To the joy of some perhaps....

I’ve just been reading my Perth Diocesan synod papers and have come across a proposed bill:  “A bill for a statute to be known as The Regulation of External Affiliations Statute 2006”.

Agenda Item 11.6
Without the written approval of the Diocesan Council, no
(a) enrolled member of this Church in the Diocese of Perth;
(b) clergy; or
(c) organisation, entity or any other body in the Diocese
shall engage in any form of affiliation or association whatsoever with any:
(i) other diocese of this Church; or
(ii) organisation of any other diocese of this Church; or
(iii) other parish of any other diocese of this Church.
The Diocesan Council may refuse any such application for approval or grant approval on such terms and conditions as the Diocesan Council may in its absolute discretion determine.”

The Synod is 6-8 October 2006.

I shall try to enjoy my final days amongst you all.

Meanwhile - does anyone know of any similar statutes in other dioceses?

Re: I may have to quit sydneyanglicans.net

Agenda Item 11.6
Without the written approval of the Diocesan Council, no
(a) enrolled member of this Church in the Diocese of Perth;
(b) clergy; or
(c) organisation, entity or any other body in the Diocese
shall engage in any form of affiliation or association whatsoever with any:
(i) other diocese of this Church; or
(ii) organisation of any other diocese of this Church; or
(iii) other parish of any other diocese of this Church.
The Diocesan Council may refuse any such application for approval or grant approval on such terms and conditions as the Diocesan Council may in its absolute discretion determine.”

Is this for real?!?!?!

What do they mean by ‘affiliation or association’??

Huh?
Have they just declared war on us or something?
Do they hate the gospel that much?

I guess I’ll need their permission to maintain my enrolment in the PTC at Moore too.

Hopefully my “internal passport” will be stamped with the right visas :-)

Too late mate.

I’ve e-mailed the registrar of the Dio and dobbed you in.

;-)

Without getting yourself into any further bother, and before the axe falls, what’s the reason for this proposal?

what’s the reason for this proposal?

I have no idea.  A number of bills appear on the notice paper, each accompanied by an explanatory memorandum which seeks to give some background to the proposal.

In this case, the explanatory memorandum simply repeats the text of the bill.  i.e.  “the purpose of this bill is to ensure that any proposed affiliations or associations by....... with any..... only occurs with the written approval of the Diocesan Council.”

My immediate thought: it’s about Syd Dio’s affiliated churches ordinance.

affiliation means more then association and association to me extends to attending church in another diocese (the dictionary definition of associate includes ‘meet with”

Wait till Herft does that (or better still preaches there, write to Diocesan council to produce the written approval before the event and then have him charged with breaching the ordinance!

ITs absurd.

[quote author="Chris Little"]My immediate thought: it’s about Syd Dio’s affiliated churches ordinance.

I reckon that’s on the money. Interestingly, this goes one further than even what’s going on in the States where a number of bishops sought to “persuade” their clergy and parishes not to affiliate with the Anglican Communion Network (the good guys). To my knowledge no-one’s legislated for such so far.

Who are the proposer and seconder on this one? Anyone know anything about them?

David O is being uncharacteristically mild. Some US bishops have issued “godly admonitions” against their clergy joining the ACN. Which is a threat of an ecclesiastical trial and de-frocking. As a collector of bits and pieces of irony I find it fascinating that Liberals make good fundamentalists when it comes to church law. Could Perth really be silly enough to pass this bill?

[quote author="John sandeman"]David O is being uncharacteristically mild.

LOL ROTFL!!!! thanks John! ;-) I almost snorted my coffee out!

Some US bishops have issued “godly admonitions” against their clergy joining the ACN. Which is a threat of an ecclesiastical trial and de-frocking. As a collector of bits and pieces of irony I find it fascinating that Liberals make good fundamentalists when it comes to church law. Could Perth really be silly enough to pass this bill?

Spot on, John!

Sorry about the coffee, David

[quote author="John sandeman"]Sorry about the coffee, David

not to worry. In fact, it was fair-trade so an East Timorese coffee farmer is getting extra sales because of you.

I was going to ask that… Instead in view of your comment on the 9/11 thread - which of you twins is the oulder? (I am the younger in my set)

[quote author="John sandeman"]I was going to ask that… Instead in view of your comment on the 9/11 thread - which of you twins is the oulder? (I am the younger in my set)

bawahaha: oulder! (more profit for the coffee farmer).

I’m the younger. Which, biblically, I understand to be the superior.

The Diocesan Council may refuse any such application for approval or grant approval on such terms and conditions as the Diocesan Council may in its absolute discretion determine.”

If we set aside emotional hyperbole, of course it’s unlikely the wording covers sydneyanglicans.net and theological studies.

But, I always think that obscurely worded legislation is bad legislation - and legislation that is obscurely worded AND gives ‘absolute discretion’ to Diocesan Council to interpret and enforce it as they please is essentially a licence for powerplays and malicious, veiled, political manouvering.

It looks astonishingly unwise - a thoroughly abusable piece of legislation. Any supporters must either be hoping to gain immediate and undisclosed power from it, or be foolishly short-sighted - or both.

Most surprisingly, since when did any diocese have the power to legislate over the affiliations and associations of laypeople (I assume that is what ‘enrolled members’ are)?

M