By George Conger
THE May 9 meeting of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference will review the divisions in the Canadian diocese of New Westminster, The Church of England Newspaper has learned. Cheryl Chang, Executive Director of the Anglican Network in Canada, stated they had been advised by the Panel staff “that our application has been sent to the Panel members and is currently under consideration.”
Chartered by Archbishop Rowan Williams after the February 2005 Primates’ Meeting in Northern Ireland to offer mediation and guidance, the Panel has drawn criticism from the Primates for its dilatory pace. In November, Archbishop Drexel Gomez of the West Indies publicly chided the Panel, reminding them that the Panel had been formed as a “matter of urgency” to help arrest the crisis in the Communion. Since the Primates’ Meeting, the diocese of Recife in Brazil has split, with the majority under diocesan Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti moving from the Brazilian Church to the South American Church under the oversight of Archbishop Gregory Venables, and a rump under suffragan Bishop Filadelfo Oliveira remaining loyal to the Province.
In the US 67 congregations of former Episcopalians have formed under the oversight of overseas Primates and the Church of Nigeria has formed a Convocation of Anglicans in North America to provide refuge for both Nigerian emigrants unwilling to worship in the Episcopal Church and for Episcopalians at odds with the actions of the National Church. In an interview with The Church of England Newspaper in March, Ms Chang accused the Panel process of bias against traditionalists, claiming the staff favoured the Diocese of New Westminster in its summary of the dispute.
Following publication of charges, sources among the Global South primates coalition stated that several Primates approached Dr Williams sharing concerns over the timeliness of the process and the fairness of the staff summary of the New Westminster division. The New Westminster case had been handled strictly according to the Panel’s guidelines Canon Cameron said. The summary was distributed to the Panel in December, “primarily to the members of the Panel being asked by the Chair to lead the Panel’s work.”
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