Mind of the Anglican Council of North America and Caribbean Expressed
Diocesan Press Service. September 24, 1970 [91-3]
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica -- Two major resolutions dealing with Anglican work in Latin America and the Caribbean were approved unanimously here today by the 40 delegates and observers of the two-year-old Anglican Council of North America and the Caribbean.
The council, which is made up of bishops, priests and laity from the Anglican Church of Canada, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. and the Church of the Province of the West Indies, has no legislative authority but meets to discuss common issues affecting the three independent churches plus Anglican dioceses in Latin America.
The first resolution was moved by Bishop David Read of Bogota, Colombia and seconded by Archdeacon T.J. Matthews of Lennoxville, Que., Canada. Following is its text:
"The Anglican Council of North America and Caribbean, at the conclusion of a challenging and interesting discussion of the situation faced by the church in Latin America expresses its mind as follows concerning its relation to the Latin American church.
"1. We recognize that the complexity of the problems in Latin America involving politico-socio-economic factors, as well as the ecclesiastical, are beyond our competence and basically must be responded to by the churches in the area.
"2. We see many ways in which the revolutionary ferment expressing itself in and around Latin America applies in our local situation as well and has unmistakable lessons for us and do not want to close ourselves off from influences coming through increased contact with the Latin American dioceses and movements which might help us to be more faithful to the Christian witness in our churches.
"3. We promise to communicate to our respective agencies the urgency of the recommendation in the Lambeth 1968 resolution number 6 which suggests that we should place "prominent emphasis upon Latin America in (our) missionary education, prayers and commitment to the world mission ... ."
"4. We invite the church in Latin America to communicate to us, as a council, and as individual churches, such problems, concerns and needs as they feel moved by their sense of Mutual Responsibility and Interdependence in the Body of Christ, to share with their brothers to the north and promise a sympathetic hearing.
"5. We recognize the existence of several officially constituted bodies concerned with corporate Anglican presence in Latin America, including the Anglican Council of Latin America (CALA), the provincial synod of the ninth province of PECUSA and the Conference of Anglican Bishops of South America (COABSA) but are also sensitive to the voices of others who cry out with often prophetic vision of the realities in Latin America.
"6. At future meetings of our council we shall welcome the presence among us of such representatives as may be named by the Anglican Council of Latin America (CALA) in accordance with the provisions of our constitution. " The second resolution was moved by Bishop B. N. Y. Vaughan of Belize, British Honduras and seconded by Bishop G. N. Luxton of London, Ont., Canada.
"The regional council of North America and the Caribbean noted the contents of a paper on Caribbean ecumenism by Rev. F. David Chaplin (of Port-of- Spain, Trinidad), World Council of Churches secretary for Interchurch Relations in the English-speaking Caribbean, which was presented to it Wednesday, Sept. 23. After careful deliberation the council resolved to put on record its support of the Caribbean Conference of Churches as an effective instrument of the mission of the church in the area, as well as the encouragement of the forces working for that unity on which the welfare of the peoples of the Caribbean depends.
"As the people strive to demonstrate their Caribbean identity by which the recognition of their distinctive place in world community and their contribution to it may well be determined, the council wishes to say a word of encouragement to those who are assisting in the expression of this identity.
"While further study needs to be done on the economic structures of Caribbean society, it cannot evade the need to emphasize the importance of these economic structures for the effective expression of the dignity and freedom of the people within that identity. It therefore calls upon those involved in this important area of Caribbean life to consider the effects of the existing, and of any other, economic order on the social structures of this area, and to make the human needs of the Caribbean the primary consideration in the use and management of its resources."
The three-day meeting of the council, which began here Sept. 22, ended today (Sept. 24) and among its other considerations approved in principle a plan to hold a regional Anglican Congress to be called "Festival of Faith" sometime in 1974, probably in Canada.
The meeting was chaired by Archbishop W. L. Wright of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., acting primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Other officers elected were: Bishop Stephen Bayne of New York, vice chairman; Archdeacon Michael Eldom of The Bahamas, secretary and J.R. Ligertwood of Toronto, Canada, treasurer.