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Deck is stacked against Orthodox Primates in Anglican Communion "Conversation" Task Force

Deck is stacked against Orthodox Primates in Anglican Communion "Conversation" Task Force

By David W. Virtue DD
www.virtueonline.org
May 12, 2016

A task group appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to "maintain conversation" among the primates of the Anglican Communion as requested during the gathering of primates at Canterbury Cathedral in January is stacked against any honest "conversation" taking place because the vast majority of those chosen have already determined what direction the Anglican Communion will take. GAFCON primates be damned.

The primates asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to establish the group as part of their commitment to "walk together" despite "deep differences."

The primates requested the group deal "with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognizing the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ," they said in a communique issued at the end of the gathering.

Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Josiah Idowu-Fearon, confirmed during the recent Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, that the group had been established. On May 10, the Anglican Communion Office confirmed the membership of the group.

It includes seven primates, a bishop suffragan, a provincial secretary and the former vice chair of the Anglican Consultative Council.

Here is how the members of the Archbishop of Canterbury's task group break out theologically on the hot button issues of sexuality:

Archbishop Richard Clarke, Church of Ireland is on record as saying "I am always open to changing my mind on the issue of same sex marriage. My own view is that I believe in equality absolutely and completely and I don't believe that God is homophobic."

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, U.S.-based Episcopal Church. Curry is a thorough going progressive Episcopalian and has tied the Jesus Movement with white privilege and racism. He has made it abundantly clear that he will not go back on his Church's stand on pansexuality and he will use his church's considerable influence and money to change the minds of those in the Global South.

Bishop Govada Dyvasirvadam, moderator of Church of South India. This Archbishop is one of the most corrupt archbishops in the Anglican Communion today. In fact, the entire Anglican Church in India is corrupt from top to bottom. Here is the latest on Dyvasirvadam that I received this week from a group of clergy and laity based in Chennai, who wrote to Archbishop Justin Welby complaining about his appointment.

"We read with dismay the news from the Anglican Communion (dated 10 May 2016) that Bishop Govada Dyvasirvadam (the Moderator), one of the Bishops of the Church of South India, has been chosen to be a member of the Archbishop's Task Force. Bishop Dyvasirvadam is the least qualified to be part of such a group as he has polarized communities within the CSI, imposed arbitrary bylaws and amendments that are uncharacteristic of a united church, suppressed dissenting voices and shown acute intolerance towards criticism and over the expression of alternative views. He has not proved himself in his own church for over a decade as one who is tolerant of differences and walking together with his own people. How can a bishop who spent all his time with little or no pastoral qualities, running the church machinery like a corporate company chairman, a politician and a CEO, be expected to do the ministry of restoration, rebuilding and healing tasks in other parts of the world? His office as the Moderator of the CSI came to an end almost four months ago, and his position as Bishop of Krishna-Godavari diocese was also to be vacated as he reached the retirement age of 65 years on 28 March 2016. Despite court cases restraining his function as the Moderator, he claims to continue in both positions. Bishop Dyvasirvadam does not have any official status, nor any moral qualities to back him up to serve in such a high profile, responsible group. It is widely known that he has more First Investigation Reports (FIRs) filed against him in police stations around South India, and more court cases, including a charge of sexual harassment of a woman, than any other Moderator or Bishop in CSI's history. One of the most serious cases against him is the alleged misappropriation of two million dollars (either part or in full) donated by the Episcopal Church in USA for the rehabilitation of Tsunami victims.

Archbishop Ian Ernest, Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He is only one of three solidly orthodox archbishops on this task force.

Archbishop Philip Freier, Anglican Church of Australia. He is also considered orthodox on faith and morals. He has, however, suggested that it is time to make sanctioning legal marriage a matter purely for the state.

Archbishop Ng Moon Hing, Province of South East Asia. Also considered a traditionalist on matters of faith and morals. Because his English is not perfect, his voice will be swamped by the progressives.

Canon Rosemary Mbogo, provincial secretary of the Anglican Church of Kenya. Canon Rosemary Mbogo is definitely not a supporter of GAFCON. While she is considered personally orthodox and able, she has close links with the Anglican Communion Office and showed little interest in GAFCON 2013 when it was hosted by the Anglican Church of Kenya. It was noted that when she controversially allowed her name to go forward in the election for the Bishop of Embu in 2014 (the ACK Constitution only refers to male bishops), the Anglican Communion News Service highlighted her in a very supportive way.

Toronto Bishop Suffragan Linda Nicholls, Anglican Church of Canada. She is as liberal as the day is long and a progressive on same sex issues.

Canon Elizabeth Paver, former ACC vice chair from the Church of England. She is a Traditional Anglo-Catholic, former chair of the council of Mirfield - anglo-catholic community and training college and considered orthodox in faith and morals.

Bishop Paul Sarker, moderator of the Church of Bangladesh. He is more concerned with the plight of garment workers in his country than pansexuality. It is doubtful he will be a strong spokesman for orthodox views on sexuality.

Idowu-Fearon will serve as secretary. A supposed orthodox believer, as he comes from Nigeria the most conservative Province in the Anglican Communion, but he is attempting to thread the needle to accommodate his paymasters, the Episcopal Church, so he will ultimately side with the progressive wing.

What is now very clear is that, in the wider context, (which became very clear with the ACC delegates' defiance of their Primate Eliud Wabukala last month,) is that Lambeth Palace and the Anglican Communion Office are doing their best to undermine the Anglican Church of Kenya's involvement with GAFCON.

In the end, the Task Force will not go "backwards" on homosexual marriage and will continue to accept the prevailing cultural values of Western modernity, thus forcing those orthodox Anglican Primates not aligned with GAFCON, to choose whom they will partner with. There is little doubt that, in time, the GAFCON primates will declare that they are the true inheritors of the Anglican mantle and cease doing business in any way, shape or form with the rest of the Communion.

As former Sydney Archbishop and GAFCON Secretary General Peter Jensen recently told VOL, "The new Anglicanism boiling up is real, based on the Word of God. Tensions are not new in the Communion. GAFCON is the renewed Anglican Communion for the 21st Century, not the 19th Century, but based on the First Century, the Lord Jesus Christ and His word. We are in for an exciting time."

No date has been set for the group's first meeting.

CORRECTION: The information given to me regarding Canon Paver was incorrect. We have changed it to more accurately reflect her views. We regret the inaccuracy.

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