Standing Committee supports Archbishop on Lambeth Decision
Standing Committee supports Archbishop on Lambeth Decision
The Standing committee of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has given its full support to Archbishop of Sydney Dr Peter Jensen's decision not to attend the Lambeth Conference.
The decision was announced earlier this month and this was standing committee's first meeting since then.
The committee stated it "wholeheartedly supports the Archbishop and his Bishops in their decisions relating to Lambeth and GAFCON, recognising the cost to them of such decisions."
The motion was passed overwhelmingly after a statement given by the Archbishop to the committee in which he said "we have come to the firm view that for us the best action is not to attend (Lambeth), as a matter of conscience and pastoral care to those who have needed to dissociate themselves from Bishops and Churches."
The Archbishop referred to a letter from five primates who had declared that they cannot, for reasons of conscience, attend Lambeth.
Dr Jensen told the Standing Committee that "given the fellowship we enjoy which these leaders and their people it is inconceivable that we should not join them in standing aside. We must support those who have been so courageous."
The Primates are Archbishop Peter Akinola (Nigeria), Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda), Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi (Kenya), Archbishop Henry Orombi (Uganda) and Archbishop Gregory Venables (Southern Cone).
The Archbishop referred to Anglican Christians in North America and elsewhere who he said had been "faced with the terrible choice between unity and truth."
He said they had "chosen to live by the truth. Should we not be witnesses that their choice is right?"
The Standing Committee fully endorsed the remarks of Archbishop Jensen, and the statement went on to say "We give thanks to God for the unreserved commitment to biblical teaching of the archbishop and his bishops."
Dr Jensen said he was encouraged by what he described as the "gracious remarks' of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who recently told the General Synod in England that he respects "the consciences of those who have said they do not feel able to attend because there will be those present who have in their view acted against the disciplinary and doctrinal consensus of the communion.
