All Saints Parish Paper 7, MARGARET STREET, LONDON W1W 8JG FEBRUARY 2016 £1.00

All Saints Parish Paper 7, MARGARET STREET, LONDON W1W 8JG www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.co.uk FEBRUARY 2016 £1.00 VICAR’S LETTER As I write this I am preparing to take part in 48 hours of ‘Shared Conversations on Scripture, Mission and Human Sexuality’. I will be one of twenty people from the Diocese of London, who will be sharing with twenty from the Diocese of Chelmsford. The purpose of these conversations, which arose out of the Pilling Report on this subject, is not to produce votes and resolutions on a vexed issue, but to encourage people with differing views to The organ pipes in the south choir aisle listen to each other. (Photo: Andrew Prior, January 2016) ‘Human sexuality’ is Church-speak for from a conservative-led government even homosexuality. During my adult life, and a few years earlier. especially in recent years, British society, and that of Europe, Australasia and North This does not mean that homophobia America, has seen a change in attitudes and discrimination has completely melted which is little short of revolutionary. There away, but there has been a sea-change in has been a growing understanding that attitudes. homosexuality is not a deliberately and perversely chosen lifestyle which can be Within the Church in our society, changed, but a part of someone’s nature. disquiet about this development has come The de-criminalization of homosexual largely from conservative-evangelicals acts, supported by Archbishop Michael who see the scriptures as they understand Ramsey in the House of Lords, began a them, as unambiguous on this issue. process of change which culminated in the Some have even encouraged the retention legislation, first for civil partnerships and of harsh colonial-era legislation in then for same-sex marriage; something former parts of the empire. In the wider which would have been unimaginable Communion, many churches in other 1 parts of the world continue to be opposed As our friend, Dr Andrew McGowan, to change. the Dean of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, said in his blog: ‘Headlines are rarely Dispute over this issue within the the place to get a good grasp of a complex Anglican Communion came to a head in story.’ the meeting a few days ago of the Primates at Canterbury called by the Archbishop of With his permission, I reproduce some Canterbury. of what he wrote, as it helps bring some In the context of a meeting which clarity. He asked: seemed likely to lead to some form of ‘Who are the Primates? condemnation of the Episcopal Church in The Primates are bishops of the various the United States, which had changed its provinces — national or regional Churches discipline to permit same-sex marriage in — who have leadership rôles in their own church, and has consecrated openly gay settings, some with more authority than and partnered priests to the episcopate, others. They do not individually make an open letter signed by many leading decisions even for their provinces, but clergy, including the Dean of St Paul’s, of course speak with significant moral was addressed to the Archbishop asking authority for their members, and often act that the Church apologise for its own as spokespersons for their national bodies. discrimination against gay people. Together, the Primates meeting formally Media interest in the primates’ are seen as one of the ‘instruments’ of deliberations has been intense and there unity or communion for Anglicans — seems to have been some less than impartial along with the person of the Archbishop leaking from some quarters within of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conferences, them. Journalists are understandably not and the Anglican Consultative Council. always aware of the intricacies of Church They cannot however collectively make structures and the majority of Anglicans decisions except for themselves, although would struggle with an examination on the they may exercise a significant moral complex and overlapping institutions of authority for us all. This recent gathering our own Communion. was actually not a formal meeting of the Headlines appeared stating that the Primates, however. Episcopal Church had been excluded or What did the Primates do? suspended from the Anglican Communion; even that Episcopalians had been The Primates came together at the invitation excommunicated. There was no mention of the Archbishop of Canterbury to pray in the leaks of any apology. It was only together and to share various experiences. when the final communiqué was issued The website created to reflect the focus that this appeared. and tone of the meeting is encouraging in its breadth of concerns and its focus on People are still coming to terms with common prayer. The final communiqué is what all this means. There are questions also more than one-dimensional. about the authority of the Primates to act in this way. But before that came the statement about 2 The Episcopal Church [TEC]. First, it has of sensitivities ranging from same-sex to be said that the gathering of Primates marriage, to ordination of persons in same- has stretched the limits of any authority sex relationships, to women’s ordination. they have, in ‘requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no While we know little about the details longer represent us on ecumenical and of the meeting, given the posturing by interfaith bodies, should not be appointed GAFCON sources about walkouts and or elected to an internal standing more radical actions we should assume committee’. The Primates do not actually that this outcome reflects serious efforts have control over the membership of such by numerous Primates to fend off worse bodies, which typically relate to the more outcomes. It is a compromise, and should broadly-constituted Anglican Consultative be read with a grain of salt; its unanimity Council. covers a complexity of thought and purpose, even among the Primates. The While global Anglican leaders who Primates know TEC is part of the Anglican are not part of the Primates’ meeting Communion and want it to be. will not be pleased by the presumption involved in this statement, and there will What is the Anglican Communion? almost certainly be some fallout about What the media got wrong, and some it behind closed doors, nevertheless the Anglicans might not get right either, ‘is Primates’ views will be taken seriously, that none of the above has anything much and interpreted as though they had spoken to do with participation in or membership with proper authority (urging, calling of the Anglican Communion as such. on, etc) rather than with an apparent The Anglican Communion is not these prelatical lack of self-awareness. In other international bodies, but is constituted words, the Anglican Consultative Council by the set of relationships at all levels and national groups who actually make including local and bilateral ones.’ appointments to the committees referred to will almost certainly adhere to the He cites Fr Jesse Zink, an American principle that has been outlined. priest working in Cambridge, and who has written on his travels around the What is that principle, though? The Communion, reminding us that ‘the reality Primates’ statement goes on to say ‘while of the Communion may be constituted participating in the internal bodies of the as much by small-scale interaction Anglican Communion, [TEC] will not across geographical distance and cultural take part in decision-making on any issues boundaries. This is not merely a warm pertaining to doctrine or polity’. What this personal insight, but a quite fundamental makes clear is of course that TEC will be aspect of Anglican polity. The Primates taking part in all these internal bodies as did not seek to define the Communion previously — simply put, it will have voice any differently, but neither can they; it is but not vote. And in fact the distinction is one thing for them to get the polity of the not so different from present practice; in Instruments of Communion a bit wrong, a number of ecumenical conversations but they know enough not to think they TEC is already not taking part, because can define Anglicanism itself.’ 3 What has all this got to do with us at All Saints? It impinges on us in more ways CHRISTMAS JUST PAST than one. Since we introduced a full Festival on We are a community with many links Nine Lessons and Carols with the choir with Anglicans around the world; not least on a weeknight some eight years ago, this in the United States. Neither we nor they service has grown steadily in popularity so should think those links have been severed that the church is now full for it. or our friends excommunicated. These It is difficult to tell if some of this growth relationships are more not less important has been at the expense of the shorter in times of disagreement. lunchtime carol service intended for those Secondly, it is hardly a secret that who work around us. However, rather our community at All Saints and many than running down the latter, we decided of those who look to us as a spiritual to increase the choral element which gave ‘home from home’, are gay. This is not the service a lift in atmosphere if not yet the place to explore the reasons why in numbers. We will see how this goes. Catholic Anglicanism seems to exercise The Nine Lessons and Carols collection such an attraction for gay people, but it was for the Foundation for Relief and is undoubtedly the case. In harsher times, Reconciliation in the Middle East and churches like ours were a ‘safe space’ for raised £900 (including Gift Aid). gay people. Like the rest of us, they do not We also hosted two carol services for have monochrome opinions on everything.

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