The Living Church magazine
7/27/2005
Earlier today, the Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth, was one of nine diocesan bishops to sign “A Second Open Letter to the Bishop and Standing Committee of Connecticut.” Written in response to the inhibition of the Rev. Mark S. Hansen, as rector of St. John’s, Bristol, Conn., the letter informs the Bishop of Connecticut, the Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith, that the nine bishops do not recognize the inhibition and are preparing ecclesiastical charges against Bishop Smith for conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy. Yesterday, the Diocese of Fort Worth announced that it had petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference, claiming a “serious theological disagreement” with the Episcopal Church. The Living Church spoke with Bishop Iker about these two developments.
Q: Why did you sign this letter?
A: Bishop Smith has declared war on these six priests. We are going to take him on for abusive misuse of canons. It’s very disturbing that he has not only thumbed his nose at the primates, he’s also dismissed the Windsor Report and, if the reports are true, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference.
Q: Who first proposed the idea of the letters (the one on April 14 and the one published earlier today)?
A: One of the priests contacted us, saying “Don’t you care? We’re being attacked for holding the same beliefs as you.’ The primates also advised us. They have told us not to expect them to take all the risks if we are not willing to take some ourselves. There are ways other than inhibition to deal with a priest who violates guidelines. We are not going to stand by and watch [Bishop Smith] annihilate those six parishes.
Q: Have you had any communication with Bishop Smith since you signed the first letter?
A: To my knowledge he has never responded to our first letter in any way.
Q: You realize that presentments and geographical incursions can travel in many directions and that you and the other signatories represent a minority within the House of Bishops?
A: We are willing to pay the consequences. If [Bishop Smith] continues to turn up the heat, we are going to respond. It is sad to see those who claim to be liberal behaving like fascists when someone disagrees with them.
Q: Do you already have flight reservations for Hartford or New Haven?
A: (Laughter) I’ve been up there once already. I think that kind of thing will be repeated. Part of episcopal care means being with your clergy when they are hurting.
Q: Turning to the petition that you and the president of the standing committee recently filed with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference, why did you decide to file now; what’s changed?
A: We began talking about this soon after it was announced [at the conclusion of the primates’ meeting last February]. We wanted to wait until the panel met. I have brought our concerns to the Archbishop of Canterbury on more than one occasion previously. One of the problems in the Episcopal Church right now is that there is no independent court system. The same goes for the Anglican Communion. We have previously had no means to appeal beyond our Province.
Q: Do you think your petition will have any impact on calls for the creation of a third province within the Church of England?
A: I think they all touch upon one another. Our appeal illustrates the hypocrisy of the Episcopal Church when they say that they honor all theological views. That simply isn’t true.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Concerning the Anglican Primates Meeting in Armagh, Ireland
The following statements have been issued in response to the Primates’ Communiqué
Statement of the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan
Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network
The clarity with which the Primates have spoken is breath-taking. Individual provinces do have the freedom to act as they see fit under their various constitutions, but the exercise of that freedom beyond agreed teaching and practice will imperil their standing and participation in the Communion. The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have been asked to withdraw their representatives from the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) effectively immediately. This suspension of relationship continues until the constitutional assemblies of each church indicate their willingness to conform to what was asked of them in the Windsor Report.
The teaching of the Communion is sustained. The authority of Scripture is upheld. ‘Autonomy in Communion’ is defined. Moratoria are called for Communion-wide. The need to turn our global attention to the great social crises of disease and poverty is re-asserted.
Provision for the ‘integrity and legitimate needs’ of theological minorities is guaranteed by the creation of an international ‘panel of reference.’ This is an extraordinary and essential development. The Anglican Communion Network, together with the much wider circle of orthodox believers in the United States and Canada (including especially the Common Cause movement) now has an international promise and an Anglican Communion provision that should stem the flow of three decades of believing life-blood.
For some months now, I have maintained that the 2005 Primates Meeting would prove a defining moment in Anglican history. So it has proved. As the Synod of Whitby in 664 AD decided for unity with the universal Christian Church in matters of worship and church order, so the 2005 Primates meeting has decided for unity with the universal Christian Church in matters of doctrine and morals. The decisions taken at Newry in Northern Ireland are epochal.
For all of this, we should be profoundly grateful to Almighty God and to the godly leaders of the Anglican Communion for a new day dawning for Anglicanism and for us.
Statement of the Anglican Communion Network and the American
Anglican Council
We are thankful for the work of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in addressing the complicated issues before them this week. This is a pivotal moment in Anglican history in which Biblical faithfulness has been reaffirmed. At last a clear and unequivocal choice has been presented to the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. Being asked voluntarily to withdraw, the two provinces have been effectively suspended from the Communion until at least July 2008 in order to consider their place within that body. They must choose between repentance marked by compliance with the Windsor Report or continued theological innovations that separate them from the teaching and life of the Anglican Communion. We applaud the pastoral sensitivity with which the Primates have addressed the concerns of those who feel betrayed by their church leadership as well as those of homosexual orientation.
Out of twenty-two paragraphs of the Communiqué, 15 focus on the Windsor Report, clearly indicating that the theological crisis faced by the Communion was the primates’ central concern. The Communiqué gives hopeful evidence, however, that having dealt with this issue, the Communion can turn to critical matters such as developing effective strategies to address HIV AIDS, TB, malaria, absolute poverty and hunger reduction.
We will continue to pray for the Communion in this solemn period of transition as the church sorts out the various implications and ramifications of the Primates’ 2005 Communiqué.
Statement of the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan
Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network
The clarity with which the Primates have spoken is breath-taking. Individual provinces do have the freedom to act as they see fit under their various constitutions, but the exercise of that freedom beyond agreed teaching and practice will imperil their standing and participation in the Communion. The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have been asked to withdraw their representatives from the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) effectively immediately. This suspension of relationship continues until the constitutional assemblies of each church indicate their willingness to conform to what was asked of them in the Windsor Report.
The teaching of the Communion is sustained. The authority of Scripture is upheld. ‘Autonomy in Communion’ is defined. Moratoria are called for Communion-wide. The need to turn our global attention to the great social crises of disease and poverty is re-asserted.
Provision for the ‘integrity and legitimate needs’ of theological minorities is guaranteed by the creation of an international ‘panel of reference.’ This is an extraordinary and essential development. The Anglican Communion Network, together with the much wider circle of orthodox believers in the United States and Canada (including especially the Common Cause movement) now has an international promise and an Anglican Communion provision that should stem the flow of three decades of believing life-blood.
For some months now, I have maintained that the 2005 Primates Meeting would prove a defining moment in Anglican history. So it has proved. As the Synod of Whitby in 664 AD decided for unity with the universal Christian Church in matters of worship and church order, so the 2005 Primates meeting has decided for unity with the universal Christian Church in matters of doctrine and morals. The decisions taken at Newry in Northern Ireland are epochal.
For all of this, we should be profoundly grateful to Almighty God and to the godly leaders of the Anglican Communion for a new day dawning for Anglicanism and for us.
Statement of the Anglican Communion Network and the American
Anglican Council
We are thankful for the work of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in addressing the complicated issues before them this week. This is a pivotal moment in Anglican history in which Biblical faithfulness has been reaffirmed. At last a clear and unequivocal choice has been presented to the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. Being asked voluntarily to withdraw, the two provinces have been effectively suspended from the Communion until at least July 2008 in order to consider their place within that body. They must choose between repentance marked by compliance with the Windsor Report or continued theological innovations that separate them from the teaching and life of the Anglican Communion. We applaud the pastoral sensitivity with which the Primates have addressed the concerns of those who feel betrayed by their church leadership as well as those of homosexual orientation.
Out of twenty-two paragraphs of the Communiqué, 15 focus on the Windsor Report, clearly indicating that the theological crisis faced by the Communion was the primates’ central concern. The Communiqué gives hopeful evidence, however, that having dealt with this issue, the Communion can turn to critical matters such as developing effective strategies to address HIV AIDS, TB, malaria, absolute poverty and hunger reduction.
We will continue to pray for the Communion in this solemn period of transition as the church sorts out the various implications and ramifications of the Primates’ 2005 Communiqué.
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