Network joins Western Hemisphere Alliance
Following a conference July 6-8 in Nassau that gathered dozens of leaders from across North and South America and the Caribbean, plans for a new body committed to the historic Anglican faith and formularies have been announced. Inspired by the effective witness of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), Archbishops Drexel Gomez and Gregory Venables announced plans for the formation of the Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean (CAPAC).
Initial steps organizing CAPAC were taken by the two Archbishops and the Moderators of the U.S. and Canadian Networks, leading to the creation of a body that will “enable coordination, cooperation, collaboration, and communication, and to encourage mission as well as resource theological education and ministry of the Gospel in the Caribbean and the Americas.”
It has become necessary because of the confusion and theological chaos that has been introduced in the region by the unilateral actions of the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada, which have departed from historic Anglican faith and practice. The ensuing conflict has drained huge amounts of energy and resources from the mission of the church around the world. CAPAC is being organized to reenergize mission and ministry in the region.
The Covenant of Understanding signed by the four leaders will be shared with their provinces/organizations for discussion and ratification. Archbishop Drexel Gomez said, “This is important for the future of the faith. As we move ahead, it must be on an agreed theological foundation. We envision CAPAC not only to build on the theological foundation of Anglicanism, but also to seek to collaborate with structures like the Instruments of Unity and the Panel of Reference.”
Bishop Robert W. Duncan, Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network in the U.S., said, “There has been an increase in incidents of unfair and excessive action by liberal bishops against clergy and congregations who share the faith and values of the majority of the Communion. Not only has mission been undermined, but theological innovations in the region have increased in stridence.”
Spokesman for the group, Canon Bill Atwood said, “It is important for those who share Anglican faith and practice to support clergy and congregations who are ‘in serious theological dispute’ with their bishop or province. While the Panel of Reference has been formed to monitor provisions for adequate episcopal care, its slow start and pace have left many clergy and congregations in even greater peril. Faithfully engaging mission means both reaching out to the unchurched and caring for those inside the church.”
One of the most exciting aspects of CAPAC’s formation is a plan to gather Spanish theological resources and translate other key documents into Spanish. Other major languages of the region will follow.
A Covenant of Understanding
As the fundamental principle of our common life, we share our commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and seek to lead all people to have faith in His saving grace.
Being inheritors of a great missionary tradition that brought the apostolic faith to this hemisphere, we express our profound gratitude to our Anglican forebears for the spiritual legacy they have delivered to us. We have been strengthened by decades of mutual encouragement through many effective companion diocese relationships, mission trips, and other shared mission opportunities. Therefore, as Communion-committed Anglicans, we covenant to walk together to maintain and further our witness as Anglicans.
Inspired by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) we commit to forming The Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean (CAPAC) in order to provide regional solutions to regional needs. Membership in CAPAC is open to provinces, dioceses, and recognized networks and ministries in the region that remain committed to conform to the historic Anglican formularies and have endorsed the theological position of the Windsor Report. CAPAC is a covenanted affiliation of Communion-committed Anglicans organized to enable coordination, cooperation, collaboration, and communication, and to encourage mission as well as resource theological education and ministry of the Gospel in the Caribbean and the Americas.
We declare:
- A commitment to the primacy of Scripture as presented in the classical Anglican formularies.
- Our understanding of faith and practice conforms to the theological standards described in the Windsor Report Sections A & B, which we affirm and to which we wholeheartedly subscribe.
- We are committed to advance our witness, cooperation, and common cause in the Gospel with others of like theological commitment and practice in our hemisphere and collaborating with those who embrace the historic apostolic faith.
- Our intention to encourage and resource the ongoing life of the Anglican Communion in this hemisphere in mission, ministry and sacramental life together with others of this theological persuasion. We are particularly concerned that Anglican theological and liturgical resources be developed in the major languages of the region and that plans be made to discern, articulate and pursue a faithful strategy for mission among the various national and cultural groups.
- A remarkable breadth of diversity bridged and united among us as Communion-committed Anglicans.
- A common call to unify Communion-committed Anglicans currently fragmented by history and the present strident challenges to the historic faith and, in some places, the tragic oppression of faithful Christians. Intending to serve the wider communion by addressing the numerous overlapping jurisdictions in our hemisphere, CAPAC seeks to provide a solution in the context of the wider Anglican Communion.
Cognizant that it may be necessary to establish interim, provisional measures for mission and ministry, we fully intend to pursue cooperation with the Instruments of Unity of the Anglican Communion in compliance with the Windsor Report and the direction of the Lambeth Conference of 1998.
We purpose to move forward by establishing a steering committee representing the constituent provinces, conforming national networks, and dioceses that share these theological values.
The Episcopal Steering Committee is hereby established incorporating the Bishops who lead the first four organized entities entering into this Covenant:
The Primate of the Southern Cone
The Primate of the West Indies
The Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network in the USA (and Chair of Common Cause in the United States)
The Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada
Provisions are also hereby made for such executive and administrative support as agreed by the Episcopal Steering Committee.
Approved unanimously by the participants of the Anglican Pan American Conference gathered in Nassau, Bahamas, July 6-8, 2005, and attested to by the signatures hereto affixed by the Episcopal leaders of the founding entities.
(Signed)
The Most Rev. Drexel W. Gomez
Archbishop of the West Indies
The Most Rev. Gregory J. Venables
Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone
The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan
Moderator, Anglican Communion Network
The Rt. Rev. Donald F. Harvey
Moderator, Anglican Network in Canada