ANGLICAN COMMUNION COVENANT #015-03-13-03 : Proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official10405
- Date
- 2013 March 14-17
- Type
- Resolution 13-03-13
- Mover
- Chancellor David Jones
- Seconder
- The Ven. Harry Huskins
- Prologue
- Archdeacon Harry Huskins advised that this Covenant was considered at General Synod in 2010 and that Resolution A137 directed the Governance Working Group to prepare a report about the legal and constitutional implications and consequences presented to the Anglican Church of Canada by the proposed Anglican Communion Covenant. The GWG issued its report in June 2011. Archdeacon Huskins paid tribute to former Primate, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, and to Archbishop Hiltz for their efforts and he described the rationale for this resolution now presented to COGS. He requested members to respond to the following questions:
- 1. Is the following text what COGS wishes to forward to General Synod, and
- 2. How can it best be presented at General Synod?
- Proposed Resolution
- That the following resolution be forwarded to General Synod 2013:
- Resolved that General Synod:
- 1. receive the final text of The Covenant for the Anglican Communion;
- 2. request that materials be prepared under the auspices of the Anglican Communion Working Group, for parishes and dioceses in order that study and consultation be undertaken on The Covenant for the Anglican Communion;
- 3. request that conversations, both within the Anglican Church of Canada and across the Communion, reflect the values of openness, transparency, generosity of spirit, and integrity, which have been requested repeatedly in the context of the discussion of controversial matters within the Communion;
- 4. request that the proposed Covenant be referred to the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee and to the Governance Working Group in order to support these conversations by providing advice on the theological, ecclesiological, legal, and constitutional implications of a decision to adopt or not to adopt the Covenant;
- 5. direct the Council of General Synod, after this period of consultation and study, to bring a recommendation regarding adoption of the Covenant for the Anglican Communion to the General Synod of 2013.
- Act 74 of GS 2010
- As a result of this resolution:
- - In June 2011, the Anglican Covenant Working Group prepared and issued materials entitled Exploring the Anglican Communion Covenant—A Study Kit for Individuals, Congregations and Dioceses. This study guide is designed to help people in parishes and dioceses dig more deeply into the wording of the Covenant, and the meaning behind the words, and to discuss together what the implications of adoption might be.
- - In June 2011, the Governance Working Group prepared and issued its report entitled Legal and Constitutional Issues Presented to the Canadian Church by the Proposed Anglican Covenant. The GWG’s report discusses legal issues arising from the definitions and procedures in the Covenant; constitutional issues which the Covenant presents to the Canadian Church; and the consequences of not adopting the Covenant.
- - In November 2012, the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee presented its report to COGS about the Theological and Ecclesiastical Reflections on the Adoption or Non-Adoption of the Anglican Communion Covenant. FWM’s Reflections can be found at
- Since General Synod 2010:
- - At the Fall 2011 meeting of the House of Bishops, the Primate asked each Bishop to describe how their diocese was studying and considering the Covenant. This process is still underway. No consensus has yet emerged about what decision the Canadian Church should make about adopting the Covenant.
- - Some Churches in the Communion have adopted (or subscribed) to the Covenant; others have made a decision not to adopt it; others have determined that their constitutions and canons prevent them from adopting the Covenant, even if they are in general accord with some parts of it; and numerous others are still in the process of considering whether or not to adopt it.
- - The Anglican Consultative Council did not make a decision about the future of the Covenant at its meeting in New Zealand in late 2012, but will consider this question at its next meeting in 2016.
- - Apart from the issue of whether to adopt the Covenant, there remains a strong and vibrant commitment by the Canadian Church to the life and witness of the Anglican Communion, which is manifested in many ways.
- Given these developments in the Canadian Church and the Communion, the Council of General Synod recommends the following resolution to General Synod 2013:
- - Resolved that General Synod:
- -- 1. request the conversation in the Anglican Church of Canada about the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion continue during the next triennium, and
- -- 2. direct the Council of General Synod to bring a recommendation regarding the adoption of the Covenant to General Synod 2016.
- Ms. Martha Gardner provided details with respect to a resolution embraced in 2012 by TEC on the Covenant.
- Lengthy discussion ensued and it was agreed that the text required modification.
- Motion to Table
- Moved by: The Rt. Rev. James Cowan
- Seconded by: The Ven. Harry Huskins
- That the proposed resolution regarding the Covenant be tabled.
- ADOPTED
- Motion to Lift from the Table
- Moved by: Chancellor David Jones
- That the proposed resolution regarding the Covenant be lifted from the table.
- The Chancellor introduced an amendment for consideration (see item 1 below in italics) with respect to the final paragraphs of the resolution, which was agreed:
- [N.B. Italics in electronic text indicated by text enclosed in quotation marks.]
- "1. request the conversation in the Anglican Church of Canada about the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion continue during the next triennium;"
- 2. request the Anglican Communion Working Group to monitor continued developments about the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion and report to the Spring 2016 meeting of the Council of General Synod; and
- 3. direct the Council of General Synod to bring a recommendation regarding the adoption of the Covenant to General Synod 2016.
- Text of motion
- That the following amended resolution be forwarded to General Synod 2013:
- General Synod 2013
- Resolution
- Subject: The Proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion
- Background:
- General Synod 2010 passed the following resolution:
- Resolved that General Synod
- 1. receive the final text of The Covenant for the Anglican Communion;
- 2. request that materials be prepared under the auspices of the Anglican Communion Working Group, for parishes and dioceses in order that study and consultation be undertaken on The Covenant for the Anglican Communion;
- 3. request that conversations, both within the Anglican Church of Canada and across the Communion, reflect the values of openness, transparency, generosity of spirit, and integrity, which have been requested repeatedly in the context of the discussion of controversial matters within the Communion;
- 4. request that the proposed Covenant be referred to the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee and to the Governance Working Group in order to support these conversations by providing advice on the theological, ecclesiological, legal, and constitutional implications of a decision to adopt or not to adopt the Covenant;
- 5. direct the Council of General Synod, after this period of consultation and study, to bring a recommendation regarding adoption of the Covenant for the Anglican Communion to the General Synod of 2013.
- Act 74 of GS 2010
- - In June 2011, the Anglican Covenant Working Group prepared and issued materials entitled Exploring the Anglican Communion Covenant—A Study Kit for Individuals, Congregations and Dioceses. This study guide is designed to help people in parishes and dioceses dig more deeply into the wording of the Covenant, and the meaning behind the words, and to discuss together what the implications of adoption might be.
- - In June 2011, the Governance Working Group prepared and issued its report entitled Legal and Constitutional Issues Presented to the Canadian Church by the Proposed Anglican Covenant. The GWG’s report discusses legal issues arising from the definitions and procedures in the Covenant; constitutional issues which the Covenant presents to the Canadian Church; and the consequences of not adopting the Covenant.
- - In November 2012, the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee presented its report to COGS about the Theological and Ecclesiastical Reflections on the Adoption or Non-Adoption of the Anglican Communion Covenant.
- Since General Synod 2010:
- - At the Fall 2011 meeting of the House of Bishops, the Primate asked each Bishop to describe how their diocese was studying and considering the Covenant. This process is still underway. No consensus has yet emerged about what decision the Canadian Church should make about adopting the Covenant.
- - Some Churches in the Communion have adopted (or subscribed) to the Covenant; others have made a decision not to adopt it; others have determined that their constitutions and canons prevent them from adopting the Covenant, even if they are in general accord with some parts of it; and numerous others are still in the process of considering whether or not to adopt it.
- - The Anglican Consultative Council did not make a decision about the future of the Covenant at its meeting in New Zealand in late 2012, but will consider this question at its next meeting in 2016.
- - Apart from the issue of whether to adopt the Covenant, there remains a strong and vibrant commitment by the Canadian Church to the life and witness of the Anglican Communion, which is manifested in many ways.
- Given these developments in the Canadian Church and the Communion, the Council of General Synod recommends the following resolution to General Synod 2013:
- - Resolved that General Synod:
- - 1. request the conversation in the Anglican Church of Canada about the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion continue during the next triennium;
- - 2. request the Anglican Communion Working Group to monitor continued developments about the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion and report to the Spring 2016 meeting of the Council of General Synod; and
- - 3. direct the Council of General Synod to bring a recommendation regarding the adoption of the Covenant to General Synod 2016.
- ADOPTED #13-03-13
- Notes
- Discussion continued and it was agreed that a report submitted by the Anglican Church of Canada to the Anglican Consultative Council-15, which met in the Fall of 2012, could be used as a background document to provide information about the above resolution in the General Synod Convening Circular.
- Subjects
- Anglican Covenant
- Anglican Church of Canada - Relations - Anglican Communion
- Anglican Church of Canada. Anglican Covenant Working Group
- Anglican Church of Canada. Governance Working Group
- Anglican Church of Canada. Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee