We have carefully considered the text of The Anglican Communion Covenant, and what we know of the context in which it was proposed;

In terms of our shared Mihingare and Anglican heritage, our call to communion, and our call to ministry and mission, the Covenant offers us nothing new or more compelling than the Spiritual Covenant that we already have with each other through faith in Jesus Christ;

We see that Section Four of The Anglican Communion Covenant propose measures of compliance and discipline – including “relational consequences” and being declared “incompatible with the Covenant” – that go against our Gospel imperative to “love one another” (John 13:34-35).

Like Fr.Bosco Peters, I welcome this latest news from yet another arm of the Tikanga Maori sector of ACANZP (the Anglican Church in Aotearoa/New Zealand/Pacifica) of their rejection of the proposed Anglican Covenant – on the basis that it adds nothing to the existing ethos of Unity in Diversity within the Anglican Communion. Because we in Aotearoa already have a structured diversity within our governance set-up, which includes the three distinctive cultural strands – Pakeha, Maori ans Pacifica – we deeply understand the need for the accommodation of diversity within the bonds of our common life as Church. With this… Read more »