Bishop Duncan Predicts Swift Movement on Formation of a New Province
From Christianity Today magazine on-line (bold-faced emphasis added by me):
CT: How will conservatives negotiate the issues that divide them—women's ordination and related concerns? Is there going to be a theological center?
+BD: The theological center on first-order issues has deep agreement. Most of us hold the issue of the ordination of women to be a second-order issue. We are committed to working with our partners in the communion as we try to come to some lasting agreement. The way I illustrate that is we are now wise enough to understand that we can't settle the issue of reception of the ordination of women. The reason we can't settle it is that East Africa ordains women and West Africa doesn't. We have got to go through this together, and it's going to take a couple generations to do it. There's a deep commitment to one another across this divide.
CT: Are you confident that there will be a new province for the North American Anglicans a year from now? And are you the most likely person to be the primate of that province?
+BD: The simple answers are yes and yes. I do believe that the Common Cause partners will put everything in place that we need to put in place by Christmas. The time has come. In terms of my leadership I think I understand, and those who put me in this place understand, that in this particular moment my task, my call has been to bring the partners to a place, to the creation of a province and to the beginning of its life, and then I'll be happy to give it over as soon as it's clear that I'm not called to do it anymore. We will operate in a way in which the primate of the province is a diocesan bishop, will serve for a term, and may be reelected for a term. Then another will take up that primacy.
RWF resumes: This is very good news! It confirms what I heard at the Common Cause North Texas meeting last month. One can hope that in December, or very early in the new year the GAFCON provinces will act to recognize us as a province! Glory!
CT: How will conservatives negotiate the issues that divide them—women's ordination and related concerns? Is there going to be a theological center?
+BD: The theological center on first-order issues has deep agreement. Most of us hold the issue of the ordination of women to be a second-order issue. We are committed to working with our partners in the communion as we try to come to some lasting agreement. The way I illustrate that is we are now wise enough to understand that we can't settle the issue of reception of the ordination of women. The reason we can't settle it is that East Africa ordains women and West Africa doesn't. We have got to go through this together, and it's going to take a couple generations to do it. There's a deep commitment to one another across this divide.
CT: Are you confident that there will be a new province for the North American Anglicans a year from now? And are you the most likely person to be the primate of that province?
+BD: The simple answers are yes and yes. I do believe that the Common Cause partners will put everything in place that we need to put in place by Christmas. The time has come. In terms of my leadership I think I understand, and those who put me in this place understand, that in this particular moment my task, my call has been to bring the partners to a place, to the creation of a province and to the beginning of its life, and then I'll be happy to give it over as soon as it's clear that I'm not called to do it anymore. We will operate in a way in which the primate of the province is a diocesan bishop, will serve for a term, and may be reelected for a term. Then another will take up that primacy.
RWF resumes: This is very good news! It confirms what I heard at the Common Cause North Texas meeting last month. One can hope that in December, or very early in the new year the GAFCON provinces will act to recognize us as a province! Glory!
posted by Texanglican (R.W. Foster+) | 5:35 PM
1 Comments:
All I want for Christmas is a new province! In other words, sooner rather than later.
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