The Covenant was designed as a ‘web of mutuality’ across the Anglican Communion: a balance of provincial autonomy with worldwide interdependence and accountability.
By Andrew Goddard. It is now clear that less than half the dioceses of the Church of England will agree, in both their house of clergy and house of laity, to “approve the draft Act of Synod adopting the Anglican Communion Covenant”. This article attempts to map out some of the ramifications of this development.
Enough dioceses have now rejected the Covenant to prevent its further consideration by General Synod during its present term. This doesn’t mean the Covenant is dead either in the Church of England or in the wider communion.
The proposed Anglican Communion Covenant has failed to achieve support from a majority of dioceses in the Church of England, but the communion’s Secretary General has said the global discussion will continue.
If the Church of England rejects the Anglican Covenant, how will it honor its ecumenical covenants? In 1964, the Church of England made covenanting central to its ecumenical endeavors; is it now abandoning that legacy? A historical review is necessary, for the Anglican Covenant is a historical document shaped by Anglican precedents.
