TORONTO: ARCHBISHOP PROTESTS INTERFERENCE OF FOREIGN PRIMATES

By Marites N. Sison, Anglican Journal

Archbishop David Crawley, acting Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has written formal letters of protest to the Primates of Central Africa, Congo, Rwanda, and Southeast Asia, objecting to their offer of “temporary adequate episcopal oversight” to New Westminster parishes opposed to same-sex blessings—calling it interference.

Four of 11 dissenting churches in the Anglican Communion in New Westminster (ACiNW) have accepted the offer. (A fifth primate—from Kenya—later joined.)

Archbishop Crawley said: “I regret that these primates have chosen to interfere… especially since a task force has been set up by the House of Bishops to develop guidelines for episcopal oversight—and it has not completed its work.”He noted a 1998 Lambeth resolution—sponsored by two Canadian bishops—affirmed that primates should not interfere in each other’s affairs.

Bishop Victoria Matthews, chair of the task force, called the offer “unfortunate.”Archbishop Bernard Malango of Central Africa—one of the offering primates—is also on the Lambeth Commission. The Church of England Newspaper reported (unconfirmed) that commission members had “chastised” him for the action.

Bishop Michael Ingham of New Westminster said the parishes’ acceptance “means they have given up on the Anglican Church of Canada,” and “pre-empted the work of the task force.” Last year, he blocked Yukon Bishop Terrence Buckle from serving as a “flying bishop”—a role Buckle later withdrew after the task force was formed.

ACiNW spokesperson Lesley Bentley expressed hope the national church would make a similar offer: “This may be a sign that time is running out.”

Rev. Paul Carter, ACiNW executive director and priest at Immanuel Church Westside (a non-diocesan church plant), said oversight “will now enable us to have relief and move forward in mission while the Anglican Communion works out how to deal with false teaching—and the impending realignment.”