Claiming our Anglican Identity: The Case Against the Episcopal Church, USA
A Paper Commissioned For the Primates of the Anglican Communion by The Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, The Most Rev. Peter Akinola, and The Most Rev. Gregory Venables
Seeking the mind of Christ for the Body of Christ Claiming our Anglican Identity: The Case Against the Episcopal Church, USA
A Paper Commissioned For the Primates of the Anglican Communion by The Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, The Most Rev. Peter Akinola, and The Most Rev. Gregory Venables
© Copyright 2003 The Anglican Communion Institute 601 North Tejon Street Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903
All Rights Reserved
Table of Contents:
Preface iv Summary 1 General Convention Actions in Dispute 2 General Convention Actions Violate: Meaning of Scripture 2 Common Reading of Scripture 5 Historic Faith and Order 8 Common Bonds & Mutual Responsibility 10 Natural Law & Pastoral Responsibilities 12 ECUSA’s own Constitution 13 Ordination Vows 13 Order of common prayer, law and discipline 14 Supporters’ Justifi cation of Violations 14 Primates Role 21 Three Options 21 Discipline Not an Innovation 23 Discipline is Good for the Church 24 Appendix Anglican Communion Statements 29 Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral 37 The Ordination of Women 48 Assessing Parallel Provinces 55
iii Preface
This paper is offered to address the need for a practical statement of the Anglican Communion’s self-identity and mission, as warranted by its own offi cial documents and public declarations. In some ways, it serves as a primer for the unique character of Anglicanism as a part of God’s plan for the Christian Church.
The paper is written in response to the grave threat to the Anglican Communion’s continued existence and fl ourishing posed by the Episcopal Church, U.S.A.’s recent actions in contradiction of the Gospel. Nonetheless, our wish is that the hopefulness of Anglicanism’s vocation in service of Christ’s mission is here set forth.
Drafters of the Paper
The Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner The Very Rev. Dr. Philip Turner The Rev. Dr. Christopher Seitz The Rev. Dr. Andrew Goddard The Rev. Dr. Peter Walker The Rev. Donald Armstrong The Most Rev. Drexel Gomez The Most Rev. Peter Akinola The Most Rev. Gregory Venables
iv Claiming Our Anglican Identity: The Case Against the Episcopal Church, U.S.A.
An informational paper prepared for the Primates of the Anglican Communion
Fall, 2003
Summary of the paper