FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2003
Contact: Bruce Mason
202-296-5360 202-296-5361 FAX
We are mainstream Anglican leaders from Provinces around the world comprising a majority of the world’s 75 million Anglicans.
We have gathered on the eve of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church out of profound love for the church and a deep concern for the constitutional crisis that confronts us.
The proposed actions by General Convention to confirm a non-celibate homosexual as a bishop of this Communion or to approve the creation of liturgies for the blessing of relationships outside of marriage would shatter the church.
Such unconstitutional actions by the Episcopal Church would:
- Separate it from historic Christian faith and teaching,
- Alienate it from the fellowship and accountability of the worldwide Anglican family, and
- Confuse the witness of the Church to the love and joy of Christian marriage.
In response to this crisis, we reaffirm our commitment to:
- The teaching of the historic Christian Church,
- Our fellowship with sisters and brothers in the global Anglican family, and
- The joyful proclamation of Christ’s love for the Church as reflected in the sacrament of marriage.
The proposed actions will precipitate a dramatic realignment of the Church. The American bishops at this meeting have prayed, planned and are prepared to respond as faithful members of the Anglican Communion.
Should these events occur, the majority of the Primates anticipate convening an extraordinary meeting at which they too will respond to the actions of General Convention.
July 23, 2003, Fairfax, VA
Signatories --
Archbishops:
The Most Rev. Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria (Primate)
The Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, Archbishop of the West Indies (Primate)
The Most Rev. Emmanuel Kolini, Archbishop of Rwanda (Primate)
The Most Rev. Bernard Malango, Archbishop of Central Africa (Primate)
The Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Archbishop of the Southern Cone (Primate)
The Most Rev. Yong Ping Chung, Archbishop of Southeast Asia (Primate)
The Most Rev. Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney
Episcopal Church USA:
The Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman
The Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith
The Rt. Rev. David Bena
The Rt. Rev. Maurice Benitez
The Rt. Rev. Gordon Charlton
The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan
The Rt. Rev. Bertram Herlong
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Herzog
The Rt. Rev. John Howe
The Rt. Rev. Jack Iker
The Rt. Rev. Stephen Jecko
The Rt. Rev. Edward Salmon
The Rt. Rev. Henry Scriven
The Rt. Rev. William Skilton
The Rt. Rev. James Stanton
The Rev. Donald Armstrong
The Rev. Canon Dr. Alison Barfoot
The Rev. Gregory Brewer
The Rev. Praveen Bunyan
The Rev. Geoffrey Chapman
The Rev. John Guernsey
The Rev. David Harper
The Rev. William Ilginfritz
The Very Rev. Rick Lobs
The Rev. Ron McCrary
The Rev. Canon Martyn Minns
The Rev. David Moyer
The Rev. Ephraim Radner
The Rev. David Roseberry
The Rev. James Simons
The Rev. William Thompson
The Rev. John Yates
The Rev. Alfred Zadig
The Rev. Dr. Kendall Harmon
The Rev. Dr. Christopher Seitz
The Very Rev. Philip Turner
The Rev. Canon David Anderson
Mr. A. Hugo Blankingship
Ms. Melissa Bixler
Mr. Lee Buck
Mr. Robert Devlin
Mrs. Nara Duncan
Mr. Mark Jakubik
Mrs. Diane Knippers
Mr. Bruce Mason
Mr. R. Wicks Stephens
Ms. Edwina Thomas
Mr. Frank Trane
Canada:
The Rt. Rev. Tony Burton
Other International:
The Ven. Paul Gardner
Dr. Philip Giddings
The Rev. Canon Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff
The Rev. Canon Vinay Samuel
The Rev. Canon Chris Sugden
The Rev. Timothy Smith