Statement by Network of Anglican Mainstream - June 25th

A group of 35 Anglican  leaders from around the world met in Oxford in response to the current crisis precipitated by the nomination of Canon Jeffrey John as area Bishop of Reading. The meeting called on Dr John to withdraw his acceptance. Present at the meeting were one leading Primate, Archbishop Drexel Gomez of West Indies , five bishops, clergy and lay people from Oxford Diocese and the leaders of the Church of England Evangelical Council , Reform, New Wine and the American Anglican Council. Discussion centred on the relationship between this crisis and similar events unfolding in the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church of the United States:

“We urge Dr Jeffrey John to withdraw his acceptance. This appointment flouts the mainstream Anglican teaching on human sexuality. We believe that if he is consecrated, the unity of the Church of England and Anglican Communion will be disrupted. We are concerned and praying for Canon John who has become the focus of this major Anglican controversy, which we believe was definitively settled at the Lambeth Conference 1998 in Resolution 1.10.

We discussed strategies that would help Oxford clergy and lay people caught up in the midst of this crisis. We are committed to the Church’s ministry of offering hope and transformation to all people, in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Note:

Key parts of Lambeth Resolution 1.10 state:

d) while rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture calls on all our people to minister pastorally and sensitively to all irrespective of sexual orientation and to condemn irrational fear of homosexuals, violence within marriage and any trivialisation and commercialisation off sex;

e) cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions…”

A second Primate, Bishop Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone has also signalled his acceptance of the statement

Contact: Chris Sugden 0780 829 7043

List of participants:

The Archbishop of the West Indies , the Most Rev Drexel Gomez
The Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone, Bishop Gregory Venables
The Bishop of Dallas, the Rt Rev James Stanton
The Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Rev Wallace Benn
Bishop Maurice Sinclair, former Primate of the Southern Cone
Bishop David Evans, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion
The Ven Dr Paul Gardner, Archdeacon of Exeter and Chairman of the Church of England Evangelical Council
The Rev John Coles, Chairman of New Wine
The Rev David Banting
Canon David Anderson, Chairman of the American Anglican Council
Canon Martyn Minns, Chairman of Church Army USA
The Rev Mike Parker, Evangelical Alliance UK and Evangelical Fellowship of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Mr Mark Birchall, former Chairman of the Evangelical Group in General Synod
The Rev Mark Melluish, Vicar of St Paul’s Ealing
The Rev Dr Richard Turnbull, Chair of the House of Clergy, Diocese of Winchester
The Rev Professor Christopher Seitz, St Andrew’s University , Scotland

Oxford Diocese

Dr Philip Giddings, Greyfriars Church Reading and Archbishops’ Council
The Rev Paul Williams, the Vicar of Gerrards Cross
The Rev John Chorlton, Area Dean of Oxford
The Rev Andrew Wingfield-Digby, Vicar of St Andrew’s, Oxford
The Rev Will Stileman, Vicar of Chesham
The Rev Roger Salisbury, Vicar of Great Chesham
The Rev Piers Bickersteth, Vicar of Arborfield, Reading
The Rev Vaughan Roberts, Vicar of St Ebbe’s, Oxford
The Rev Charlie Cleverley, Vicar of St Aldates, Oxford
The Rev Dr Andrew Goddard, Wycliffe Hall
The Rev Dr Peter Walker, Wycliffe Hall
Canon Dr Christopher Sugden, Licensed Priest, Oxford Diocese
Mr Michael Ramsden, Churchwarden, St Aldates, Oxford
Canon Professor Michael Green, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford