Final version of the Resolution on the Anglican Communion Covenant

This is the resolution as amended in the course of this afternoon’s debate at the ACC-14 meeting in Jamaica.

The effect of the resolution is to delay sending the Covenant out to the Provinces for something like 6 months and to open the possibility of Section 4 of the Ridley Cambridge draft being revised.

Clauses c and d were included from an earlier draft after people spoke strongly both for and against. The vote was 40 in favour and 33 against integrating the clauses. I think the votes represent the division between those who want no further delay but want the present Ridley Cambridge draft to be sent straight to the Provinces, and those who prefer that the Communion takes proper time to consider the possible revision of section 4 of the Covenant.

Clause e was amended in the course of the debate, adding ‘as The Anglican Communion Covenant’.

The vote on whether to approve or not the final clause, f, has yet to be reported. If approved, the agreed resolution will read as follows:

Resolution B: Draft Resolution on the Covenant

The ACC:

a) thanks the Covenant Design Group for their faithfulness and responsiveness in producing the drafts for an Anglican Communion Covenant and, in particular for the Ridley Cambridge Draft submitted to this meeting;
b) recognises that an Anglican Communion Covenant may provide an effective means to strengthen and promote our common life as a Communion;
c) asks the Archbishop of Canterbury, in consultation with the Secretary General, to appoint a small working group to consider and consult with the Provinces on Section 4 and its possible revision, and to report to the next meeting of the Joint Standing Committee;
d) asks the JSC, at that meeting, to approve a final form of Section 4;
e) asks the Secretary General to send the revised Ridley Cambridge Text, at that time, only to the member Churches of the Anglican Consultative Council for consideration and decision on acceptance or adoption by them as The Anglican Communion Covenant;
f) asks those member Churches to report to ACC-15 on the progress made in the processes of response to, and acceptance or adoption of, the Covenant.