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PEP Argument Briefing Paper
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Title:
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Charter of the NACDP is Undemocratic and Furthers Divisions
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Applicable to:
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Organizational Charter of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes
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Author:
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Rachel Nicholson, Joan Gundersen, Lionel Deimel
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Date:
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1/26/04
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Summary
The Organizational Charter of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes creates an organization that limits the power of laity, is less democratic, and usurps the authority of the Episcopal Church, USA.
Argument
- The Network Organizational Charter commits signers to acceptance of a Theological Charter (“Confession and Calling”) that endorses a vision of the Anglican Communion in which the primates would have authority over national/regional churches and that calls bishops “the primary organ of stewardship” of the faith. (For further discussion of the Theological Charter, see PEP Briefing Paper CC-0001, “An Un-Anglican Statement.”)
- By committing those who adopt the charter to “submission to the sovereign authority of Holy Scripture” and to the Theological Charter, the charter deifies Scripture, accepting the Protestant sola Scriptura [Scripture alone] formulation long rejected by Anglicanism. We are called to follow and submit to God—creator, redeemer, and sustainer—not to scripture. Scripture is a guide containing all things necessary for salvation, but is not the source of salvation. The new creedal statement now apparently has supplanted all of the historic creeds included in the BCP, placing Scripture above both tradition and reason.
- Through a reference to the Preface to the 1789 edition of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), the charter appears to claim that the Episcopal Church is compelled to conform itself to the Church of England by way of a covenant established by the BCP. The argument does not hold water historically. Marion Hatchett’s Commentary on the American Prayer Book is interesting in this regard: The preface states the principle that the worship of the church may be altered for the edification of the people, “provided the substance of the Faith be kept entire.” In the alterations of the Prayer Book, there should be an effort to keep “the happy mean between too much stiffness in refusing, and too much easiness in admitting variations in things once advisedly established.” The aims of Prayer Book revision are presented: the preservation of peace and unity in the church, the procuring of reverence, the exciting of piety and devotion, and the elimination of elements which provide the occasion for “cavil or quarrel” against the Prayer Book liturgy. Revision was a necessary result of the changed political situation in this country. Further amendments and alterations were deemed expedient, yet an essential unity with the Church of England in basic points of doctrine, discipline, and worship was maintained.” In any case, the charter does not make the case that any alterations in the BCP were required for reasons other than “local circumstances.”
- By vowing submission to the primates and the Lambeth Conference, the Network places itself in a position occupied by no province of the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Communion is a voluntary association of autonomous regional churches. Lambeth Conference resolutions carry weight as the considered voice of bishops within the communion, but they are not, and have never been, binding. The primates jointly issue pastoral letters and statements, but they have no coercive authority. For the statement in the charter to be accurate, there would need to be a complete reorganization of the Anglican Communion. It should be noted, however, that there is a movement among conservative elements of the Communion to invest more power in the Archbishop of Canterbury or the primates. The Archbishop’s commission, which was forced upon him by the October emergency primates meeting, is examining this very matter. The fear that foreign bishops would try to wield power over the provinces was a strong argument against even having meetings of the larger Anglican community from the beginning. In any case, the Episcopal Church has never granted such power to the Archbishop of Canterbury or anyone else, and it is unlikely to do so in the future. The framers of the NACDP Organizational Charter, on the other hand, want to invest power in foreign bishops, who they rightly see as more sympathetic to their theological position than the Episcopal Church generally.
- The Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes is structured to minimize lay participation and is undemocratic.
- The structure outlined in the charter provides for each convocation to have two representatives, who may be either lay or ordained, to the Network Council. It is thus possible for a convocation to have no lay representation.
- Each diocese is to have five delegates to the Network Council. The delegation includes the bishop, two clergy, and two laypersons, thus ensuring that ordained clergy outnumber laity in each delegation. There is no provision for voting by orders to protect the unique perspectives of lay and ordained ministry.
- By leaving the selection of delegates to each diocese, the charter provides no guarantee that the delegation will be representative in any form. The bishop could appoint all the delegates.
- Convocations are over-represented in the structure. A convocation needs only six parishes to be entitled to two delegates. All dioceses get five delegates, even if they are very large.
- There is no provision in the charter to allow parishes to opt out of membership when their diocese joins. The Network is thus imposed on unwilling participants.
- “Global Mission Partners” are included in the charter and given up to five at-large representatives, though to whom this phrase refers is never defined. This further dilutes lay representation and perhaps introduces independent foreign influences.
- The statement that the Network “shall operate in good faith within the Constitution of The Episcopal Church” is belied by later articles in the charter and by the Charter’s usurpation of activities that are the prerogative of the Episcopal Church, USA. Such actions suggest that the Network will act as if it is an autonomous unit. If so, it would be schismatic.
- By claiming that the Network is “a true and legitimate expression of the world-wide Anglican Communion,” the charter announces that it is, de facto, a separate province, since the Anglican Communion is a voluntary association of autonomous provinces. Reported demands that Bishop Duncan be treated as if a primate are consistent with this interpretation.
- The minimum size of a convocation (six parishes) is the same size required to form a diocese in the ECUSA.
- The Network has committed to re-uniting the groups that have left the Episcopal Church. Only ECUSA can recognize such bodies.
- There is to be a Steering Committee that “shall ensure that the congregations of each convocation shall come under the spiritual authority of a bishop approved by the Steering Committee.” Attempts to place parishes under “the spiritual authority” of a bishop the Steering Committee has approved are contrary to provisions in the ECUSA Constitution and Canons giving the diocesan bishop this authority. Having "spiritual authority" over a parish would sever the parish's relationship with the diocesan even if it left the parish technically in the diocese. If the Steering Committee acts without receiving permission from the diocesan bishop, that action also would violate the ECUSA Constitution and Canons. By claiming spiritual authority over convocation parishes, a Network bishop may also violate sections of the Constitution and Canons defining dioceses as geographical units and limiting the transfer of territory between dioceses.
- The Network states it will deal directly with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the primates in working out a plan for adequate episcopal oversight, despite the fact that it has no standing to do so. The primates acknowledged that the appropriate province (i.e., national or regional church) was responsible for developing any such plans. This is the ECUSA. By presuming that it can dictate terms to the ECUSA or act directly to provide oversight to parishes, the Network violates the governance processes of the ECUSA and is clearly not working within the church.
- The decision to “recognize and honor the positions and practices” of those who oppose women’s ordination, the Network violates the ECUSA Canon III.1.2: “No person shall be denied the exercise of any ministry, lay or ordained, in this Church because of … sex … except as otherwise provided by these Canons.”
- The charter omits reference to the canons of the ECUSA and promises only to work within the Constitution of ECUSA. Among the items thus omitted is any promise to abide by Canon I.7.4 (the so-called Dennis Canon on church property).
- Since “[a]ll assets, of every kind and nature, held by the Network are, and shall be, irrevocably dedicated to and inured to the benefit” of the Network, does this include property currently held by participating dioceses? If so, then this has alienated property from the ECUSA, contrary to the constitution and canons. If the Network intends acquire property and endowment to support dioceses or parishes, this is diverting funds from the legal entity of the Episcopal Church and its dioceses and parishes.
Supporting Information
From the Episcopal Church Canons:
I.7.4. All real and personal property held by or for the benefit of any Parish, Mission or Congregation is held in trust for this Church and the Diocese thereof in which such Parish, Mission or Congregation is located. The existence of this trust, however, shall in no way limit the power and authority of the Parish, Mission or Congregation otherwise existing over such property so long as the particular Parish, Mission or Congregation remains a part of, and subject to, this Church and its Constitution and Canons. [This is the so-called Dennis Canon.]
III.24.2. No Bishop shall perform episcopal acts or officiate by preaching, ministering the Sacraments, or holding any public service in a Diocese other than that in which the Bishop is canonically resident, without permission or a license to perform occasional public services from the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese in which the Bishop desires to officiate.
From the Episcopal Church Constitution:
II.3. A Bishop shall confine the exercise of such office to the Diocese in which elected, unless requested to perform episcopal acts in another Diocese by the Ecclesiastical Authority thereof, or unless authorized by the House of Bishops, or by the Presiding Bishop by its direction, to act temporarily in case of need with in any territory not yet organized into Dioceses of this Church.
From the Charter of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes:
Article II: Purpose. The purpose of this charter is to establish said Network, whose associated Dioceses and Convocations will constitute a true and legitimate expression of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Article IV: Relationship to the World Wide Anglican Communion. We, as Dioceses and Convocations, commit ourselves to full membership in the Anglican Communion of Churches throughout the world, grounded in the classical Anglican formularies, and in submission to the moral and teaching authority of the Lambeth Conference and Primates Meeting. We commit ourselves to maintaining, rebuilding, and strengthening ecumenical relationships. We further commit ourselves to the ongoing re-union of the Anglican diaspora in North America.
Article V: Network Structure. … b) There shall be a Network Council consisting of the diocesan bishop, two clergy and two lay representatives of each participating diocese and of two representatives (order unspecified) from each convocation. Additionally, up to five at-large representatives may be chosen by the Global Mission Partners from among their missionary societies serving the Network and the Anglican Communion.
Article VII: Adequate Episcopal Oversight. In consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates of the Anglican Communion, the Network shall work for the provision of adequate episcopal oversight as mandated by the Primates of the Communion for parishes and congregations requesting such ministry.
Article IX: Stewardship. All assets, of every kind and nature, held by the Network are, and shall be, irrevocably dedicated to and inured to the benefit of the charitable, educational, and religious purposes of the Network, and used according to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code #501(c)(3), and no part thereof shall inure to the private benefit of any individual or be used for any impermissible purpose.
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