Some little "gems" expected of the liberal Anglican Synod, Perth
THE 46 th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Perth will be held at the Community School ,Mirrabooka, Perth from 6 th to 8 th October 2006.
Included in the proposed Agenda are the following
Agenda Item 11.6
Without the written approval of the Diocesan Council, no
(a) enrolled member of this Church in the Diocese of Perth;
(b) clergy; or
(c) organisation, entity or any other body in the Diocese
shall engage in any form of affiliation or association whatsoever with any:
(i) other diocese of this Church; or
(ii) organisation of any other diocese of this Church; or
(iii) other parish of any other diocese of this Church.
The Diocesan Council may refuse any such application for approval or grant approval on such terms and conditions as the Diocesan Council may in its absolute discretion determine."
11.14 The Venerable Angela Webb to move:
This synod affirms the ministry of women in the three orders of Ministry, and encourages the Archbishop to consider admitting called and gifted women to the Episcopate at the earliest possible date.
Note: This is fascinating because such a move got blocked in General Synod last year. But that's not a problem for Perth since Peter Carnley (former Archbishop and Primate) simply ordained women to the Priesthood long before General Synod had approved any such thing. (sound familiar, anyone?)
11.15 The Venerable Trevor Burt to move:
This Synod
1. Congratulates Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on her election as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA.
2. Assures Bishop Katharine of its loving prayers and support on the occasion of her installation and for her ongoing ministry.
The truth is Mrs Schori's appointment has caused major disunity in The Episcopal Church . David Virtue (Virtuosity Digest) says . . .
The Episcopal Church has come unglued with tens of thousands of fleeing Episcopalians, hundreds of parish priests either fighting for or leaving their properties and eight orthodox dioceses seeking spiritual shelter away from the church.
The Episcopal Church, led by Mrs Schori, is on a death watch. In one liberal diocese after another, revisionist bishops are fighting orthodox clergy, expending hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawsuits, and, in winning the property, they are forced to find supply clergy to minister to the dregs of congregations as the vast bulk of orthodox believers flee for their spiritual lives.
[And even more worrying] . . . .
11.17 Mr Ian Carter to move:
This synod:
1. Understands that ordained ministry is a matter of God's call, discerned and authorised by the Church.
2. Requests the Archbishop to ordain only those who welcome and fully support the ministry of ordained women.
[And then some "fun stuff"] ...
11.18 The Revd. Christine Simes to move:
This Synod requests that the LITMUS committee develop guidelines for the use of inclusive language at all diocesan services.
Consecrations for new Australian bishops set for 24th November in Adelaide
The Diocesan Ordinary of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia, the Most Reverend John Hepworth told The Messenger Journal that required preliminary documentation relating to the consecration of Fathers Robarts and Entwistle as Assistant Bishops in the ACCA and Regional Bishops for Forward in Faith has been completed.
In a letter to the international College of Bishop of the worldwide Communion, Archbishop Hewporth wrote, "When the consecration of Father Chislett was mooted three years ago, it was resolved that the TAC and Forward in Faith Australia would act, with the Anglican Diocese of the Murray, as a single sacramental community for orthodox Anglicans in Australia. Unlike other Provinces of the Anglican Communion, the Anglican Church of Australia is a loose federation of almost autonomous dioceses, which has required a diocese-by-diocese strategy over the past twenty years of liberal persecution. These circumstances, and our strategy, have been set out very clearly in the Australian submission to the Panel of Reference of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which has been published and is available on the Websites of Forward in Faith International and The Messenger Journal
This strategy envisaged three regional bishops, one for Queensland and most of new South Wales (with oversight of New Zealand), one for Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and one for Western Australia, leaving South Australia and the Northern Territory to Bishop Davies and myself. It may help members of the College to understand the distances involved if I add that each of these regions will be approximately the area of the Diocese of the West in our American church. Since each of these Assistant Bishops will hold dual licenses - mine and that of Bishop Davies, they will be able to serve our own TAC parishes in their regions, and be invited to serve in orthodox parishes of the Anglican Church of Australia on the same basis as any other licensed Anglican clergy. This strategy has already caused profound anxiety among the Anglican bishops of Australia, who have thus far been unable to find canonical fault with it. Ultimately, some form of realignment will be forced, both by our actions and by the Diocese of Sydney, where women are also not ordained.
Some two years ago, after the total breakdown of conversations with the Anglican Church of Australia about the provision of sacramental and pastoral care for orthodox Anglicans (some Anglicans can find themselves hundred of miles from the nearest male priest), I placed these two names before the National Council of Forward in Faith Australia, and obtained its approval to seek their consecration under the Concordat of the TAC. At the same time, I wrote to each Anglican bishop in Australia and to the Archbishop of Canterbury explaining that I would proceed with the consecrations before the next General Synod if no satisfactory arrangements for orthodox Anglicans were by then approved. That time of waiting has now expired.
The two priests are extremely well skilled and qualified, and have served in senior positions in the church. Both would have long since been considered for Episcopal office were it not for the crisis into which we have all been pushed.
I should add that we have decided on the 'Regional Bishop' structure rather than a multi-diocesan structure to maintain a tight central focus on our confrontation with the Anglican Church of Australia, while making regional and local arrangements for pastoral care and evangelical enterprise. This is a pattern that suites the Australian psyche, and parallels our political and constitutional arrangements.
