1. While it is true that the Bishop of any Diocese or the Bishops of any Province of the Anglican Communion [outside of the Church of England] can determine not to be in communion with a given Bishop or a group of Bishops or all the Bishops of a province, no province or group of provinces or meeting of representatives of provinces can decide the membership of the Anglican Communion of Churches.
2. The Anglican Communion of Churches is made up of those Provinces with whose Primate and Bishops the Archbishops of Canterbury & York, and primarily Canterbury, state they are in communion and recognize them as true bishops in apostolic orders and as holding to a common apostolic Faith. No other authority can say and do this.
3. From the perspective of the Mother Church of the Communion, the C of E, the nature of the Anglican Communion as an informal family or federation or grouping of autonomous provinces is set out in Halsbury 14, Ecclesiastical Law, at s.313. It refers to the Overseas and other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure 1967, which sets out the procedures whereby a church is recognised as being in communion with the Church of England. See sections 3, 4 (1), and 6 (2).
In particular note s.6 (2):
"If any question arises whether, for the purposes of this Measure, a Church is in Communion with the Church of England or whether the Orders of any Church are recognised and accepted by the Church of England, it shall be determined by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, whose decision shall be conclusive."
4. Thus it is clear that no majority vote of Primates and no majority votein the Anglican Consultative Council and no majority vote in the LambethConference has any other force than advisory to the English Primates ofCanterbury & York. In this matter, it seems that the A of Cant is truly and really a Pope!
5. If the ECUSA is to be disciplined by temporary expulsion from the Anglican Family and its Primate not invited to the Primates' Meeting, its bishops not invited to the Lambeth Conference and its representatives not invited to the Anglican Consultative Council, then that decision has to be and can only be made by the two English Primates, that is by Canterbury as advised by and working with York. Votes here and there calling for such or advising against it have only the force of moral suasion and practical advice.
6. Thus we need to pray earnestly for the English Archbishops and for all the other 37 Primates who will gather on October 15/16 in London to take counsel together and to advise Dr Rowan Williams, with whom is the final word.
Here is the Collect [rendered into the classic language of prayer by me] that was put out by the Director of the Office of the Anglican Communion:
"O God our heavenly Father, who hast called us, as members of the Body of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to continue his work of reconciliation and evangelisation amongst men: Forgive us the sins which tear us apart; and give us the courage to overcome our fears and to seek that unity which is thy gift and thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon.)
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