Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of all Ireland, is to chair the first full meeting this week of the international Commission on Anglican Structures and Relations set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

The meeting in England will consider what ways the highest degree of communion and relationship can be maintained given the serious divisions now facing the Anglican Communion.

The Commission comprises seventeen Church leaders, theologians and lawyers. Their task will be to analyse the implications for the world-wide Anglican Communion of the election of the first openly gay bishop in the Diocese of New Hampshire and the approval of rites for blessing same-sex unions in Canada.

At a meeting of Primates in Lambeth Palace last October the Archbishop of Canterbury was invited to appoint an international Commission under the chairmanship of Archbishop Eames to consider how to respond structurally to the divisions of the Communion which are emerging.

The mandate given to the Commission does not include the responsibility of making judgements on issues of sexuality but requests recommendations on how the Anglican Communion can deal with divisive issues which threaten the overall unity of the world-wide Church. It is due to report to the Archbishop of Canterbury this September and its findings will be submitted to the Primates and Provinces shortly afterwards.

Archbishop Eames commented, “The divisions which are emerging are serious and question what sort of Anglican Communion its members wish to see in future. Sincerely held views are being expressed on all sides of the argument but it is vital that ways are found of dealing with division on any issue which will stand the test of time.

“There is a widespread desire to maintain Anglicanism as a world Communion. To enable this to happen decisions need to be taken which will allow autonomy to relate to communion and relationships while acknowledging the on-going mission of the Church throughout the world.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

The members of the Commission are:

Archbishop Robin Eames
Primate of All Ireland, Chairman

The Revd Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan
Director of Faith, Worship and Ministry, the Anglican Church of Canada

Bishop David Beetge
Dean of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa

Professor Norman Doe
Director of the Centre for Law and Religion, Cardiff University, Wales

Bishop Mark Dyer
Director of Spiritual Formation, Virginia Theological Seminary, USA

Archbishop Drexel Gomez
Primate of the West Indies

Archbishop Josiah Iduwo-Fearon
Archbishop of Kaduna, the Anglican Church of Nigeria

The Revd Dorothy Lau
Director of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council

Ms Anne McGavin
Advocate, formerly Legal Adviser to the College of Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church

Archbishop Bernard Malango
Primate of Central Africa

Dr Esther Mombo
Academic Dean of St Paul’s United Theological Seminary, Limuru, Kenya

Archbishop Barry Morgan
Primate of Wales

Chancellor Rubie Nottage
Chancellor of the West Indies

Bishop John Paterson
Primate of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, and Chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council

Dr Jenny Te Paa
Principal of College of Saint John the Evangelist, Auckland, New Zealand

Bishop James Terom
Moderator, the Church of North India

Bishop N Thomas Wright
Bishop of Durham, the Church of England.

The Mandate of the Commission is to consider the issue of Communion in the context of Anglican structures and relations. It will give primary consideration to the resolutions of the Lambeth Conferences of 1988 and 1998 on this issue, together with a consideration of what has been achieved in the Grindrod, Eames and Virginia Reports, which addressed matters of communion. It will also consider recent work of the Inter Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission on the theological nature of communion, and the various statements and pastoral letters issued by the Primates at their recent meetings.

Several African, Far East and South American Anglican Churches have announced their intention to sever links with ECUSA, and within the Episcopal Church of the USA itself a grouping of those opposed to recent actions have formed a network in opposition to these actions.

Media enquiries should be addressed to the Press Officer of the Archbishop of Armagh:

The Revd Brian Parker
Tel: +44 (0) 28 90 232909
Mobile: +44 (0) 7775 927807
Email: press@ireland.anglican.org

The meetings are private.