we really need them? Is this the best use of our money?"
The delegates also offered complaints and suggestions about their relationship to the ACC staff -- known as the secretariat -- and how the agenda is set for these triennial meetings. Buried in a sea of paper, "we flounder in a sea of topics," the report said, with no clear indication of priorities or accountability.
Several delegates who have attended previous ACC meetings said there is a new assertiveness, a demand for some accountability in the ACC. Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning of the Episcopal Church said that the ACC will be strengthened by "strong, creative voices on the new Standing Committee."
Many of these issues will be forwarded to the new Standing Committee and newly elected leadership. The Rev. Canon Colin Craston, a member of the Crown Appointments Committee that selected Dr. Carey as the next archbishop, was elected as the new chairman of the ACC.
Serving with Craston will be the Rev. Canon Simon Chiwanga of Tanzania, vice chairman; and Standing Committee members Betty Govinden of South Africa, the Most Rev. Douglas Hambidge, archbishop of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, and Bishop Alexander Malik of Pakistan.
These new members will join continuing members Pamela Chinnis of the United States, Edgar Bradley of New Zealand, Archbishop George Browne of West Africa, and Bishop Joseph lida of Kyushu, Japan, in shaping the future of the ACC in the 1990s.
The ACC also bid farewell to Archbishop Runcie, who has headed the Anglican Communion for the past 10 years, and to the Ven. Yong Ping Chung, archdeacon of East Malaysia, who retires as ACC president.
During the closing press conference, Archbishop Runcie said that he has had "great fun" discovering the Anglican Communion during his archepiscopacy. In a spontaneous tribute, Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning of the United States said that "the greatest pleasure for the Anglican Communion has been in discovering Robert Runcie during the past decade."
In the closing moments of ACC-8 a number of delegates gave very personal and deeply moving tributes to Runcie on his retirement. They thanked him for his encouragement and prophetic leadership during his tenure. In response, Runcie said that he has carried on a "love affair" with the communion. He admitted that he began with very little knowledge of the communion, but said his growing appreciation of the "family ties" was one of the most enjoyable aspects of his whole career. And he assured the delegates that, based on his conversations with his successor, Bishop Carey, the future archbishop of Canterbury shared the same commitment to the future of the Anglican Communion.
![[thumbnail: Episcopal Church Delegati...]](/e-archives/ENS/photographs/thumbnails/90188_1_thb.jpg) |
![[thumbnail: ACC Chairman Greets Deleg...]](/e-archives/ENS/photographs/thumbnails/90188_2_thb.jpg) |