by Robert Forsyth

Surprisingly, The Windsor Report 2004 does actually deal with homosexuality. More then once it makes clear that the Commission does not believe that they were invited to do so in the mandate. Rather they stick to questions of the nature of the Anglican Communion and how it can deal with the threat from the Americans and Canadians.

What has gone wrong? From the point of view of the commission there are six symptoms of a deep illness in the life of the Anglican Communion.

(1) The actions in question were taken without any serious attempt to explain to the other churches in the Communion.

(2) No attempt was made to enact procedures that might have enabled the Church to hold together across differences in belief.

(3) Instead, many in America simply assumed that the matters of ordaining homosexuals and blessing homosexual relationships were simple questions upon which Christians may have legitimate differences, whereas most of the Anglican world did not regard them that way.

(4) They took decisions for themselves which many Anglicans believe can only be taken at the wider Communion level.

(5) The actions betrayed and have led to a greater sense of loss of trust between churches and there has been nowhere nearly enough mutual explanation of theological beliefs and understanding of the Bible.

(6) This behaviour has most significantly revealed a lack of clarity about authority in the Communion.

The report highlights the authority of Scripture in its discussion on what holds the Communion together. In contrast with the Roman Catholic church's centralised system, "the Anglican way, theological, symbolic and practical, is diffused among the different aspects of the life of the Communion precisely in such a way as to give supreme authority, [" ], to Scripture as the locus and means of God's word, energising the Church for its mission and sustaining it in its unity'.

The Commission calls upon those involved in Canada and America to express regret, not just for the hurt that was caused, but for the fact that "the proper constraints of the bonds of affection were breached in the events and for the consequences that followed'. It was also critical in a more muted sense of those other bishops who have "interfered' in the American provinces by offering episcopal oversight and support for the dissidents. 

It is marked by a serious attempt to try to ground its fundamental approach in a biblical and Christian understanding. Certainly I have never read a report with such a fine opening sentence as this: "God has unveiled, in Jesus Christ, his glorious plan for the rescue of the whole created order from all that defaces, corrupts and destroys it'. The report goes on to speak of the Christian church "sharing in God's mission in the world through the fact of its corporate life' showing both unity and also "the radical holiness to which God's people are called'.

Does it succeed? Here are some preliminary conclusions.

Firstly, it clearly sets reality before us. If the Communion is going to survive then it will require deeper commitment from its members.  The alternative will be having to learn to walk apart in a very much more fractured world Anglican scene. The question for all Anglican readers of the report is whether belonging is worth paying the price of that increased commitment or whether the more chaotic alternative is in the long run preferable.

Secondly, in its discussion of the care of dissenting groups the report inadequately treats the issue of what are called "parallel jurisdictions'. This is where there are at least two bishops effectively ministering to different people in the one geographical area (this is something which is a fact of life today as there are normally amongst Christians at least two if not three bishops in the area, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox etc.).

As with so much literature in this area, The Windsor Report seems to treat issues of church life as though the only Christians in the world were Anglicans and not seriously think of the theological consequences of our present multidenominational life. It therefore does not adequately provide for the suffering orthodox minorities in Canada or the USA.

And finally, the whole thing could be beside the point. The unilateral and, in my belief, entirely wrong actions of the Americans have created such a deep rift that this report, as well meaning and well written as it may be, will simply be beside the point.

Robert Forsyth is the Bishop of South Sydney.