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Report of the
Covenant Design Group
The Covenant Design Group, appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury
on behalf of the Primates of the Anglican Communion, held its first
meeting in Nassau, the Bahamas, between Monday, 15th and Thursday, 18th
January, 2007. The Archbishop of the West Indies, the Most Revd Drexel
Gomez, chaired the group.
The meeting discussed four major areas of work related to the
development of an Anglican Covenant: its content, the process by which
it would be received into the life of the Communion, the foundations on
which a covenant might be built, and its own methods of working.
The JSC paper,
Towards an
Anglican Covenant, was one of the initial papers tabled at the
meeting, together with a wide range of responses to it from both
individuals and from churches and other alliances within the Communion.
In addition, a number of correspondents had been invited to submit
reflections to the group. The group noted that there was a wide range
of support for the concept of covenant in the life of the Communion, and
although in the papers submitted there was a great deal of concern about
the nature of any covenant that might be put forward for adoption, very
few of the respondents objected to the concept of covenant per se,
but rather saw the covenant as a moment of opportunity within the life
of the Communion.
In their discussion, all the members of the group spoke of the value and
importance of the continued life of the Anglican Communion as an
instrument through which the Gospel could be proclaimed and God’s
mission carried forward. There was a real desire to see the
interdependent life of the Communion strengthened by a covenant which
would articulate our common foundations, and set out principles by which
our life of Communion in Christ could be strengthened and nurtured.
It was also recognised, however, that the proposal for a covenant was
born out of a specific context in which the Communion’s life was under
severe strain. While the group felt that it was important that the
strength of a covenant would be greater if it addressed broad
principles, and did not focus on particular issues, the need for its
introduction into the life of the Communion in order to restore trust
was urgent.
There were therefore two particular factors which would need to be borne
in mind:
- Content
The text of the Covenant would need to hold together
and strengthen the life of the Communion. To do so, it need not
introduce some new development into the life of the Communion but rather
be the clarification of a process of discernment which was embodied in
the Windsor Report and in the recent reality of the life of the
Instruments of Communion, and which was founded in and built upon the
elements traditionally articulated in association with Anglicanism and
the life of the Anglican Churches.
- Urgency
While a definitive text which held all such elements
in balance might take time to develop in the life of the Communion,
there was also an urgent need to re-establish trust between the churches
of the Communion. The faithfulness of patterns of obedience to Christ
were no longer recognised across the Communion, despite Paul’s call to
another way of life (Romans 14.15), and its life would suffer
irreparably if some measure of mutual and common commitment to the
Gospel was not reasserted in a short time frame. We were mindful also
of the words of the Primates at Oporto, “We are conscious that we all
stand together at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ, so we know that
to turn away from each other would be to turn away from the Cross”.
Bearing this in mind, the CDG recommends a dual track approach. The
definitive text of any proposed Covenant which could command the long
term confidence of the Communion would need extensive consultation and
refining. Although several possible texts have already been developed,
a text for adoption would need to be debated and accepted in the
Provinces through their own appropriate processes before formal
synodical processes of adoption, if the Covenant was to be received and
have any strength or reality.
At the same time, there needed to be a commitment now to the fundamental
shape of the covenant in order to address the concerns of those who
feared that the very credibility of the commitment of the Anglican
Churches to one another and to the Gospel itself was in doubt.
The CDG therefore proposes that the Primates give consideration to a
preliminary draft text for a covenant which has been developed from
existing models, that they commend this text to the Provinces for study
and response, and that they express an appropriate measure of consent to
this text and express the intention to pursue its fine-tuning and
adoption through the consultative and constitutional processes of the
Provinces.
The Primates are not being asked to commit their churches at this stage,
since they are all bound by their own Provincial constitutions to
observe due process. What they are being asked to do is to recognise in
the general substance of the preliminary draft set forth by the CDG a
concise expression of what may be considered as authentic Anglicanism.
Primates are also asked to request a response from their Provinces on
the draft text to the Covenant Design Group in time for there to be the
preparation of a revised draft which could receive initial consideration
at the Lambeth Conference.
The text offered is meant to be robust enough to express clear
commitment in those areas of Anglican faith about which there has been
the most underlying concern in recent events, while at the same time
being faithful and consistent with the declarations, formularies and
commitments of Anglicanism as they have been received by our Churches.
In this way, nothing which is commended in the draft text of the
Covenant can be said to be “new”; it is rather an assertion of that
understanding of true Christian faith as it has been received in the
Anglican Churches.
What is to be offered in the Covenant is not the invention of a new way
of being Anglican, but a fresh restatement and assertion of the faith
which we as Anglicans have received, and a commitment to inter-dependent
life such as always in theory at least been given recognition.
An Introduction to a Draft Text for an Anglican Covenant
God has called us into communion in Jesus Christ (1 Cor.
1:9; 1 Jn. 1:3). This call is established in God’s purposes for
creation (Eph. 1:10; 3:9ff.), which have been furthered in God’s
covenants with Israel and its representatives such as Abraham and most
fully in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. We humbly
recognize that this calling and gift of communion grants us
responsibilities for our common life before God.
Through God’s grace we have been given the Communion of Anglican
churches through which to respond to God’s larger calling in Christ
(Acts 2:42). This Communion provides us with a special charism and
identity among the many followers and servants of Jesus. Recognizing
the wonder, beauty and challenge of maintaining communion in this family
of churches, and the need for mutual commitment and discipline as a
witness to God’s promise in a world and time of instability, conflict,
and fragmentation, we covenant together as churches of this Anglican
Communion to be faithful to God’s promises through the historic faith we
confess, the way we live together and the focus of our mission.
Our faith embodies a coherent testimony to what we have received from
God’s Word and the Church’s long-standing witness; our life together
reflects the blessings of God in growing our Communion into a truly
global body; and the mission we pursue aims at serving the great
promises of God in Christ that embrace the world and its peoples,
carried out in shared responsibility and stewardship of resources, and
in interdependence among ourselves and with the wider Church.
Our prayer is that God will redeem our struggles and weakness, and renew
and enrich our common life so that the Anglican Communion may be used to
witness effectively in all the world to the new life and hope found in
Christ.
An Anglican Covenant Draft prepared by the Covenant Design
Group, January 2007
1 Preamble
(Psalm 127.1-2, Ezekiel 37.1-14, Mark 1.1, John 10.10;
Romans 5.1-5, Ephesians 4:1-16, Revelation 2-3)
We, the Churches of the Anglican Communion, under the Lordship of
Jesus Christ , solemnly covenant together in these articles, in order to
proclaim more effectively in our different contexts the Grace of God
revealed in the Gospel, to offer God’s love in responding to the needs
of the world, to maintain the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace,
and to grow up together as a worldwide Communion to the full stature of
Christ.
2 The Life We Share: Common Catholicity, Apostolicity and
Confession of Faith
(Deuteronomy 6.4-7, Leviticus 19.9-10, Amos 5.14-15, 24;
Matthew 25, 28.16-20, 1 Corinthians 15.3-11, Philippians 2.1-11, 1
Timothy 3:15-16, Hebrews 13.1-17)
Each member Church, and the Communion as a whole, affirms:
- that it is part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
Church, worshipping the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
- that it professes the faith which is uniquely revealed in the
Holy Scriptures as containing all things necessary for salvation and
as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith, and which is set
forth in the catholic creeds, which faith the Church is called upon
to proclaim afresh in each generation;
- that it holds and duly administers the two sacraments ordained
by Christ himself – Baptism and the Supper of the Lord – ministered
with the unfailing use of Christ’s words of institution, and of the
elements ordained by him;
- that it participates in the apostolic mission of the whole
people of God;
- that, led by the Holy Spirit, it has borne witness to Christian
truth in its historic formularies, the Thirty-nine Articles of
Religion, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordering of
Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
;
- our loyalty to this inheritance of faith as our inspiration and
guidance under God in bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this
generation and making Him known to our societies and nations.
3 Our Commitment to Confession of the Faith
(Deuteronomy 30.11-14, Psalm 126, Mark 10.26-27, Luke 1.37,
46-55, John 8: 32, 14:15-17, 1 Corinthians 11.23-26,2 Timothy 3:10-4:5;)
In seeking to be faithful to God in their various contexts,
each Church commits itself to:
- uphold and act in continuity and consistency with the catholic
and apostolic faith, order and tradition, biblically derived moral
values and the vision of humanity received by and developed in the
communion of member Churches;
- seek in all things to uphold the solemn obligation to sustain
Eucharistic communion, welcoming members of all other member
churches to join in its own celebration, and encouraging its members
to participate in the Eucharist in a member church in accordance
with the canonical discipline of that host church;
- ensure that biblical texts are handled faithfully, respectfully,
comprehensively and coherently, primarily through the teaching and
initiative of bishops and synods, and building on our best
scholarship, believing that scriptural revelation must continue to
illuminate, challenge and transform cultures, structures and ways of
thinking;
- nurture and respond to prophetic and faithful leadership and
ministry to assist our Churches as courageous witnesses to the
transformative power of the Gospel in the world.
- pursue a common pilgrimage with other members of the Communion
to discern truth, that peoples from all nations may truly be free
and receive the new and abundant life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 The Life We Share with Others: Our Anglican Vocation
(Jeremiah 31.31-34, Ezekiel. 36.22-28, Matthew 28.16-20,
John 17.20-24, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Ephesians 2:11-3:21, James 1.22-27)
We affirm that Communion is a gift of God: that
His people from east and west, north and south, may together declare his
glory and be a sign of God’s Kingdom. We gratefully acknowledge God’s
gracious providence extended to us down the ages, our origins in the
undivided Church, the rich history of the Church in the British Isles
shaped particularly by the Reformation, and our growth into a global
communion through the various mission initiatives.
As the Communion continues to develop into a worldwide family of
interdependent churches, we also face challenges and opportunities for
mission at local, regional, and international levels. We cherish our
faith and mission heritage as offering us unique opportunities for
mission collaboration, for discovery of the life of the whole gospel and
for reconciliation and shared mission with the Church throughout the
world.
The member Churches acknowledge that their common mission is a mission
shared with other churches and traditions not party to this covenant.
It is with all the saints that we will comprehend the fuller dimensions
of Christ’s redemptive and immeasurable love.
We commit ourselves to answering God’s call to share in
his healing and reconciling mission for our blessed but broken and
hurting world, and, with mutual accountability, to share our God-given
spiritual and material resources in this task.
In this mission, which is the Mission of Christ, we commit
ourselves
- to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God
- to teach, baptize and nurture new believers;
- to respond to human need by loving service;
- to seek to transform unjust structures of society; and
- to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain
and renew the life of the earth.
5 Our Unity and Common Life
(Numbers 11.16-20, Luke 22.14-27, Acts 2.43-47, 4.32-35, 1
Corinthians 11.23-26, 1 Peter 4:7-11, 5:1-11)
We affirm the historic episcopate, locally adapted
in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations
and peoples called of God into the unity of his Church and the central
role of bishopsas custodians of faith, leaders in mission,
and as visible sign of unity.
We affirm the place of four Instruments of Communion
which serve to discern our common mind in communion issues, and to
foster our interdependence and mutual accountability in Christ. While
each member Church orders and regulates its own affairs through its own
system of government and law and is therefore described as autonomous,
each church recognises that the member churches of the Anglican
Communion are bound together, not juridically by a central legislative
or executive authority, but by the Holy Spirit who calls and enables us
to live in mutual loyalty and service.
Of these four Instruments of Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
with whose See Anglicans have historically been in communion, is
accorded a primacy of honour and respect as first amongst equals (primus
inter pares). He calls the Lambeth Conference, and Primates’
Meeting, and is President of the Anglican Consultative Council.
The Lambeth Conference, under the presidency of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, expressing episcopal collegiality worldwide, gathers the
bishops for common counsel, consultation and encouragement and serves as
an instrument in guarding the faith and unity of the Communion.
The Primates’ Meeting, presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury,
assembles for mutual support and counsel, monitors global developments
and works in full collaboration in doctrinal, moral and pastoral matters
that have Communion-wide implications.
The Anglican Consultative Council is a body representative of bishops,
clergy and laity of the churches, which co-ordinates aspects of
international Anglican ecumenical and mission work.
6 Unity of the Communion
(Nehemiah 2.17,18, Mt. 18.15-18, 1 Corinthians 12, 2
Corinthians 4.1-18, 13: 5-10, Galatians 6.1-10)
Each Church commits itself
- in essential matters of common concern, to have regard to the
common good of the Communion in the exercise of its autonomy, and to
support the work of the Instruments of Communion with the spiritual
and material resources available to it.
- to spend time with openness and patience in matters of
theological debate and discernment to listen and to study with one
another in order to comprehend the will of God. Such study and
debate is an essential feature of the life of the Church as its
seeks to be led by the Spirit into all truth and to proclaim the
Gospel afresh in each generation. Some issues, which are perceived
as controversial or new when they arise, may well evoke a deeper
understanding of the implications of God’s revelation to us; others
may prove to be distractions or even obstacles to the faith: all
therefore need to be tested by shared discernment in the life of the
Church.
- to seek with other members, through the Church’s shared
councils, a common mind about matters of essential concern,
consistent with the Scriptures, common standards of faith, and the
canon law of our churches.
- to heed the counsel of our Instruments of Communion in matters
which threaten the unity of the Communion and the effectiveness of
our mission. While the Instruments of Communion have no juridical
or executive authority in our Provinces, we recognise them as those
bodies by which our common life in Christ is articulated and
sustained, and which therefore carry a moral authority which
commands our respect.
- to seek the guidance of the Instruments of Communion, where
there are matters in serious dispute among churches that cannot be
resolved by mutual admonition and counsel:
- by submitting the matter to the Primates Meeting
- if the Primates believe that the matter is not one for which
a common mind has been articulated, they will seek it with the
other instruments and their councils
- finally, on this basis, the Primates will offer guidance and
direction.
- We acknowledge that in the most extreme circumstances, where
member churches choose not to fulfil the substance of the covenant
as understood by the Councils of the Instruments of Communion, we
will consider that such churches will have relinquished for
themselves the force and meaning of the covenant’s purpose, and a
process of restoration and renewal will be required to re-establish
their covenant relationship with other member churches.
7 Our Declaration
(Psalms 46, 72.18,19, 150, Acts10.34-44, 2 Corinthians
13.13, Jude 24-25)
With joy and with firm resolve, we declare our Churches to be
partners in this Anglican Covenant, releasing ourselves for fruitful
service and binding ourselves more closely in the truth andlove of
Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory for ever.
Amen.
Notes:
This is not meant to exclude other Books of Common Prayer and
Ordinals duly authorised for use throughout the Anglican Communion, but
acknowledges the foundational nature of the Book of Common Prayer 1662
in the life of the Communion.
Editors Note:
The Report and the Covenant Draft text are also available to
download as a PDF Document here:
http://www.aco.org/commission/d_covenant/downloads.cfm
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