Audio recording of the whole debate Text of lay Synod member Lorna Ashworth’s speech proposing her motion anglican.tv video coverage: Press conference held on Tuesday Lorna Ashworth’s opening speech ACNA debate – Part 1 ACNA debate – Part 2 Text….

It’s a free country and Lorna Ashworth is, of course completely entitled to her views. I am disturbed when people who have essentially lost a debate in their own country come over to someone else’s to try and whip up reinforcements for the struggle back home. I find such behaviour inherently abusive, manipulative and distasteful.

And as for ACNA being with ‘the majority’ of Anglicans numerically, I suspect that – apart from their Provincial Archbishops, some of whom have already shown their disdain for Canterbury by shunning Lambeth and setting up their own Leadership at GAFCON – very few of the people on the ground in the GAFCON Provinces would have even a clue what the fuss is all about. So much for being ‘with the majority’

Updated Monday evening See earlier list of pro-ACNA items. The Church Times headline is Synod holds off from ACNA. THE General Synod declined on Wednesday afternoon to express a desire to be in communion with the Anglican Church in North……

There is enough anger and hatred and pain on both sides. In our secular culture, “victim” status automatically grants people certain benefits. So, the liberals are claiming to be victims of schismatic conservatives who are homophobic knucledragging racists and fundamentalists. The conservatives are claiming to be victims of the unbelieving secularists who are only interested in power and buildings.

I am a conservative and I am NOT a victim. I am united to Jesus Christ and, therefore, more than a conqueror!

TEC’s actions, particularly in the last 3 years, have fostered this by KJS’ “scorched earth” policy of not selling or negotiating with congregations who wish to leave TEC and there are many of them that wish to do so. Why can’t the congregation purchase the building at a “reasonable” rate? Why can’t some form of facility sharing be done?

I suspect that the activists on both sides would rather have a pure issue or pure victory that compromise.

YBIC,
Phil Snyder

As an ACNA Priest with CANA, I must say your post is rather good. You bring up some points I had not really considered. I can honestly say I respect where you are coming from and I agree on many points. I do feel at times, the conservatives provoke some of the fate they have recieved and they should check themselves before slamming the Rowan. Why be in communion with someone you don’t respect or believe is Christian-agreed?, however, the majority of clergy in ACNA have a deep and profound respect for him and our desire is to remain in communion with the ancient see of Canterbury and the 90 or so percent of the Anglican Communion that holds to same values of ACNA. We are already supported by Primates that represent 70-75 percent of the Anglicans in the commuion around the world. At the end of the day I do not think God cares about the structure we call the Anglican Communion as much as He cares about the people of God who are part the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church” through sincere faith in the life, death, ressurection and ascenison of Jesus Christ, TEC, ACNA, Baptist, Methodist, orthodox, etc. The church is like Baskin Robbins 31 flavors but still Ice Cream, the church has various unique expressions, but still is the church.

Like you I pray for unity and an end to all this mess.

John

It will not surprise you that I particularly like the last two bullet points and closing paragraghs. You must have been wearing those glasses.

I am, perhaps, less sanguine about the prospect of parallel jurisdictions than you are – your catholic-minded friend’s perpsective notwithstanding. I suspect such a scenario would result in two self-satisfied much-less-than-comprehensive bodies, each increasingly being identified and identifying itself as the church option for a certain sort of people. If you are predisposed to being “conservative” in most matters, go to this church and have you sensibilities affirmed. If you are predisposed to being “liberal/progressive” in most matters, go to this church and your sensibilities will never be challenged or offended. TEC suffers enough from tha latter as it is.