Welby: British law prevents ACC from debating his decision to exclude same-sex spouses from Lambeth
by Mary Frances Schjonberg, ENS:
[Episcopal News Service – Hong Kong] The members of the Anglican Consultative Council, meeting here April 28-May 5, cannot formally discuss Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s decision to exclude the same-sex spouses of bishops invited to the 2020 Lambeth Conference.
Welby told a news conference on April 27, in response to a question from Episcopal News Service, that the ACC is the only one of the Anglican Communion’s Instruments of Communion that is governed by British law. It is incorporated as “an English company with a charitable aim.” Via the ACC constitution, the trustees “very clearly specify what it can and cannot do,” he said.
“Doctrine is not one of the issues that it does,” Welby said of the council.
The ACC’s “object,” according to its constitution, is to “advance the Christian religion and in particular to promote the unity and purposes of the Churches of the Anglican Communion, in mission, evangelism, ecumenical relations, communication, administration and finance.” The constitution lists 30 specific powers of the ACC after making the general statement that “the council has the power to do anything which is calculated to further its Object(s) or is conducive or incidental to doing so.”
Welby said “there will be an opportunity outside the conference for members of the conference to ask me questions” about any subject they would like, and he said, he has no doubt that Lambeth will come up. “And, that will be in a private session so people can express themselves freely and clearly, and express their disagreement, which is perfectly proper.”
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