Ridley Church of England

8/4/2019 Ridley Church of England

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CHURCH OF ENGLAND PROPOSALS

FOR THE REVISION OF SECTION FOUROF THE RIDLEY CAMBRIDGE DRAFT

OF THE ANGLICAN COVENANT

The following is a submission from the Church of Eng land in response to a

req uest from the Ang lic an Consulta tive Co unc il that provinces should sugg estrevisions to sec tion four o f the Ridley Camb ridge dra ft, to address issues of

amb iguity and lac k of clarity. The work wa s unde rta ken on beha lf of the

Church of England by the House o f Bishop s Theo logic a l Group and the Faith

and Order Adv isory Group .

The princ iples that have shap ed this subm ission

Should a n Ang lic an Covena nt a long the lines p rop osed in the Rid ley d ra ft

be gin to be a do pte d b y the churc hes of the Anglic an Co mmunion, there will

be a transition period in which the re w ill be three possib le c a teg ories of

Anglican churches.

Firstly, the re w ill be c hurches tha t a re listed on the Ang lica nConsulta tive Counc il (ACC) sched ule of mem ber c hurc hes and a re

memb ers of the Instruments of Com munion tha t ha ve signed the

Covenant.

Sec ond ly, there will be c hurc hes tha t a re on the ACC sc hed ule a nd

are members of the Instruments of Co mm union tha t have no t signed

the Covenant.

Third ly, if the p rop osa l in 4.1.5 co mes into e ffec t, there w ill be c hurche s

that have signed the Covena nt, but a re not nec essarily on the ACC

sc hed ule o r membe rs of the Instruments of C ommunion.

The existenc e o f these three possible ca tegories of c hurche s me ans tha t the


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adop ting the C ovenant (Com me nta ry, p7). How eve r, this short c lause is not

c lea r on various c ounts. For exam ple:

1. What co unts as being in the proc ess of ad op ting ?

2. Are those churc hes in the proc ess of ad op ting sub jec t to be ing

challenge d for ac ting in a ma nner inco mp atible with the Covenant or

only in judging a ny such cha lleng es to those who ha ve a lrea dysigned?

3. The a rbitration proc ess refe rs to the Instruments respond ing to JSC

rec ommendations, but d oes this mean the Instruments as a who le o r

only those m em bers who fit w ith 4.2.7?

4. The rule in 4.2.7 does not a pp ea r to app ly to amendme nt of the

Covena nt a s set out in 4.4 and it is not c lea r whethe r or not this wa s

intentional.

5.

Further work therefo re ne ed s to be undertaken to address this issue a nd this

work need s to b e b ased on the follow ing p rinc ip les:

1. In order to ensure tha t there is the m inimum numb er of anoma lies, as

ma ny of the c hurc hes on the AC C Sc hed ule a s possib le should b e

c ovenanting c hurc hes and vic e ve rsa . This means tha t the re should b e a

presump tion tha t the othe r churches me ntioned in 4.1.5 are, in signing

the Covena nt, req uesting mem be rship of the Instrume nts.

2. Where the RCD ma kes refe renc e to the JSC having ove rsight of the

imp leme ntation of the Cove nant, reference should b e ma de instea d to a

sub -group c onsisting o f those mem bers of the JSC b elong ing toc ovenanting churc hes, with the po ssible add ition of other mem bers c o-

op ted from c ovena nting c hurc hes while the number of c ovena nting

c hurches on JSC is still sma ll.

3. The Instruments, even while co mp rising covenanting and no n-

c ovenanting churche s, should ea ch manage their own internal life.

4. Even while the Instruments a re m ixed b od ies, they should sta nd in the

same relation to the Covenant and its ove rsight a s c ovenanting churches

by rece iving reco mm endations relating to the Covenant and de termininghow to respo nd to them. As the numb er of covena nting c hurc hes grows,

the m ore purchase Covenant rec ommend at ions will have w ithin the

Instruments.

5. After ten years have e lap sed a de c ision will need to be ma de ab out the

status of non-covenanting churches in the Instruments.


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and to o ffer more rat iona le for what this sec tion does (e.g. Prop osed 4.1.3,

4.1.4).

In ea c h sec tion the key po ints in the recomme nda tions a re:

Sec tion 4.1 on Ad op tion

1. Ma ke the purpose of sec tion four c lea rer (in the propo sed ne w op ening

sec tion and prop osed 4.1.5)

2. Clarify how life of the Anglic an Comm union a nd relationships amo ng

c ove nant ing c hurches a re each unde rstoo d , espec ially in the transition

period (prop osed 4.1.2 and 4.1.7).

3. Remove the a mb iguity about d irec tion in RCD 4.1.3 by referenc e to

jurid ica l direc tion (proposed 4.1.4)

4. Remove a mb iguity ab out who else c an sign a nd how signing relate s toapplic a tion for rec og nition b y the Instruments in RCD 4.1.5 (proposed

4.1.6)

5. Rem ove the lac k of c larity ab out the imp lic a tions of signing by esta b lishing

a sc hed ule of c ove nanting c hurc hes (proposed 4.1.7)

Sec tion 4.2 on Ma intena nc e o f Covena nt a nd Dispute Resolution

1. Clarify whose ta sk it is to ma intain and resolve d isputes, espec ially during

the transition p eriod . This is c lea rly the ta sk of the covena nting c hurche s as

represented on JSC (here RCD 4.2.1 as qua lified by RCD 4.2.7 is reworked

as proposed in 4.2.2).

2. Confirm that no b inding dec ision c an be imp osed on c hurches but a dd

(cf St And rew s Draft) tha t c ovena nting c hurc hes are ob liged to rec eiveand respond to req uests (Prop osed 4.2.3)

3. Reintrod uce med ia tion and rec onc ilia tion as imp eratives of the gospe l

tha t a re lacking in RCD (Prop osed 4.2.4 and 4.2.8)


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1. Include Introd uct ion of Covenant so integ rate d and a mend ab le

(Proposed 4.4.1)

2. Clarify am endment needs to involve only cove nanting c hurc hes

(Proposed 4.4.2

Proposed revision o f the Ridley text

What follows sets out:

ea c h c lause o f sec tion 4 of the Rid ley Covenant Dra ft (RCD), a c omme ntary on it and

a proposed red raft with any ad ditions to a c lause m arked in bo ld.

Proposed Pream ble

Eac h church a ffirms the following framework of proc ed ures, necessary for the

Covenants effective adoption, implementation, oversight, and ongoingengagement in a life of mutual Christian commitment and discipline and,

reliant on the Holy Spirit, eac h c hurc h c ommits itself to a life ac cording to

these guide lines.

Commentary

In its present form this section of the Covenant assumes that the Communion

will consist of both covenanting and non-covenanting Churches. However,the long-term goal of the Covenant process is a situation in which every

c hurc h that is pa rt of the Com munion w ill also b e a c ovena nting churc h.


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(e) while the na tional/ regional church

(province) is the no rm, the ACCSched ule alrea dy includes the United

Churches of South Asia and extra-provincial churches, dioceses and one

parish.

As the Instruments are recognised in section 3

of the Cove nant a nd p lay a key role in

maintaining the Covenant, it is desirable that

bec oming a C ovenant signato ry be gin a

relat ionship w ith the Instrument. Howeve r, the

Instruments must not b e b ound to a ccep tany b od y which subsc ribe s to the Cove nant

or to ac t within a rigid timeta ble.

(4.1.6) This Covenant bec om es ac tive fo r a

church w hen that c hurch ad opts the

Covenant.

The follow ing sub -sec tion of RCD refers to

covena nting c hurches and it is therefore

helpful that the se a re defined and that the

Cove nant sta tes how the y ca n be identifiedby requiring the m aintenanc e of an offic ial

schedule.

(4.1.7) A c hurch bec omes a covenanting c hurch

when it ad opts the Covenant. A schedule of

covenanting c hurches, though it does not in itself

signify memb ership in the Com munion, shall bema intained by the Instruments of Comm union.

4.2 The Maintena nc e o f the Covenant and Dispute Resolution

(4.2.6) Each church undertakes to put intoplac e such mechanisms, agenc ies or

institut ions, consistent with its ow n Constitut ion

and Ca nons, as can unde rtake to oversee the

ma intena nce of the a ffirma tions and

com mitments of the Covenant in the life of thatchurch, and to relate to the Instruments of

Com munion on ma tters pe rtinent to theCovenant.

The c urrent (4.2.6) should b e move d to openthis sec tion in orde r to emp hasise tha t the

p rimary responsibility for ma intenance o f the

Covena nt a nd d ispute resolution rests with

the covena nting churches themselves.

Similarly the new mechanisms, age nc ies orinstitutions should relate to othe r co vena nting

churches and not simply to the Instruments.

(4.2.1) Each covenanting c hurch undertakes to p utinto p lac e such mechanisms, agenc ies or

institut ions, consistent w ith its ow n Co nstitut ion a nd

Ca nons, as can unde rtake t o oversee the

ma intenance of the a ffirma tions and comm itments

of the Covenant in the life of that C hurch, and torelate to other covenanting c hurches and the

Instruments of Com munion on ma tte rs pertinent tothe Covenant.


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church, and to relate to the Instruments of

Com munion on ma tters pe rtinent to theCovenant.

(4.2.7) Partic ipa tion in the p roc esses set out in

this sec tion sha ll be limited to those m em bers of

the Instruments of Communion who a re

rep resenta tives of tho se c hurches who have

ad op ted the Co venant, or who are still in the

process of ado pt ion.

This c lause is c learly a ddressing the p rob lem

that those who have rejec ted t he covenant

canno t be involved in its ma intenance but it

c rea tes ma jor questions:

(1) What d oes it mea n to be still in the

process of adoption?(2) Does it refer simp ly to the JSC or to a ll the

Instruments in relat ion to any of the abo ve?The latter mea ns covena nting c hurches can

de termine involvement of othe r covena nting

churches in the Instruments irrespective of

views of others.

(3) It w ould nee d to refer also to t he

amendme nt p roc esses in RCD 4.4.2 below.

For these rea sons the a lternat ive set out inresponse to RCD 4.2.1 above is p refe rred

here.

Restoration and reconciliation must be theultima te go a l in any of these p roc esses; this

need s to be ma de explic it a s it w as in ea rlier

drafts

(4.2.8) If a c ovenanting c hurch is judged to haveac ted in a m anner incompa tible with the

Covenant , the co venanting mem bers of the Joint

Stand ing Com mittee, in consultation with the other

covenanting c hurches, must as soon a s isprac tica ble urge a proc ess of restoration with the

church involved.

4.3 [Withdrawing from and ] dec iding not to sign the Covenant

(4.3.1) Any c ovena nting c hurch may dec ide to Inc luding a p rovision for churches to


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ag reed conventions alongside the

Covena nt . This p rop osed c lause a pp lies thep rinc iples set out in our revised 4.2.5 and 4.2.7

above to add ress this situation.

Instruments. Eac h c ovenanting c hurch and eac h

Instrument commits itself to rec eive a nd determineits own response to such rec ommenda tions.


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4.4 The Covena nt Text a nd its am endment

(4.4.1) The Covenant c onsists of the text set outin this doc ume nt in the Prea mb le, Sec tions One

to Four and the Dec laration. The Introd uc tion to

the Covena nt Text, which sha ll a lways be

annexed to the Covenant te xt, is not p art of

the Covena nt, but shall be ac corded authorityin unde rstanding the p urpo se o f the Covena nt.

The Church of Eng land has consistentlyasked fo r the Introd uc tion to b e included. In

the RCD it c ontinues to ha ve a n ambiguous

(and now also unamendable) status. It is

preferab le to inc lude it within the Covena nt

as a who le.

(4.4.1) The Covena nt c onsists of the text set out inthis do cument in the Introduction, Prea mb le,

Sec tions One to Four and the Dec laration.

(4.4.2) Any cove nanting c hurch or Instrument of

Com munion may subm it a propo sal to the Joint

Stand ing Co mmittee for the a mendm ent of the

Covena nt. The Joint Sta nd ing Comm ittee sha ll

send the p rop osal to the Anglican Consultat ive

Counc il, to the Prima tes' Meeting a nd any

other bod y as it ma y co nside r ap propriate for

advice . The Joint Sta nd ing Comm ittee sha ll

ma ke a recom mend ation on the p ropo sal inthe light o f ad vice o ffered , and subm it theprop osa l with any revisions to the constitutiona l

bod ies of the c ove nanting churches. The

am end ment is op erative when rat ified by three

qua rte rs of suc h bod ies. The Joint Sta nd ing

Comm ittee shall ad op t a proced ure for

promulga tion of the amend ment.

This p roc ess nee ds to b e a dapted slight ly to

remove the a noma ly of non-covena nting

JSC m embers being so involved in ame nd ing

the Co vena nt. Presuma b ly RCD 4.2.7 wa s

intend ed to ap ply also to this c lause,

a lthough stric tly spea king it d oes not d o so.

(4.4.2) Any c ove nanting c hurch or Instrument of

Com munion ma y subm it a propo sal to the

covenanting mem bers of the Joint Sta nd ing

Comm ittee for the ame ndme nt of the Covenant.

They shall send the proposal to the Anglican

Consultative Co unc il, to the Primates' Meet ing a nd

any othe r bo dy a s they ma y co nside r ap propriate

for ad vice. They shall then make a

rec ommend at ion on the p rop osal in the light o fad vice o ffered , and subm it the p rop osal with any

revisions to the constitutional b od ies of t hecovena nting c hurches. The amendm ent is

op erative when rat ified by three qua rters of suchbod ies. The c ove nanting me mb ers of the Joint

Standing Com mittee shall ad op t a p roc ed ure for

promulga tion of the amend ment.

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