Two American priests were consecrated as bishops in Singapore on January 29 by a group of bishops including two primates - Moses Tay of South East Asia and Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda. Several of the responses from bishops and archbishops around the Anglican Communion have been reported by ACNS.

Many of the comments, including those from other conservatives, have been critical of the move, especially as it comes ahead of the Primates Meeting in March, at which some of the issues which led to these consecrations are due to be discussed.

Other consecrators included John Ruchyahana, Bishop of Shyira in Rwanda, Fitzsimmons Allison, former Bishop of South Carolina, Alex Dickson, former Bishop of West Tennessee, and David Pytches, former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru.

Kampala Meeting

Last November, a meeting was held in Kampala, Uganda, to consider how the situation in the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) was affecting other parts of the Anglican Communion. Present at the meeting were traditionalist leaders, concerned bishops and an informal group of archbishops, mainly from third world countries. Representatives were also present from conservative groupings from England and North America, as well as other participants and observers.

There is concern among some that the more liberal attitudes of ECUSA, especially in relation to the acceptance and ordination of practising homosexuals, are threatening the unity of the world-wide Anglican Communion. The group first met in April in Singapore, and is designed to allow the opportunity for an informed assessment of developments in the Episcopal Church following the 1998 Lambeth Conference resolutions on human sexuality and other matters.

The meeting was told that there are primates who are "ready to respond to the specific and urgent situations that may arise in the months before the Primates' Meeting" in Portugal at the end of March 2000. Concern was expressed at the "misuse of provincial autonomy and innovations exceeding the limits of our Anglican diversity."

Following the three day conference the primates who attended declared that they would be "seeking agreement on the progressive implementation of effective measures to ensure a return to historic standards for ordination, moral and marriage disciplines where in our communion these have been notoriously breached."

The meeting was hosted by the Primate of the Church in Uganda, Most Revd Livingstone Nkoyoyo, and co-chaired by the Most Rev Emanuel Kolini of Rwanda. Other archbishops and representatives attending included those from Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Southeast Asia, the Southern Cone of South America, Sudan, Sydney and Tanzania.

New Bishops

The two new bishops are Charles Murphy, Rector of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and John Rodgers, Dean Emeritus of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. According to a statement released to the press after the consecration, their intention is to "actively seek to plant Anglican missions in areas where there are receptive communities."

Charles Murphy indicated to his parishioners that he intended to continue as their Rector with the full support of the parish vestry. However, Bishop of South Carolina Edward Salmon said he was unclear about Murphy's status, but that it would appear he was "not a priest of the diocese" and would need Salmon's permission to remain as Rector as Pawleys Island.

"The consecrations pose serious questions about the relationships of Provinces of the Anglican Communion to the American Church, doctrinal and canonical issues within the American church, and canonical questions within the Diocese of South Carolina," said Bishop Salmon in a statement issued on 2nd February. "Bishop Murphy is a bishop, I suppose, in the Diocese of Singapore."

Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburg, said of John Rodgers, he "is one of the finest, humblest, brightest and most gracious priests I have ever known. He is now a missionary bishop. His home is in Ambridge. He will be welcomed by me as the leader and friend he is." However the Bishop continued: "As with any other bishop who might reside in this diocese, any episcopal function within the congregations in union with this diocese should have my prior knowledge and approval. I do not expect that Bishop John will spend very much of his time serving here. These are anomalous situations for anomalous times."

Reaction

"I am appalled by this irregular action," said ECUSA Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold in a letter to all the bishops in the Episcopal Church, "and even more so by the purported 'crisis' that has been largely fomented by them and others, and which bears very little resemblance to the church we actually know, which is alive and well and faithful."

The Archbishop of Canterbury expressed his regret at the consecrations, describing them in a statement issued by Lambeth Palace as "irresponsible and irregular", saying they could only harm the unity of the Anglican Communion.

The Bishop of Tennessee also regretted the consecrations, but noted that "for years, the Episcopal Church has struggled with problems of leadership. A number of bishops have acted in their respective dioceses on a basis of individual conscience without first having obtained a degree of consensus or without canonical authority."

"Bishops are not intercontinental ballistic missiles, manufactured on one continent and fired into another as an act of aggression," said Archbishop Michael Peers, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, in one of the most colourful reactions to the consecrations. "The recent irregular ordination in Singapore is, in my opinion, an open and premeditated assault on Anglican tradition, catholic order and Christian charity."

The consecrations come at a time when the Anglican Communion is experiencing numerical decline in the Western hemisphere, and robust growth in many other parts of the world. According to Peter Moore of Trinity School for Ministry, this signals a major shift in power within the Communion.

"These two bishops," said Peter Moore, "are being sent from younger missionary churches to re-evangelise a listless and doctrinally uncertain church in the West."

It seems certain that whatever the long term effect of these consecrations, there will be a renewed sense of urgency at the Primates' Meeting in March, and many will be looking for a strong voice from the leaders of the Anglican Communion.

Article from: ENS/Living Church/ACNS