Resolutions

Resolutions of ACC-4

1. Anglican-Reformed Relations
2. Anglican-Orthodox Relations
3. The Filioque Clause
4. Response to ARCIC Statements
5. Future Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations
6. New Zealand Unity Proposals
7. Full Communion with Other Episcopal Churches
8. Dialogue on Ordination of Women
9. Tasks Facing the Anglican Communion
10.  Human Rights
11.  Another Anglican Congress
12.  Service in the World-Wide Church
13.  Pensions
14.  Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission
15.  Inter-Anglican Dialogue on Women in the Priesthood
16.  Guidelines on Provincial Constitutions, etc.
17.  Constitutions: Korea, Francophone Dioceses
18.  Extra-Provincial Dioceses
19.  Criteria for Dioceses seeking Autonomy
20.  Criteria for New Dioceses
21.  New Bishops
22.  A Common Lectionary
23.  Accounts and Budgets
24.  Personal Emergencies Fund
25.  Charitable Status of ACC
26.  Review of Constitution
27.  Schedule of Membership
28.  Duration of Membership
29.  Primates' Meetings
30.  Anglican Clergy in Exile
31.  The Future of Iona

Resolution 1: Anglican-Reformed Relations.

The Council accepts the recommendations of the Anglican-Reformed Consultation of 1978 and therefore resolves to enter into dialogue with the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

Resolution 2: Anglican-Orthodox Relations

The Council re-affirms its commitment to Anglican-Orthodox dialogue and calls for the continuance of the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Discussions at the official and international level.

Resolution 3: The Filioque Clause

The Council:

1. endorses the 1978 Lambeth Conference resolution 35.3 to consider the omission of the Filioque Clause of the Nicene Creed;
2. requests the Anglican members of the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Discussions to prepare explanatory material for use by Synods on both the historical and theological issues involved, noting with interest the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches ' document in preparation, asking the Joint Doctrinal Discussions to take the completed document into consideration, and to be responsible for any necessary consultation with other Churches of the Western tradition;
3. recommends that the issue be discussed by the Churches when the explanatory material has been prepared, in the context of a renewal and reaffirmation of the living experience of the one God in Trinity ; and a new consideration of the relation of the person and work of the Holy Spirit to the person and work of Christ.

Resolution 4: Response to ARCIC Statements

The Council requests the Secretary General to initiate an inquiry of the member churches concerning the most appropriate way in which the for Communion as a whole should be able to respond to the three Agreed Statements of the ARCIC, and to the results of international bilateral dialogues in general, and to report to ACC-5.

Resolution 5: Future Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations

The Council requests the Secretary General

1. to initiate discussion with the Roman Catholic Church, through the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, preparatory to the establishment of a new Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission;
2. in the event of a positive response from the Vatican, to take the necessary steps for the establishment of such a Joint Commission.

Resolution 6: New Zealand Unity Proposals

In answer to the Provincial Commission on Church Union of the Anglican Church of the Province of New Zealand the Council:

1. commends the intention of the Province to continue towards the goal of visible unity with all Christian Churches of New Zealand despite the failure of the earlier Plan of Union to gain complete acceptance;
2. believes the step-by-step approach to visible unity on the basis of a covenant is realistic and well founded, particularly with the assurance that the statement on ministry in the earlier Plan of Union is a sine qua nonfor its acceptance by the General Synod;
3. draws attention to the Province's general acceptance of the ARCIC Agreed Statement on Ministry and Ordination as an additional explication of its understanding of ministry;
4. hopes that in the working out of the Covenant, the essentials for that unity to which the Covenanting Churches are proceeding will be more clearly enunciated; the historic episcopate and the common necessary elements for ordination being integral parts;
5. affirms that, given the foregoing, the method and intention of the Unification of Ministries should prove to be both adequate and creative in this first stage of the coming together of the participating Churches in worship, life and mission.

Resolution 7: Full Communion with Other Episcopal Churches

The Council requests the Secretary General to commission a theological study on the implications of full communion between the Churches of the Anglican Communion and other Episcopal Churches, in consultation with those Churches, taking into account the report of the Iberian Churches Commission, and to bring this study to the attention of ACC-5.

Resolution 8: Dialogue on Ordination of Women

Because of the ecumenical consequences of the ordination of women, the Council affirms the importance of ecumenical participation in inter- Anglican dialogue concerning this matter, particularly by those non- Anglican Churches with which Anglicans are already in national or international dialogue.

Resolution 9: Tasks Facing the Anglican Communion

The Council requests the Secretary General to establish a procedure where- by during the next five years more serious study and review can be undertaken of

1. the tasks before us as a Communion;
2. the setting of priorities and allocation of resources for mission and development on a Communion-wide basis; and
3. the finding of ways and means of collaboration with other Christian bodies in mission and evangelism.

Resolution 10: Human Rights

The Council calls upon its member churches and individuals to concern themselves with human rights and responsibilities, reflecting upon them in the light of the Gospel, so that Christians may be as well informed about them as possible; and asks, more specifically, that the churches

1. study in particular the attitudes of the several societies in which they are themselves situated, developing a Christian approach to actions appropriate to their situations;
2. rigorously assess their own structures, attitudes and modes of working to ensure the promotion of human rights within them, and to seek to make the church truly an image of God's just Kingdom and witness in todays world;
3. themselves take actions consistent with Christian principles and support such actions by others, and to involve themselves in all possible ways with the struggles of people who are denied human rights.

Resolution 11: Another Anglican Congress

The Council, taking note of the suggestion contained in the Report of the 1978 Lambeth Conference that another Anglican Congress might be desirable, refers this matter to the Standing Committee with the request for a report and recommendation to ACC-5.

Resolution 12: Service in the World-Wide Church

The Council encourages world-wide service by clergy and lay servants of the Church and recommends the above guide-lines to the member Churches in facilitating and enabling such service.

Resolution 13: Pensions

The Council requests the President and the Secretary General to take the initiative in convening a meeting of appropriate persons from within the Church with expertise in pension planning to explore ways of obtaining pertinent information on pension plans, retirement patterns and government regulations as they pertain to pension planning. It asks that Standing Committee shall be kept informed and appropriate steps taken to disseminate to the member Churches the information gathered.

Resolution 14: Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission

The Council recommends:

1. THAT an Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission be set up.
2. THAT
   1. the appointment of such a commission will involve careful consideration of geographical and cultural representation, age, sex and other factors, in addition to considerations of theological competence;
   2. the appointment shall be made, following the Standing Committee meeting in 1980, by the President of the Anglican Consultative Council ( the Archbishop of Canterbury ) and the Secretary General after consultation with the Primates' Meeting in November 1979;
   3. the initial subjects, for the Commission to study and report on, shall be decided by the Standing Committee in 1980 after it has been informed of subjects that are already under consideration by Provincial Commissions and by Provinces and extra-Provincial dioceses that do not have doctrinal commissions,' and that care should be taken not to duplicate work done by bodies including international commissions,'
   4. as part of the work of the Commission the individual members will be expected to confer as widely as possible and with other Provinces of the Anglican Communion not represented on the Commission,'
   5. the Commission shall normally meet once every two years for a period of not less than ten working days, and that members shall also communicate by post,' ( NOTE this recommendation takes into account the time required for meetings with Provincial bodies and consequent deliberations,' and also the cost of a meeting of a Commission with world-wide membership,)
   6. the Commission shall be dissolved after a maximum of four meetings, .and following review may be reappointed with a revised membership;
   7. the Commission shall have about twelve members.
3. THAT
   1. the detailed terms of reference, staffing and financing of the Commission, according to these principles, shall be prepared by the Secretary General and put on the agenda for the Anglican Consultative Council Standing Committee meeting in 1980;
   2. the costs of the above structures and pattern of work of the Commission shall be included in the budget of the Anglican Consultative Council.

Resolution 15: Inter-Anglican Dialogue on Women in the Priesthood

The Council:

1. Affirms the need of dialogue between member Churches which take different positions concerning the principle of the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood, and about the practical and theological issues which arise from the fact that some Provinces ordain women to the Priesthood and others do not.
2. urges the member Churches, when possible, to take an active part in studying together the community of men and women in the Church, and ways in which the fullest use can be made of the gifts of both men and women within the total ministry.
3. requests the Secretary General to facilitate such dialogue, bearing in mind the above recommendations.
4. urges the Primates when they meet in November to develop guidelines for Provinces regarding sending or receiving of women priests either for visits or on the occasion of a change of residence.

Resolution 16: Guidelines on Provincial Constitutions, etc.

The Council strongly urges the use of

1. the appended Guidelines on Provincial Constitutions and on Metropolitical Authority and
2. the appended Outline for the Development of a Provincial Constitution by Provinces in formation and existing Provinces in the drafting and/or revising of Constitutions.

Resolution 17: Constitutions: Korea, Francophone Dioceses

The Council accepts the report of its Constitutions Committee on the Constitutions of Korea and of the Francophone Dioceses and asks the Secretary General to convey the questions on the latter to the appropriate authorities.

Resolution 18: Extra-Provincial Dioceses

In consultation with His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury , this Council resolves that the Secretary General arrange for a study to be made of the present and future situation of existing extra-Provincial Dioceses, in consultation with the dioceses concerned, for presentation to and consideration by ACC-5.

Resolution 19: Criteria for Dioceses seeking Autonomy

That this Council concurs with and affirms the minimum criteria for autonomy as stated by the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church USA on April 19th, 1979, and regards them as normative.

Resolution 20: Criteria for New Dioceses

The Council affirms the attached criteria for new dioceses in response to LCR 17, 1978. The Council asks the Standing Committee to develop guide lines as to how to deal with dioceses which are in trouble and may no longer be viable.

Resolution 21: New Bishops

The Council requests the Secretary-General to arrange for a review to be made, for the benefit of the member Churches, of the various practices in choosing, electing, consecrating, and installing of bishops in the Anglican Communion.

Resolution 22: A Common Lectionary

The Council affirms the principle of a common lectionary for the member Churches and awaits with interest the work of the Consultation on Common Texts. In the meantime when Anglicans gather from more than one Province, the use of the lectionary of one of the Provinces using the three year cycle is commended.

Resolution 23: Accounts and Budgets

The Council receives and adopts the Accounts of the ACC for the year ended 31st December 1978, and approves the Budget Contributions Schedule for 1980, and the draft budgets for 1981-82.

Resolution 24: Personal Emergencies Fund

The Council authorises the Standing Committee to establish and administer a Personal Emergencies Fund according to the conditions contained in this Report.

Resolution 25: Charitable Status of ACC

This Council approves the amendments to the Constitution (new Clauses 1, 2, 12, and an addition to Clause 11) and requests the Secretary General to submit them to the Constitutional bodies of the member Churches for ratification.

Resolution 26: Review of Constitution

This Council authorizes the Standing Committee to review the Constitution with a view to its amendment and to submit any necessary changes directly to the member Churches for approval.

Resolution 27: Schedule of Membership

The Council recommends that, subject to the approval of the Primates, the Schedule of member Churches be amended in paragraphs (b), (c)and ( d) as follows:

2. Three from each of the following, consisting of a bishop, a priest or deacon, and a lay person:
   
   The Church of England in Australia
   The Anglican Church of Canada
   The Church of England
   The Church of the Province of Nigeria
   The Church of the Province of South Africa
   The Church of the Province of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire
   The Episcopal Church in the United States of America
   
   
3. Two from each of the following, being a bishop, priest or deacon, or lay person; but not more than one of each order:
   
   The Church of the Province of Central Africa
   The Council of the Church of East Asia
   The Church of Ireland
   The Church of the Province of Kenya
   The Church of the Province of New Zealand
   The Episcopal Church of the Sudan
   The Church of the Province of Tanzania
   The Church in Wales
   The Church of the Province in the West Indies
   
   
4. One from each of the following, being a bishop, priest, deacon or lay person:
   
   Igreja Episcopal do Brasil
   The Church of the Province of Burma
   The Church of Ceylon
   The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
   The Holy Catholic Church in Japan
   The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
   The Church of the Province of Melanesia
   The Church of the Province of Papua New Guinea
   The Episcopal Church in Scotland
   Consejo Anglicano Sud Americano
   The Church of the Province of West Africa

Note: the representation of the United Churches is covered by Section (e) of the Schedule (see Dublin, p. 64).

Resolution 28: Duration of Membership

The Council resolves:

1.  
   1. that those elected or appointed to the Anglican Consultative Council begin their membership as from the beginning of the first Council meeting following their election.
   2. That membership continues until immediately prior to the meeting at which his or her successor takes his or her place.
2. That Standing Committee members take their place on the Standing Committee as from the end of the Council Meeting at which they are elected and hold their position until such time as their successors take their place or they retire for any other reason.

Resolution 29: Primates' Meetings

The Secretary General shall be available to serve, as the Archbishop of Canterbury may require, as Secretary to Primates' Meetings. The ACC shall not be responsible for the expenses of the Primates' Meetings, and the Primates' Meetings shall be responsible for expenses incurred on their behalf by the Secretary General and his staff.

Resolution 30: Anglican Clergy in Exile

The Council recommends:

1. That when Bishops and clergy are exiled or expelled because of their witness to their Christian faith, whereas primary responsibility for their pastoral care rests with their own Province, the whole Communion should stand ready to assist.
2. That every effort should be made to enable such persons to exercise their ecclesiastical functions as fully as possible.
3. That consultation should take place with the persons concerned as plans are made for them and that copies of all decisions reached should be filed at the ACC offices.
4. That when expatriates are expelled the home Province should take primary responsibility for their re-establishment within that Province unless alternative employment is clearly indicated.
5. That when nationals are exiled or are forced to flee because of persecution the Province to which they go should receive them as visitors and, unless there are clear reasons why this should not be done, grant them permission to exercise their priestly or episcopal functions within that Province. This granting of permission to officiate should indicate that interim pastoral concern will be accepted by the appropriate authority in the Province. They should also be received as visitors in the ecclesiastical structures to which they would belong in their home Province.
6. That Bishops and clergy in exile should remain on the episcopal and clergy lists of their home Province for a minimum of three years and that action involving a transfer to another list should not take place without consultation involving the person concerned, their home Province, the Province in which they have taken up residence and the Secretary General of the ACC or his appointee.
7. That every effort should be made to make it possible for families to be kept united and for the education of children to proceed with as little interruption as possible.
8. That initial support of such persons and their families be seen as a legitimate claim on the proposed international Anglican emergency fund but that efforts be made to enable such persons to become economically self-reliant through suitable employment in the Province where they have come to reside as soon as possible.

Resolution 31: The Future of Iona

That this Council, on behalf of the Member Churches of the Anglican Communion throughout the world, and in the belief that in this matter it speaks for other Christian Churches, expresses its very great concern at the possibility of the sale of the Island of Iona for commercial or sectarian purposes. The Council therefore urges the British Government to take action to ensure that the present character and use of the Island is not radically altered, and that its future is secured.