Anglican Communion Network

ACN Council Communiqué

The Anglican Communion Network (ACN) met in Council April 18-20, 2005, in Bedford, Texas. As we celebrated the strong growth, momentum and vital ministry of the ACN; the gathering focused on critical issues such as church planting, global mission, ministry to youth, and outreach to the poor. The crisis of the Anglican Communion also figured predominantly in our discussions. We reaffirmed our unequivocal commitment to the Anglican Communion and the faith and practice of historic Anglicanism. We agreed to the following statements as representing the mind of the house:

1. We give thanks for the Primates’ Communiqué reaffirming the 1998 Lambeth Conference Resolution 1.10 as the present position of the Anglican Communion, and we urge the General Convention to repent of its actions which have alienated the Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion and to affirm its intention to remain a constituent member of the Anglican Communion by complying with the primates’ requests (paragraph 17).
2. The primates of the Anglican Communion at their meeting in Newry called “as a matter of urgency” for a panel of reference (paragraph 15), and yet as of this date, the panel has not been organized. We implore the Archbishop of Canterbury to organize this panel immediately to help ensure the protection of beleaguered parishes and clergy of the Episcopal Church.
3. We requested that ACN Moderator Robert Duncan send a letter to Pope Benedict XVI expressing our greetings and support, thanking him for upholding the historic teaching and faith of the Church. We anticipate with joy his continued efforts to build bridges between the separated branches of God’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
4. We express our urgent desire that the Anglican Communion Network continue to work diligently to build formal relationships with Anglican jurisdictions not currently in communion with Canterbury, to solidify those relationships, and to work for structural unity with them.
5. We denounce the response of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church to send a full delegation to the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) meeting in Nottingham as further evidence of the arrogance of our church and a direct refusal to comply with the letter and the spirit of the Primates’ Communiqué issued at the Newry meeting.
6. Six priests of the diocese of Connecticut — the Rev. Allyn Benedict, Christ Church, Watertown; the Rev. Ronald S. Gauss, Bishop Seabury, Groton; the Rev. Mark Hansen, St. John’s, Bristol; the Rev. Donald Helmandollar, Trinity, Bristol; the Rev. Christopher Leighton, St. Paul’s, Darien; and the Rev. Gil Wilkes, Christ and the Epiphany, East Haven — are under threat of inhibition by Andrew Smith, Bishop of Connecticut. These priests and their congregations have been faithful to Scripture, to the historic faith and order of Anglicanism, and to the communion. Bishop Smith’s charge of “abandonment of communion” is unfounded and unsubstantiated, and his threat of inhibition and ultimate deposition represents an abuse of canonical power. We stand in solidarity with these godly men and the congregations they shepherd. We condemn the actions of Bishop Smith and pledge our ongoing support to the six clergy and churches in Connecticut as well as to all those across the nation who are experiencing harassment and persecution by their bishops.