Church Society call for Windsor Report to be dismissed

The Church Society has heavily condemned the recently released Windsor Report on homosexuality. The conservative group within the Anglican Communion released a statement saying that it was “bitterly disappointed”, and called on leaders to scrap the report when it comes to their upcoming gathering.

The Windsor Report, which was released on 18th October, was the result of a project set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev. Rowan Williams. Williams set up a group named “The Lambeth Commission” to undertake the year-long project, to investigate ways in which to maintain unity within the strained Anglican Communion after the heated theological debates on homosexuality.

The group reported, “We are bitterly disappointed with the recent report of the Lambeth Commission. Despite the effort that has gone into the report it does not effectively address the serious underlying issues nor does it provide proper pastoral care to the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) and Canada.”

The debate over homosexuality in the Church has continuously strained relations between conservative and liberal Anglicans since the ordination of the openly homosexual bishop, Gene Robinson, in the Episcopal Church, USA.

The Windsor Report did gently rebuke the ECUSA for its actions, which have generated a widening schism, and in fact even called for those involved with the ordination of Robinson to “express regret” for the harm they had caused to the Communion.

This calling even generated a response from Gene Robinson, who in fact followed the request but only expressed regret on a superficial level. He stated that he regretted the split created by the ordination but also said that he was not sorry that he was elected.

The report by the Lambeth Commission rebuked the conservative wing of the Anglican Church though for breaking fellowship with the ECUSA, and requested that they make an immediate apology for their actions.

However, the vast majority of these conservative bishops were African, and they adamantly refused to express regret, and described the idea as “offensive”.

In a statement the African Bishops wrote, “To call on us to 'express regret' and reassert our commitment to the Communion is offensive in light of our earlier statements. If the Episcopal Church USA had not wilfully 'torn the fabric of our communion at its deepest level' our actions would not have been necessary. We reject the moral equivalence drawn between those who have initiated the crisis and those of us in the Global South who have responded to cries for help from beleaguered friends.”

The African Bishops have very similar views to those expressed by the Church Society, “If the report's recommendations are followed it will allow immorality to fester. In time it will destroy the churches of the Anglican Communion and the spiritual lives of their members.”

“Decisive action” was called for by the Church Society, as they suggested that the Windsor Report be set aside of their meeting in February 2005, “What is needed is clear action and discipline without creating international structures that will undermine the historic nature of Anglicanism. We hope that when the leaders of the Communion meet in February they will set aside the Windsor report and take decisive action.”

The statement concluded, “There must be a clear rebuke to the provinces of the United States and Canada, together with a call to repentance. Christian repentance always involves putting right what is wrong. Until this is done the provinces concerned should be declared to be outside the Communion. They must not be involved in any of its central bodies.”