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Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury Could Nominate Liberal
An inside look at the churchmanship of its members
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
May 21, 2012
Sources in England have offered insights into the make-up of the Crown Nominations Commission who will eventually choose the next Archbishop of Canterbury. We believe this is important especially in light of the gathering of GAFCON/FCA archbishops and bishops who met in London recently to chart a way forward as orthodox Anglicans in the Anglican Communion.
Here is how it shapes up.
Lord Luce is chairman of the Church of England Crown Commission. Nominally Anglican.
Clare Edwards - pro-The Episcopal Church (TEC)
Aiden Hargreaves-Smith - conservative Anglo-Catholic
Raymond Harris - Church of England
Professor Glynn Harrison - Conservative Evangelical
Mary Johnston - pro-TEC
David Kemp - Church of England
Archbishop Barry Morgan (Wales) - strongly pro-TEC
Bishop James Newcome - Low Church Evangelical
Andrew Nunn - pro-TEC
Bishop Michael Perham - pro-TEC
Mark Roberts - Church of England
Caroline Spencer - pro-TEC
Peter Spiers - "Open" Evangelical
Glyn Webster - conservative Anglo-Catholic
Bishop Trevor Willmott - pro-TEC
NOTE: "Church of England" denotes no known particular affiliation
The direction of the Commission is likely to be driven by TEC supporters, headed by the Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan who is closely aligned with the full agenda of the Episcopal Church that includes the likes of New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham, TEC Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, Canadian Anglican Archbishop Fred Hiltz and many others.
Only 25% are in any sense conservative, which makes the Commission seriously unrepresentative of the Church of England but more seriously representing panAnglican pansexual Western attitudes.
It is, therefore, unlikely to appoint any candidate with conservative credentials of any kind.
It is very likely that the new ABC will be a liberal Catholic, possibly chosen from ranks sympathetic to the Episcopal Church. Both the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt. Rev. Graham James and York Archbishop John Sentamu remain strong contenders for the position. James is a liberal catholic and a former acolyte of Archbishop Robert Runcie.
The Commission is likely to appoint the new ABC in June. The Church of England is already facing a colossal crisis with the vote on Women Bishops on July 9. It could be a province of TEC when it wakes up on July 10.
The Most Reverend Rowan Williams announced in March that he will stand down on 31 December 2012. He will take up the position of Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.
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