Auckland adds a No to the Covenant

Bosco Peters (of Liturgy blog) posted on the No Anglican Covenant Facebook wall that

"Tai Tokerau Anglicans have rejected the proposed Anglican Covenant after a robust discussion at the Hui Amorangi (diocesan synod) at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Auckland."

I don't think this vote will change things as the Tikanga Maori rejected the Covenant last November, except to strengthen opposition to the Covenant.


Te Pihopatanga o Te Manawa o Te Wheke (the diocese which runs through the centre of the North Island) and Te Tairawhiti (on the East coast of the North Island) had already rejected the Covenant before the November debate.

The detail of the Tikanga Maori rejection is of interest, in particular 3(b). The full resolution is was follows:

That this Te Runanganui,
1. noting that the General Synod/te Hinota Whanui has approved in principle Sections 1-3 of the proposed Anglican Covenant, and asked Episcopal Units to study the proposed Covenant and respond to its 2012 Session, resolves as follows:

(a) Sections 1 & 2 of the proposed Anglican Covenant may be considered to be a useful starting point for consideration of our Anglican understanding of the Church of Christ
(b) Section 3 of the proposed Covenant contains an acceptable description of the basis for relationships between the churches of the Anglican Communion, and suggests a series of commitments which provide a useful framework within which churches of the Communion could discuss differences between them.
(c) Clause 4.2 of the proposed Covenant contains provisions which are contrary to our understanding of Anglican ecclesiology, to our understanding of the way of Christ, and to justice, and is unacceptable to this Runanganui.

2. Notes that Nga Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa-o-te-Wheke and Te Tairawhiti, as well as some of the other Episcopal Units of this Church, have rejected the proposed Covenant, and anticipates that a variety of views on the proposed Covenant will be expressed by the various Episcopal Units.

3. Te Runanganui resolves:

(a) To reject the Anglican Covenant.
(b) Asks General Synod/te Hinota Whanui,

(i) If it rejects the proposed Covenant in part or as a whole, to commit itself by Standing Resolution to following processes similar to those set out in Section 3 of the proposed Covenant if another church of the Communion raises concerns about actions this Church takes or considers taking.
(ii) To request its representatives to the Anglican Consultative Council to bring a motion to the 2012 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council to affirm that full membership of the Anglican Communion is not conditional on adoption of the proposed Covenant.

(c) Asks the General Manager to forward this Resolution to the General Secretary of this Church.

The chapel at Te Hepara Pai,
the Christchurch marae,
spiritual home of Maori Anglicans
in the South Island.

The Tikanga Maori is committed to remain part of the Communion in a full sense. Nonetheless its primary ground for rejection is that the Covenant would ride roughshod across both the autonomy and the character of the Tikanga Maori (which is much wider and deeper than merely a part of the Anglican Church).

This rejection does not deny the depth of the division nor the need to find ways by which the disparate elements of the Communion can, together, work through difficult issues. The conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms are good ideas in themselves.

Second there is a concern that full membership of the Communion will not, retrospectively, apply solely to provinces that have signed the Covenant. The idea of first and second class members of the Communion was always one of its least attractive aspects.