Anglicans and Reconciling Mission: An Assessment of Two Anglican International Gatherings Mark Oxbrow

even years on from Philip Jenkins’s The Next Christendom deep below the oceans tectonic plates collide with unforgiving S(oxford, 2002; rev. ed., 2007), the global community of and immeasurable power. it may not be alpine snow or even anglican christians may be looking at “the next communion,” the rocky crags that will shape anglican future but rather the although a lot of uncertainty still remains regarding the shape tectonic plates of ecclesial power and theological fire. and life of that communion. the issues of demography, ecclesiol- ogy, and theological outlook that underpin Jenkins’s analysis are Background highly visible in anglican circles today. one wonders whether the might in fact be the first of the major tenyears beforethe current conflicts within the anglican world christian families to painfully but necessarily refound its communion came to a head, samuel huntington wrote, “in missionandlifeinalignmentwiththeemergentglobalchristian- the emerging world of ethnic conflict and civilizational clash, ity to which Jenkins and others have pointed. the events of last Western belief in the universality of Western culture suffers three summer may suggest that this process is underway. problems: it is false; it is immoral; and it is dangerous.”1 Perhaps last July anglican from every corner of the world the same needs to be said today of any english anglican belief gathered in canterbury, england, for the fourteenth lambeth in the universality of european expressions of faith in christ conference. When in 167 charles longley, then the Jesus. ten years ago at the meeting of the anglican consultative of canterbury, convened 76 bishops “in visible communion with council in scotland, the West african missiologist John Pobee theunitedchurchofenglandandireland”whohadacceptedhis reminded anglicans that “the moment you use the word com- invitation to the conference, he was effectively calling together munion, you are committed to a community concept. it is not a an english church. archbishop ’s call, 141 years question of how I see it; it is how we see it—we, in spite of our later, was addressed to more than 0 bishops, of whom the vast differences. how do we read scripture together so that we can be majority knew little of ecclesial life in england. his invitees were shapedintoseekingcommunionwithGodandwithoneanother? asian and african bishops deeply engaged in mission in their . . . We cannot seek communion and continue in the old ways. own contexts, Japanese bishops ministering in a language and something must give. We cannot be at the same place. We are culture rarely understood in england, and bishops from the called to move. and therefore the search for communion is to be Muslim heartlands of the Middle east and south . forget- linked to transformation.”2 Pobee’s “shaped,” “something must ting history for a moment, one could be forgiven for wondering give,” “move,” and “transformation” remind us again of those why the leader of a relatively small and declining church on a crunching tectonic plates, but more significantly they represent small island off the western coast of europe should have any an invitation into communion, not this time from an archbishop expectation at all that over 00 leaders of growing anglican in canterbury but from an african missiologist. how ready are churches around the world should accept his invitation to spend european and north american anglicans to enter into the rich- three weeks in a small town in . But they came—or rather, ness of communion represented by those very differentanglican 630 of them came. churches of , asia, and the Middle east? how ready are the approximately 200 bishops who did not accept arch- we all to listen to one another in humility? bishopWilliams’sinvitation(andthehandfulwhowerepointedly it is perhaps appropriate that a missiologist issues the in- notinvited)wereinfactverypresentatlambethindifferentways. vitation to enter into the experience of the other. Mission is as in an expression of true christian grace, they were constantly much about receiving hospitality, entering into the world of the present in the prayers of those who were there. they were also other, and learning to enjoy the riches of God mediated through the silent commentators on every conversation and the “brake on another culture as it is about going and giving to the other. can, triumphalism” in every celebration. the conflicts that kept some one wonders, an invitation to “come to canterbury,” however 200bishopsathome,andthatafewweeksearlierhaddrawnover well intentioned and with whatever generosity it is issued, ever athousandanglicanleaderstoJerusalemfortheGlobalanglican do anything other than reinforce the hegemony of english eccle- futurepilgrimage(Gafcon),havebeensimplisticallyportrayed sial culture and power? it was a disappointment that neither the by the media as revolving around issues of human sexuality, but anglican Gathering (the proposed, but never held, wider assem- in reality the fault lines run much deeper. in geologic analogy bling of lay and ordained anglican leaders) nor lambeth 200 the consecrated gay , , and archbishop was hosted in south africa, as was the original intention, for that ’s calls for a return to “biblical faithfulness” are venue might have more accurately reflected the contemporary the constantly rising alpine range, glistening in the sunlight; but anglican global demography and mission context. , or rather the , was born out Mark Oxbrow is the International Coordinator of the of european political struggle pasted over with a thin veneer of Faith2Share Network, a network of fifteen mission theological . the worldwide anglican communion agencies committed to collaboration in cross-cultural itself was born out of the missionary impulse, at times deeply mission. He is a former Assistant General Secretary compromised by colonialism and exploitation. the challenge of the Church Mission Society and lives in Oxford, for anglicans today, suggests Kevin Ward, is “to develop a self- England. —[email protected] understanding which enables the communion to appreciate its common heritage of faith and order, its worship and discipline, in ways which both acknowledge and transcend anglicanism’s

 international Bulletin of Missionary research, Vol. 33, no. 1 ethnic, national and colonial origins. It needs further to develop In the event, the nearest anyone got to a debate or a resolu- a common Christian identity and confession which does not tion was a series of “hearings” on critical topics within the com- privilege ‘Englishness’, but which honours the distinctively local munion. Once again the organization of these hearings caused formsinwhichtheGospelhasbeenappropriatedandrooted,and concern because, while the Communion was “falling apart at which must constantly be interpreted anew.”3 Ward’s reference the seams over homosexuality,” or so the media were telling us, to the need for a “common Christian . . . confession” reminds that issue was not due for a hearing until the Thursday of the us that one of the major actions of those Anglicans who met in third, and final, week. But that was exactly what was needed. at GAFCON was to establish a “Fellowship of Con- How can a family come to a common mind on such a divisive fessing Anglicans.” The question, of course, is how common and and personal topic when they have just stepped off planes, when widespread that confession can be for all Anglicans. they hardly know each other, and when suspicion is as present as trust? Two weeks of prayer, the study of Scripture, and indaba Lambeth 2008 built the depth of community that enabled mature, honest, no- holds-barred debate and a determination to walk on together in We will return to the question of GAFCON and the Fellowship of communiondespitethepainandstruggleofdeeplyhelddiffering Confessing Anglicans, but first we must ask what actually hap- convictions.Thosechargedwith“listening”duringtheconference penedinCanterburyinJuly2008.Whatcommunionwasexpressed wrote, “There were repeated statements of the desire to remain as 630 bishops gathered first in retreat and then in conference? It is in communion while attempting to maintain a generous space oftensaidthatthe18LambethConferencewillalwaysbeknown for ongoing discussions.”5 by the number 1.10, the number of the conference resolution on The concept of “generous space” fits well with indaba and human sexuality.Ifthat is so, then the 2008 with John Pobee’s concern for the building of community with was the indaba Lambeth. In introducing the methodology of the communion.IanDouglaswriteshelpfullyonlistening:“Listening to one another and listening to God is fundamentally an exercise in faithfulness to the mission of God. If the calls us to follow in the footsteps of a God who seeks to restore people to unity with God and each other in Christ, then listening to the other in the promise of restoring unity in a divided world is profoundlymissiologicalinnature.Themissiological significance of listening is that in listening across dif- ferencesweareparticipatinginthehopeofarestored and reconciled world intended by God.”6 The work of the Lambeth Conference in 2008 was built around the theme “The Bishop as a Leader ©Lambeth Conference in Mission.” In the program this was worked out Bible study group, Lambeth Conference 2008 through use of the “Five Marks of Mission,” ad- opted many years previously—to proclaim; to teach, conference to his fellow bishops, Archbishop Rowan Williams baptize, and nurture; to respond to human need; to transform explained that much of their time would be spent in small Bible injustice; and to safeguard creation. One wonders whether in study groups and larger groups of about forty bishops. He con- indaba the bishops might have discovered a sixth mark of mis- tinued, “Wehave given these the African name of indaba groups, sion: to listen and to reconcile. groups whereintraditional African culture, people get together to sort out the problems that affect them all, whereeveryone has GAFCON 2008 avoice and wherethereisanattempt to find acommon mind or acommon story that everyone is able to tell when they go away If Lambeth 2008 was marked by indaba, then that great gathering from it. This is how we approached it. This is what we heard. of “confessing” Anglicans in Jerusalem a few weeks earlier was This is wherewearrived as we prayed and thought and talked marked by worship. Many who set out for Jerusalem hurt and together.”4 Indaba,itseems, is about communion, about common angry found there, in the reading of Scripture, in the visiting story,about common confession. As bishops prepared for the of holy sites, in song and in silence, a deep healing and filling conference, and well on into the process of the conference itself, with the glory of God. The focus of GAFCON was, as its name major concerns wereexpressed about the serious lack of time for suggested, the future of Anglicanism, a future that appeared plenary sessions, for debate, for the passing of resolutions. How uncertain and insecure. There was no doubting, of course, the can aglobal communion of churches move forwardwithout reso- growth of Anglican churches in the , but the Com- lutions? Or is such aconsensus-reaching methodology indeed no munion itself was in disarray. The GAFCON Statement endorsed morethan aWestern approach and mind-set? In 178 therewere by, among others, 21 Anglican bishops, says, “The future of the 37 Lambeth resolutions; in 188 this number had swollen to 73, Anglican Communion is but a piece of the wider scenario of op- and the 18 conference managed to pass 107 resolutions, many portunities and challenges for the gospel in 21st-century global of which have not seen the light of day since. Plenary debate, culture. We rejoice in the way God has opened doors for gospel resolutions, points of order,and voting areall part of the Eng- mission among many peoples, but we grieve for the spiritual lish church heritage which, to be fair,have served the Anglican decline in the most economically developed nations, where the Communion for over ahundred years, but the plan for 2008 was forces of militant secularism and pluralism are eating away the different. Thereweretobenoresolutions, just indaba.Anglicans fabric of society and churches are compromised and enfeebled weretomine their Zulu and Xhosa heritage instead to discover in their witness. The vacuum left by them is readily filled by new ways into communion—and perhaps anew communion. other faiths and deceptive cults. To meet these challenges will

January 200  require Christians to work together to understand and oppose . . . Only this God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. these forces and to liberate those under their sway. It will entail And it is this God who has entrusted the mission and ministry the planting of new churches among unreached peoples and also of reconciliation to the people to whom Jesus said ‘you will be committedactiontorestoreauthenticChristianitytocompromised my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth.’ That is the missionary churches.”7 The statement later explains, “We, the participants nature of biblical monotheism.”8 Lambeth conferences held in in the Global Anglican Future Conference, are a fellowship Canterbury always run the risk of “endemic religious imperial- of confessing Anglicans for the benefit of the Church and the ism,” and a Global Anglican Future Conference attended by the furtherance of its mission. We are a fellowship of people united leaders of churches at the growth centers of Anglicanism could in the communion (koinonia) of the one Spirit and committed to easily fall into a “military-style triumphalism,” but neither will work and pray together in the common mission of Christ. It is serve the mission of God. It is as those in constant need of rec- a confessing fellowship in that its members confess the faith of onciliation at the foot of the cross that Anglicans must today set Christ crucified.” I quote at length from this statement because out in mission. If their indaba and worship can bring them into here we see a definition (is it a redefinition?) of communion as new places of listening to God, one another, and the world, then “fellowship” characterized by the confession of faith. Where Anglicans will find themselves in mission once again. once Anglicans found their communion in and through their The Anglican Communion will never be the same again. historic links to Canterbury, now all mention of these roots are Englandwillalmostcertainlynolongerbeafocusforcommunion omitted, and the focus is Christ crucified. The question, of course, in anything other than a historic sense. Some will find they must is in what sense communion, so defined, is Anglican rather than walk a road apart, but the challenge before all Anglicans today simply Christian. is to discover what it might mean to be open to the reconciling mission of God and to be a communion of witnesses to the God Missional Futures of reconciliation. The typical Anglican Christian today, like any other typical Despitethepredictionsoftheprophetsofdoom,thereare notnow Christian, is young, female, black, and financially poor. The life two, or even more, Anglican communions. Asignificant number and structures of theAnglican Communion are still very English. of the 291 bishops who were in Jerusalem for GAFCON were also There must be many more painful tectonic struggles, and gay in Canterbury for Lambeth. Conversations and fellowship will bishops will not be the only Alpine summits to shine in the me- continue, and the pain of difference will be offered in worship. dia sunlight, but the journey has begun. Arealignment of those But what missiological learning took place last summer? plates away from the ecclesial centers of power, wherever they “The missionary nature of Christian monotheism,” writes are found, is needed so that a global communion of Anglicans Chris Wright, “does not flow from an endemic religious impe- canengageinthemissionofJesus.LambethindabaandGAFCON rialism or military-style triumphalism . . . but from the roots of worship may be the beacons of hope God has given Anglicans our faith in Old Testament Israel and their belief in the God, the as they engage on a journey into reconciliation, into renewed only true and living God, whose mission of love for the world communion, into God’s future, into missio Dei. Missional Angli- had led to the election of Israel and the sending of the church. canism begins to look very different after 2008. Notes 1. Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of 6. Ian T. Douglas, “The Missiological Significance of Listening in a World Order (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), p. 310. Globalised World of Identities and Differences,” in The Anglican 2. John S. Pobee, “Presentation on Interpretation of Scripture,” in Communion and Homosexuality, ed. Phil Groves (London: SPCK, The Communion We Share, ed. James M. Rosenthal (Harrisburg, Pa.: 2008), p. 33. Morehouse Publishing, 2000), p. 204. 7. The final GAFCON “Statement on the Global Anglican Future” is 3. Kevin Ward, AHistory of Global Anglicanism (Cambridge: Cambridge availableathttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/29_06_ Univ. Press, 2006), pp. 17–18. 08_anglican_statement.pdf. 4. LambethConferenceWebsite,www.lambethconference.org/lc2008/ 8. Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God (Downers Grove, Ill.: news/news.cfm/2008/4/23/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-Better- InterVarsity Press, 2006), pp. 134–35. Bishops-for-the-sake-of-a-better-Church. 5. Lambeth Indaba (Canterbury: Lambeth Conference, Lambeth Reflections Group, 2008), p. 40.

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