The agreement from the January Primates meeting in 2016 was broken when The Episcopal Church (TEC) took part in decision making on issues pertaining to polity and doctrine in Lusaka.  Equally damaging, was an attempt by the Anglican Communion Office to deny the fact by claiming that, technically, the process included no formal votes.  This is sophistry.

The Primates agreement in January was never limited to the narrow issue of the method of voting.  It said that “[The Episcopal Church] will not to take part in decision making on issues pertaining to polity or doctrine.”  [Primates 2016 Communique]

Whether a meeting uses a consensus model, or a voice vote, or paper ballots, or electronic ballots is of no relevance.  The Episcopal Church was not to take part in decision making on issues pertaining to polity or doctrine.  They did.

As the GAFCON Primates Council has said: “The future of the Anglican Communion does not lie with manipulations, compromises, legal loopholes, or the presentation of half-truths; the future of our Communion lies in humble obedience to the truth of the Word of God written.” [Gafcon Primates Communique, April 2016]

Archbishop Peter Jensen
General Secretary