New DIRECTIONS
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here have been repeated complaints
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tion of ‘Consecrated Women?’ nothing has niqué - and mischievous to make public the
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happened. The ‘phoney war’, as some have opinions of any other body, which can only be
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of the General Synod and the Manchester It is now urgent that the Primates meet and
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Group – has sapped our energy and under- evaluate the TEC response. They can of course,
mined our resolve. Having outlined our do so only if they place the words of the House
Editorial
proposals for an additional province, we have of Bishops in the full context of their actions,
Editor: Nicholas Turner
been seen to sit on our hands. But no longer. which speak louder.
Assistant Editors: Geoffrey
Kirk, Jonathan Baker,
The draft legislation in Wales is a call to Is there any sense in which TEC has
Kathleen McCully, Simon
arms, not only for members of Credo Cymru repented its past actions or undertaken not
Heans, Owen Higgs,
- Forward in Faith Wales, but for the whole to repeat them? The answer to that question
Thomas Seville CR, constituency in both Churches. The passage of must be NO. The fast which Presiding Bishop
William Davage, Len Black
that legislation, unamended or inadequately Jefferts Schori has enjoined is merely a prepa-
Contributing Editors: Andy
amended, would put an end to any pretence ration for the self-indulgent feast which will
Hawes, Francis Gardom,
at an open period of reception, and reduce surely follow it.
Arthur Middleton, Gerry
conscientious objection to the ordination of
O’Brien, Barry Orford,
John Richardson
women to a theologumenon dependent for
its continued existence on the good will of
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individual bishops.
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The Archbishop of Wales, in his paper U
nanimity is rare among Anglicans.
Not so with the Annual Assembly of
Forward in Faith. There resolutions are
of charge to all members of
accompanying the Draft Bill, asserted that generally passed nem.con., and agreement is
Forward in Faith. Individual
the Province was too small to sustain the sort the order of the day. The fourteenth Annual
copies are sold at £2∙50. of internal arrangements set out by Credo Assembly (October 19-20) was no exception.
All subscription enquiries Cymru. It was a strange argument. Motions were presented and passed which
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Strange because to many the opposite addressed both the predicament of traditional-
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might seem to be the case – the intimacy and ists in the wider church and the democratic
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render such provisions easier to set up and Faith at home.
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operate. Strange because size is surely an argu- Domestically the emphasis was on cateche-
Provinces in Third World
ment against taking any action at all. How is it sis and on the fostering of vocations, both to
countries and students in
that such a small body, scarcely the size of two the religious life and to the priesthood. It is
theological training in the middling English dioceses, should arrogate to here that the future of the constituency lies.
Anglican Communion will
itself the authority to alter the ministry it has The Mission Statement of Forward in Faith
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received from the Universal Church? speaks of structures which will sustain in the
Forward in Faith at its recent Assembly faith our children and grandchildren. Work
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Mike Silver
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lation, could be protracted and costly. But it is repeated time and again by different speakers at
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clear to us that, with the proposed Welsh bill, this year’s Assembly, our eyes are firmly fixed on
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with an enemy which is clearly and avowedly We know, too, that women’s ordination is
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bent on our extinction. That we cannot and merely the presenting issue of a wider agenda
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will not permit, here or over the border. which has already done irreparable damage to
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hat is the Joint Standing Commit- The Assembly spelled out once again the
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tee of the Anglican Consultative positive agenda of FiF. We are for Apostolic
one month, £1 each for Council and the Primates’ Meet- Order, the moral and ethical consensus of
two or three months etc ing and why should anyone take notice of its Catholic Christendom, the authority of scrip-
opinions? In the frenzied attempt to invent ture, and the unity of the Church. Those who
an ecclesiology for the Anglican Communion are seeking to marginalise us in the Church
The next issue of newdirections
new entities spring up almost unnoticed and of England have good reason for doing so, for
is published on 7 December
are accorded an instant authority. they have destroyed or are seeking to destroy
It is, of course, for the Primates to decide all those things.
ND
November 2007
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