Archbishops face a "grilling" at ACC-17

Archbishop Thabo continues his account from Hong Kong on the work done on Wednesday and Thursday by the Anglican Consultative Council: 

In further sessions, we heard a report from the Communion's Safe Church Network, which was set up to develop guidelines to enhance the safety of all persons in the church, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Though time was limited, we started digging deeper into the regrettable pain of past and present abuses in the church, hearing voices from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The discussion has been reframed to recognise that the abuses have hurt and negatively affected the mission of the church and the imperatives of the Gospel. The key development is that we have received guidelines, liturgy and a resolution on how we can move together to make the church safe and inclusive.

We then listened to an intervention and study commissioned by the Church of England called “Living in Love and Faith,” which is intended to provide Christian teaching and learning about human identity, sexuality and marriage. This is work in progress.

Before dinner, I again went for a swim to keep up with my exercise regimen. The meals are too good and one cannot do without physical activity as well – after all, physical activity is also part of my spiritual and prayer life. Sea bass is my favorite fish and today I had sea bass with veggies for dinner. (I am careful about sharing my favorite meals publicly. In one diocese, I foolishly did that and almost every parish responded by preparing it abundantly until I announced that I was off that. So sea bass is my favorite only as a treat and when I say so!)

At an after-dinner session, we had an hour-long event called “grilling the Archbishop” in which we could ask Archbishop Justin anything we liked, from what made him happy or sad to decisions about Lambeth, Brexit, his prayer life, Donald Trump and his vision for the church in 25 years, including what his prayer needs were. This was useful, as it eased the frustrations of working in a highly-structured ACC meeting, allowing some informality and including voices that would otherwise not be heard.

On Thursday, there was time for photos, of the whole meeting, the Standing Committee, the Primates on the Standing Committee and of the tables around which we are grouped. If you scroll down below the video which follows, you can see the community I have spent more time with than anyone else here, in Bible study and group work at Table 3, including ACC members from South Sudan, Singapore, Tanzania, Australia, Spain and Chile (two people from each) as well as Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the Secretary General.

We also listened to theological feedback, of which the graphic - also below the video - gives you a flavour, and I joined Archbishop Justin and Bishop Jane Alexander, the Bishop of Edmonton in Canada, to face a grilling from a panel of Anglican Consultative Council youth members. That's the photo you see at the top of this entry, and the video which follows records the session.

ACC-17 focuses on ecumenical relations with WCC, Reformed and Catholic churches

Archbishop Thabo blogs on proceedings during the third day of the 17th meeting of the worldwide Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-17), being held in Hong Kong: 

We are halfway through ACC-17. Today, besides the rhythm of worship and Bible studies, we received reports and listened to greetings from ecumenical partners: His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew, and (from left in the second photo below) the World Council of Churches General Secretary, Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, the General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Revd Chris Ferguson, and Fr Tony Currer from the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity.

They all affirmed the Communion and appreciated our polity, especially our diversity and provisionality in polity as we continue walking together, seeking possible final answers to ecclesial and other questions.

We also adopted an enabling resolution that created a body within the Communion called the Reception Committee. This is a critical body which will receive ecumenical documents for the Communion instead of the Lambeth Conference, where time is at a premium. The committee will review the documents on behalf of, and with a select group from the ACC. This is an issue on which I have had robust discussion with the Communion’s Director of Unity, Faith and Order, Dr John Gibaut, who is sadly retiring.

Correction: The above report has been corrected since first published by clarifying that the Reception Committee will receive documents instead of the Lambeth Conference (not Lambeth Palace).

ACSA's youth rep does us proud in Hong Kong

Archbishop Thabo continues his reflections on the meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council being held in Hong Kong: 

The sessions at ACC-17 are progressing well and the daily rhythm is now established. Hong Kong's weather changes at any time – today is cloudy.

Today's main presentation is on intentional discipleship. In the photo you can see Fr Jerome Francis, our clergy rep to the ACC, and our youth rep, Ms Basetsana Makena, with me, and down the page you can see Basetsana doing us proud, interviewing the Anglican Communion Office directors of mission cluster group this afternoon. Below that you can see her at her meeting table and engaging others during tea breaks.

We listen to stories of faith around the globe and how, although there are challenges of money and lack of growth in some parts of the Communion, on the whole there is growth and excitement about mission in most provinces.

We also looked at a framework for catechesis for intentional discipleship in the Anglican Communion. Full of energy today, we were told that although we see longing, hurt and pain in the world, we are called to bring life, to change lives and to make disciples. The Holy Spirit will give us the heart of Jesus, the heart of discipleship, we also heard.

In the discussion of the Anglican Communion's five marks of mission, key issues raised were: a call for a prophetic voice on Argentina, where the number of women murdered is high; respect for the rights of refugees and migrants; and the challenges of climate change.

ACC-17 opens in Hong Kong - and an appeal to ACSA Dioceses

The ACSA delegation to ACC-17:
the Archbishop, Ms Louisa Mojela  and Canon Jerome Francis

Archbishop Thabo reports on the opening of the 17th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-17): 

#ACC-17 has officially opened with great fanfare and fine music, preaching and liturgy and worship. Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury preached powerfully, urging us to look beyond our bounds as we participate in God’s mission in the world.

Archbishop Paul Kwong, our gracious host and chair of the ACC standing committee, spoiled us with a reception of many courses, attended by numbers of people, including local leaders of other churches. A great day, full of energy although we went through it at a pace.

I could not help but note the plight of many domestic workers here in Hong Kong, who are on the whole migrants, sitting on the pavements of the city during their day off. They reflect the two diametrically opposed faces of Hong Kong.

With Sr. Patricia

Today we listened to various presentations and continued our Bible studies – on the road to Emmaus – and explored our theme of going deeper into international discipleship. The Secretary General, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, also presented his report to ACC.

I ended the day with a swim as the gym was full this evening. I also had a long chat with Sister Patricia of the Community of the Holy Name, a delightful and brilliant religious. It really is my wish and hope that each diocese in our Province should have a religious order.

A choir from Hong Kong

ACSA lay delegate Louisa Mojela

The opening service of ACC-17

Archbishop Thabo blogs from an Anglican meeting in Hong Kong

ACC-17 is being held at a hotel outside central Hong Kong. 

Archbishop Thabo blogs from a meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC). The council is one of the four "Instruments of Communion" of the world-wide Anglican family, the others being the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference and the Primates' Meeting. The ACC is the only body which includes bishops, other clergy and lay representatives.

After a two-hour delay at OR Tambo, we have arrived safely. Louisa Mojela from our Province and I are both on the council's standing committee and so have a meeting tomorrow before ACC-17 starts. It is labelled ACC-17 because this is the 17th time the body has met. The first meeting took place in Kenya in 1971 and the last time it happened in South Africa was when ACC-9 met in Cape Town in 1993 during the archiepiscopate of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The ACC is the most representative Anglican body in the Communion and receives reports of commissions, networks and the Anglican Communion Office in London. It also passes resolutions on Mission, Ministry and Anglican polity. The last meeting was in Zambia in 2016.

Louisa Mojela is our lay representative, Canon Jerome Francis is the clergy rep and I represent the episcopate. Louisa's and my terms both end now, and Canon Jerome has another three years. This time round, we will be joined by a youth rep, the Provincial Executive Officer, the Ven Horace Arenz, who will represent us on matters of administration, and Canon Rachel Mash of Green Anglicans, who will represent us on environmental matters.

It is warm here and it drizzled just a bit when I took my walk after dinner this afternoon. We have a full programme and ask for your prayers for our Province's delegation and everyone meeting here.

Responding to widespread flooding in South Africa

Archbishop Thabo today sent messages of solidarity and condolence to Dioceses affected by flooding in different parts of South Africa: the Diocese of Johannesburg after flooding in Alberton, Mthatha because of the dire situation in Port St Johns, Natal after floods in areas around Durban and Zululand over those in Empangeni.

He writes: "Our hearts go out to those affected and those who have lost loved ones. We send our love and prayers to them, our condolences to the families of those who have died, and wish a speedy recovery to those injured or displaced. We are concerned about the weather patterns in areas where there is not usually as much rain as they have experienced.

"We appeal once again for Anglicans to pray for those affected and and to show practical support and solidarity through food, shelter and other assistance that is needed."