SECTION II RESOLUTIONS
'Called to live and proclaim the Good News'


Resolution II.1
The Theological Foundations of Mission

This Conference:

(a) believing that all our mission springs from the action and self-revelation of God in Jesus Christ and that without this foundation, we can give no form or content to our proclamation and can expect no transforming effect from it.

(b) resolves to:

  1. reaffirm our faith in the doctrines of the Nicene Creed as the basis of what is to be believed, lived and proclaimed by the churches of the Anglican Communion;
  2. accept the imperative character of our call to mission and evangelism as grounded in the very nature of the God who is revealed to us.

Resolution II.2
Mission And The Structures Of The Anglican Communion

This Conference:

  1. acknowledges gratefully the contribution of many individuals and agencies in serving, stimulating and assessing the work of the Decade of Evangelism, particularly the Church of Nigeria for its gift to the whole church through its role in initially resourcing the involvement of the ACC in this work by seconding Canon Dr Cyril Okorocha, the continuing contribution of MISSIO whose report we received, and whose work we wish to see continued, and the Anglican Communion Global Conference on Dynamic Evangelism beyond 2000 at Kanuga in 1995;
  2. believes that the instruments of unity (the Archbishop of Canterbury; the Lambeth Conference; the ACC and the Primates meeting) need to work much more closely together and to review their mutual accountability (e.g. the ACC and the Primates meetings should consider communicating the results of their deliberations to all Bishops in the Communion);
  3. considers that regional networks and relationships should be reinforced and encouraged and their work be fully publicised;
  4. requests that the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates' Meeting and the ACC consider, as a matter of urgency, how the budget and staffing of the Communion's official networks might come to reflect the priorities of mission and evangelism;
  5. similarly requests that the MISSIO be instructed to study further the most efficient and effective ways for the Communion to extend mission and evangelism (e.g. through a mission and evangelism secretary);
  6. suggests that the Lambeth Conference be recognised as a significant consultative body which gives a sense of unity and direction to the whole Communion, which should receive and review reports of significant activities carried out as part of the work of the Communion.

Resolution II.3
Companion Dioceses

This Conference;

  1. notes that many dioceses in the Anglican Communion have not as yet been able to establish companion relationships;
  2. believes that the time has come for significant new initiatives in encouraging all dioceses to develop companion relationships across provincial boundaries, as part of the process of developing the cross-cultural nature of the communion;
  3. believes that, in addition to the structures administered through Partners in World Mission and the Anglican Communion Office, dioceses should be encouraged to take initiatives in sharing information, contact and exchange.
  4. accordingly resolves: that each diocese of the Communion should, by the time of the next Lambeth Conference, have made a serious effort to identify one or more dioceses as a companion, in formal and informal ways.

Resolution II.4
Christianity In Islamic Societies

This Conference;

  1. mindful of the great changes that have taken place in many nations with a substantial or majority Islamic population, and recognising the historic contributions of Islamic culture to ideals of justice and religious freedom;
  2. views with concern the tendency in some such nations to seek to enforce a legal code which encourages discrimination against, or harassment of, non-Muslim communities;
  3. resolves:
    1. respectfully to request the governments of nations where such discriminations and harassment are common occurrences to affirm their commitment to religious liberty; and
    2. to pledge ourselves to support the civil and religious liberties of Muslims in situations where they are in a minority, and to combat prejudice and ignorance about Islam among Christians and others.

Resolution II.5
Iran

This resolution was not moved in view of a similar resolution from the South Asia/Middle East Region.

Resolution II.6
Future Priorities In Mission

As it moves towards the third millennium of Christian Witness, this conference;

  1. gives thanks to God for all the experience so far of the Decade of Evangelism, noting the Testimonies and challenges from many churches across the Communion;
  2. repents of our failures in mission and evangelism;
  3. expresses its determination that the impetus should not be lost. The primary task of every bishop, diocese and congregation in the Anglican Communion is to share in and show the love of God in Jesus Christ – by worship, by the proclamation to everyone of the gospel of salvation through Christ, through the announcing of good news to the poor and the continuing effort to witness to God's Kingdom and God's justice in act and word and to do so in partnership with Christians of all traditions;
  4. urges that priority should be given at every level in our Communion to reaching out to those who have never heard, or never responded to the gospel of Christ, and to reawakening those whose love has grown cold;
  5. commits ourselves to call our people to be a transforming church by practising Jubilee, and by sharing financial resources between different regions of our Communion, not only for responding to crises or disasters, but to enable local initiatives in outreach, service and evangelism;
  6. commits ourselves in the light of what is said in this Report to work to transform the dioceses we serve into communities that share fully at every level in the mission of God.

Resolution II.7
Urbanisation

This Conference:

  1. calls upon the Member Churches of the Anglican Communion to address the processes of urbanisation across the world, both in our cities and all other communities;
  2. asks our Member Churches to give urgent attention to “Living and Proclaiming the Good News” in our cities so that all that destroys our full humanity is being challenged, the socially excluded are being welcomed and the poor are hearing the Good News (Matthew 11:3); and in order to assist this priority in mission
  3. resolves;
    1. to ask the Anglican Consultative Council to give support to the formation of an Anglican Urban Network to share information and experience on urbanisation and urban mission;
    2. to support the establishment of a “Faith in an Urban World” Commission, after due consultation with ecumenical bodies.

Resolution II.8
Young People

This Conference;

  1. recognises and celebrates the dynamic work of God among young people, and their infinite value in the human family. They are for us in the church, as they were for Jesus, signs of the Kingdom of God among us. Their presence and ministry in the church is essential for the whole family of God to be complete. As adults, we confess with deep humility and sorrow that the adult world has created children of war, children abused by neglect and sexual exploitation, and children who are victims of aggressive advertising. In joyful obedience to God we reaffirm our apostolic commitment to all young people everywhere.
  2. recognises the faithful and creative work by many Church members in ministry with children both within and beyond the church's borders
  3. resolves, for the health and welfare of the whole Church;
    1. that the bishops of the Anglican communion will commit themselves, and will give leadership in their diocese, to ensure that the church is a safe, healthy, and spiritually enriching community for children and young people;
    2. that the bishops will give more attention to the furtherance of ministry to children as a recognition of their importance to God and as a foundation for all future ministry;
    3. that the bishops will commit themselves to give significant time over the next twelve months to meet with young people in their dioceses, listening to them, praying with them searching the Scriptures and breaking bread together with them, and providing ways for them to be trained in leadership skills and to exercise that leadership in the life and mission of the church;
    4. that such meetings should open out into attempts to meet and hear young people who have not yet been touched by the Gospel;
    5. that teams of adults and young people in as many congregations as possible be trained for holistic ministry to young people outside the church, so as to speak of God's love in Christ in ways that can be heard, and that Christian young people be equipped, in the power of the Holy Spirit, for service in Church and Community;
    6. that young people should be helped to find or maintain their spiritual home in the Anglican Church by giving particular attention to matters of liturgy including the use of music and silence; and
    7. that urgent consideration be given to how best international Anglican networks of young people may be strengthened and serviced by the structures of the Communion.

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Appendix