Sydney responds to C of E covenant

The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, has responded to news that leading evangelicals in the Church of England have met with the Archbishop of Canterbury and presented a Covenant promoting “new, informal networks” among churches that are unable to maintain fellowship with Anglicans with whom they disagree.

Archbishop Jensen says he particularly supports local solutions to the present difficulties facing the Anglican Communion.

As a result he can see value in local covenants that link like-minded Anglicans.

“I know that the Church of England is facing critical questions which require sustained attention,” he told Sydneyanglicans.net.

“Hence I support the concern of those who have signed the covenant, seeking to address the current difficulties of those clergy and congregations who are in impaired communion with their bishop. I would encourage their efforts to seek a solution within the Church of England.”

Signatories to the covenant include many clergy well known to Sydney Anglicans including Bishop Wallace Benn, John Stott, Dick Lucas, Vaughan Roberts and upcoming CMS Summer School speaker William Taylor.

Those involved included representatives of Anglican Mainstream, Reform, the Church of England Evangelical Council, New Wine, and Crosslinks. These organisations are said to represent about 2000 congregations and at least one-quarter of the Church’s membership.

Canon Chris Sugden from Anglican Mainstream has told Church Times he is looking forward to a meeting in the new year with the Archbishop of Canterbury: “real discussions with real proposals and a real commitment to work on this together to find a good solution”.

Canon Sugden said the coalition had “warm support” from traditional Anglo-Catholics, and was also hoping to attract other “solid, central Church of England people”.

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