# Liberals in Anglican Communion triumph at recent conclave



## yeutter (Jan 16, 2016)

Contrary to media reports, the three year suspension of The Episcopal Church is a triumph for liberals at the recent conclave of Anglican Primates.

A little historical background. The Episcopal Church consecrated an openly sodomite Bishop, a little over a decade ago. The Anglican Primates, [the presiding bishops of the Anglican Provinces in communion with the Archdiocese of Canterbury] met and said this is prohibited. The Anglican Church of Canada also started ordaining open practicing sodomites as clerics. 

Conservatives [Conservatives include Anglo-Catholics, Pentecostals who are part of the Episcopal Church, and 39 Article reformed types] in the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Church of Canada rebelled at broke fellowship with those who ordained sodomites, and those who enabled them. In four cases a bishop and a majority of the diocese left. These conservatives established their own Anglican province, the Anglican Church of North America. 

The conservative Anglican Provinces in South America, Asia and Africa recognized, and assisted the conservatives in North America, and broke fellowship with the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Church of Canada. The conservatives recognized the Anglican Church of North America. The Archbishop of Canterbury refused to recognize the Anglican Church of North America, and continued to be in full fellowship with The Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Church of Canada.

The Episcopal Church then permitted sodomite marriages by Episcopal clerics in the Church. 

The current Archbishop of Canterbury summoned a conclave of Anglican Primates to deal with the breakdown of fellowship within the world wide Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of North America was invited to the conclave as a de facto not a de jure primate.

The conversations of the primates were held in private, so as to 'rebuild mutual trust' and so that the primates could 'recognize the extent of their commonality.'

The outcome: the primates reaffirmed the traditional definition of marriage. The Episcopal Church received a slap on the wrist. She is prohibited from taking part in some aspects of the bureaucratic and ecumenical life of the Anglican Communion for three years.

The outcome is that the Episcopal Church got a slap on the wrist. The Anglican Church of Canada did not even get a time out for blessing sodomite marriages. The Anglican Church of North America is in reality; though still not officially part of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with the See of Canterbury 

The Archbishop of Canterbury moved the goal posts, and the issue is no longer about ordaining open partnered sodomites, but about sodomite marriage.


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## Vox Oculi (Jan 16, 2016)

'Had a feeling.


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## Edward (Jan 16, 2016)

I'm waiting to see what Ntagali does. The action was apparently enough to appease the others for now.


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## yeutter (Jan 16, 2016)

The next synod of the Anglican Church of Nigeria will be telling. Those fine Bible believing brethren may find the primates actions inadequate.


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## Philip (Jan 16, 2016)

This is why I'm cautious in my optimism about this. That said, this illustrates the historic problem with conservatives in mainline churches. Very often the liberals are much more savvy when it comes to establishing the paramenters, setting up the meetings, raising the funds, and establishing contacts. The conservatives, meanwhile, usually have their attention divided because they see denominational structures as secondary to what goes on in the local parish, and aren't nearly as savvy at the political side of things. The conservatives usually have a distaste for backroom denominational politics and so they get trounced or else their victories are hard-won, temporary, and lack teeth.

That said, Gafcon, the communion within the Communion, is only going to grow in strength and influence and Welby knows it. If this is as toothless as your analysis makes it, then Lambeth is only going to become more irrelevant to worldwide Anglicanism and it's only a matter of time until the majority of primates decide to bypass the instruments of communion altogether. Welby has bought time, but it's time that he had best spend cleaning house in the CofE and the ACC.


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