Dialogue or domination?

August 20th, 2010
By Chris Sugden
Evangelicals Now
September 2010

From July 30th to August 3rd the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion met in London. The Archbishops of Egypt, West Africa and Ghana were absent as they had resigned because of the Anglican Communion’s failure to exercise any discipline on the flagrant disregard by The Episcopal Church of biblical teaching and decisions of the Communion on admitting those in active same-sex relationships to senior leadership in the church.

At the meeting, a senior lawyer from Malaysia, Dato ( = Sir) Stanley Isaacs proposed that “ The Episcopal Church be separated from the Communion.” This was rejected because it was believed, “Separation would inhibit dialogue on this and other issues among Communion Provinces.”

Dr Philip Turner sees this as more of the same ” TEC’s recent history reveals that it now has a standard way of doing business—one that exposes its pleas for dialogue as disingenuous. What is that way? One makes changes in disputed aspects of the life and order of the church by breaking the rules and then calling for conversation rather than “consequences.” This standard way of doing business carries with it its own very idiosyncratic notion of dialogue–one that, by laying claim to the prophet’s mantle, will not allow the possibility that one could be wrong and one’s opponent right. When TEC acts, TEC acts (according to TEC) in the power of the Holy Spirit; and when TEC speaks, TEC speaks (according to TEC) in the power of the Holy Spirit. To be in opposition, therefore, is to oppose both the Holy Spirit and the justice it is God’s purpose to bring to the world.
the rest at Anglican Mainstream