Anglican Women Commit to Communion at UN Commission Meeting

A group of Anglican women have stated their commitment to unity at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

The Anglican delegation consisted of about 80 women and made up the largest non-governmental representation at the UN session.

According to the Canada-based Anglican Journal, the women testified their desire to "remaining always 'in communion' with and for one another" following years of growing tensions in the worldwide body.

A statement from the women said: "We remain resolute in our solidarity with one another and in our commitment, above all else, to pursue and fulfil God's mission in all we say and do. The sisterhood of suffering is at the heart of our theology and our commitment to transforming the whole world through pace with justice. Rebuilding and reconciling the world is central to our faith."

The Anglican Communion made history at the UN gathering this year with the first ever representation of female delegates under the 18, said the Episcopal News Service.

Fifteen-year-old Deepti Steffi, representing the Church of North India, told an internet radio programme: "I am here to tell the stories of girls from my country who, because they do not have education, do not speak out for themselves."

In all, ten girls were sponsored by the Anglican Church to attend the gathering, coming from all across the world, including Australia, Burundi, Hong Kong, Kenya, north India, and the US.

Jenny Te Paa, commission delegate from Auckland, New Zealand, was a member of the Lambeth Commission on Communion, which produced the Windsor Report offering recommendations on how to heal divisions over sexuality in the Communion. She said: "What these (Anglican) leaders have failed to realise is that the priority focus for Anglican women always has been the pressing issues of life and death which are daily facing too many of the women and children of God's world - how can we compare the needless horrific suffering of women and girls being brutally raped when collecting firewood or water with the endless hysteria of male leaders wanting to debate whether gay men have full humanity or not?

"How can we compare the daily horror of living with war, with death, with utter human futility with the missiological preferences of those who want to argue a fine line argument about whose method of biblical interpretation is best?"