formerly The Modern Churchpeople's Union
Resources / Anglican Covenant / Would it treat the Church of England differently from other provinces?
This updated collection of linked pages explains the issues and background to the proposed Anglican Covenant, and why it will not create open, forward-looking, twenty-first century churches.
These pages were written by Jonathan Clatworthy and Paul Bagshaw.
First edition July 2010, updated January 2012 with extensive links to other literature.
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The Church of England is the mother church of the Anglican Communion, and traditionally has had a distinctive leadership role even though it does not have the legal right to tell other provinces what to do.
In principle the Covenant's provisions treat the Church of England the same as other churches, except that the Archbishop of Canterbury has a distinctive role.
In practice, how the Church of England votes on the Covenant will have a big impact on its chances of success. If England votes against, there will be precious little credibility in the claim that those who do sign it are the true voice of Anglicanism. If England votes in favour, it will be a lot easier to demote the provinces which do not sign to 'second track' status.
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