Announcement by the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies
The Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies has announced that his
Province has adopted the Anglican Communion Covenant. It is the third to
do so officially, the others being the Anglican Church of Mexico and The
Church of the Province of Myanmar.
Speaking from the Primates’ Meeting in Dublin, Ireland, Archbishop John
Holder said his Province saw the Covenant as something that will enable
the Anglican Communion to move into the future.
“We see it as a workable document that can help the Anglican Communion
to move forward while still addressing issues that face its member
Churches,” he said. “For some, the document is only being seen in the
light of sexuality issues. That’s a restrictive view. It is a document
that can help us to function in relation to the many issues that will
arise in the Communion. Today it’s human sexuality, tomorrow it will be
something else.
“Our understanding is that it is not an exclusive document; it does not
exclude, but rather it helps to lead people to reflect on their role as
Anglicans, and identify their responsibilities as members of the
Communion.
“There are no penalties involved if you do not follow the Covenant and
that’s an Anglican approach. We try and keep away from penalties. It is
not punitive. It invites the members of the Communion to follow a
different way, to remember their responsibilities to other members of
the wider community, to respect where others are in their journey.”
Archbishop John said he understands that some people consider adopting a
written document like this to be un-Anglican. “We have travelled so many
centuries without a written description of where we are going and so
some people have a problem with the Covenant.
“However, it does not tell people exactly where to go, it encourages
people to consider what direction to take if they want to stay together
in Communion.”
The Primate explained that the Province voted to accept the covenant in
the Provincial Synod of December 2009 and then at their Standing
Committee in November 2010.
“Prior to that it was discussed at the various dioceses and the House of
Bishops. We have this week instructed the Secretary General of the
Anglican Communion that we have accepted the Anglican Covenant.”
Archbishop Holder said that the Anglican Covenant serves as a reminder
that if you say you are a member of a communion you have to remember the
other members in the decisions you take.
“That is our general understanding and approach to the Covenant. We
recognise there is a fear of the Covenant in certain churches because
some see it as a threat to their independence as a national Church. We
don’t see it as a threat in the West Indies, we see it as an enabler on
the journey for communion.”