Letter to Archbishop Jensen

Thankfully something is happening at Anglicans Together.

They have composed a letter to be presented in sympathetic parishes regarding the refusal of Sydney Bishops to attend Lambeth.
It is much more polite than anything I would compose, however I am publishing it here for the the many Anglicans in the Diocese of Sydney who may attend unsympathetic parishes or where the Rector is unwilling to put his neck on the line. They may like to copy and sign it individually and send to the Archbishop.

The Archbishop’s address is
PO Box Q 190
QVB Post Office 1230.

PARISHIONERS’ LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP

Dear Archbishop Peter,

We - the undersigned parishioners of ............................................................. – respect your sole authority to decide whether to attend the 2008 Lambeth Conference or not. We write to say that we are profoundly disappointed at your decision, as announced Saturday 2 February. We would like you to reconsider your decision, prayerfully, on the following grounds:

. this decision has clearly alienated you from most of Australia’s Anglican bishops, including this Province of which you are Metropolitan;
. your decision, in conjunction with your decision to take a prominent role in the Global Anglican Future Conference, appears to many to be at variance with your professed claims of commitment to and prayers for the Anglican Communion;


. the grounds given for your decision – standing for Biblical truth – impugn the integrity of many parishes and parishioners of this Diocese, who conscientiously seek to take the Bible with absolute seriousness in their Christian discipleship and evangelism, yet maintain different interpretations;
. the grounds of your decision suggest that authentic Christian belief and discipleship are inseparable from the most stringent interpretation of all biblical texts, which detracts from justification by faith alone;
. you and the other bishops have much to contribute and much to gain from Lambeth, with its rich, complex, and diverse engagement with fellow bishops, and its focus on equipping bishops to fulfil their leadership role in God’s mission;
. our experience is that bishops who have attended Lambeth Conferences in the past have returned with new energy and enthusiasm which they have then imparted to their dioceses, so we believe the Diocese of Sydney will be impoverished by your absence.

We therefore respectfully ask you again to reconsider your decision.

If you decide that you personally cannot attend, we ask that at least one of the Assistant Bishops attend, so we of the Diocese can benefit accordingly.

In His name,