Pastoral visitors appointed by Archbishop of Canterbury

By Matthew Davies, March 02, 2009 [Episcopal News Service] An initial group of pastoral visitors has been named by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to assist in healing and reconciliation given the current tensions in the Anglican Communion.

Those appointed by Williams to the pastoral visitors team are:

• the Rt. Rev. Santosh Marray, bishop of Seychelles (Indian Ocean);
• the Rt. Rev. Colin Bennetts, retired bishop of Coventry (England);
• the Rt. Rev. Simon Chiwanga, retired bishop of Mpwapwa (Tanzania) and former chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council;
• Major General Tim Cross, a retired British soldier who was the U.K.'s senior-most officer involved in the Pentagon's post-war planning in Iraq;
• Canon Chad Gandiya, Africa desk officer for the U.K.-based mission organization USPG; and
• the Very Rev. Justin Welby, dean of Liverpool Cathedral (England).

The Anglican primates, at their February 1-5 meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, affirmed the recommendations of the Windsor Continuation Group and called for the development of a "pastoral council" and the appointment of "pastoral visitors."

Both the primates and the continuation group supported Williams' plan to appoint an interim group of "pastoral visitors" who could be called upon in any dispute or situation of tension until the May 1-12 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, the communion's main legislative body. Despite that time limit, the continuation group noted that Williams suggested an initial 12-month appointment.

The group's recent report, which was presented to the primates at their February meeting, also noted that the visitors would be required to act in a manner "consistent with the constitutions and canons of those provinces" in which they operate. Further, the group said it welcomed what it called Williams' decision that the visitors "would not have any authority to make dispositions or proposals for structural solutions to any situation, unless expressly authorized to do so by the primate or other lawful authority of the particular provinces with which they have been asked to work."

The newly appointed pastoral visitors participated in a briefing seminar at Virginia Theological Seminary from February 25-28 with the exception of Welby who was unable to attend.

The meeting was facilitated by the Rt Rev. Peter Price, bishop of Bath and Wells (England) and participants heard briefings from the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner, professor of historical theology at Wycliffe Theological Seminary in Toronto and a member of the Covenant Design Group; the Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge, bishop of West Texas and member of the Windsor Continuation Group; the Rev. Canon Chuck Robertson, canon to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori; the Rt. Rev. Herbert Donovan, deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Anglican Communion relations; the Ven. Paul Feheley, principal secretary to the primate, the Anglican Church of Canada; and members of the faculty at Virginia Theological Seminary.

"Both Bishop Donovan and I were encouraged by the level of open and honest communication between ourselves and the pastoral visitors," said Robertson.  "Joined for much of the time by Archdeacon Feheley, we reiterated our committment to participate in any conversation that helps promote greater clarity and mutual understanding in the Anglican Communion."

The pastoral visitors team will now report to the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Lambeth Palace news release said.

-- Matthew Davies is editor of Episcopal Life Online and international correspondent of the Episcopal News Service.

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