Dr Rowan Williams was appointed the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in
2002 and its safe to say that his 10 year reign as head of the 85
million-strong Anglican Communion has been 'interesting'. He has now
announced his intention to step down from the role in December this year
to return to academia (and in this we at PC towers wish him good luck).
However, it has to be said that his decision to carry on until the end of the year could prove to be something of a mistake, because despite his legacy as Archbishop being open to debate, no one could deny the fact that the long anticipated split in the church has so far been avoided. This is something of an achievement, as the tensions that have beset the church for the last decade over homosexuals and women's ordinations are still there.
It safe to say that all his skillful maneuvering (especially the Lambeth agreement of 2008), could easily unravel over the next nine months and leave him with only a legacy of regret. Already doubts about his achievements have been voiced .... the BBC quote Church of England General Synod member and long term critic of his Archbishopric Alison Ruoff, as saying that "Under Archbishop Rowan's tenure, the Church has really gone in a most liberal direction. Many, many churches have gone away from Bible truth and that's really to the detriment not only of the Church of England but also to the detriment to the nation. He's a kind, wise, warm, godly man, but had he actually stood up and been counted as a leader, I think we would be in a very different place in the Church of England from where we are now, and that is thoroughly regrettable". .... in this she is voicing the sentiments of many on the conservative wing who consider that he has has not defended 'Bible truth' against those who wish to subvert it.
The struggle to replace him will no doubt cause yet another crisis in this collapsing Church as both right and left try to determine the next decades course.
For this blog, he will best be remembered for calling for elements of Sharia law to be incorporated into British Law ..... a madness that we may even now have to face in the future.
However, it has to be said that his decision to carry on until the end of the year could prove to be something of a mistake, because despite his legacy as Archbishop being open to debate, no one could deny the fact that the long anticipated split in the church has so far been avoided. This is something of an achievement, as the tensions that have beset the church for the last decade over homosexuals and women's ordinations are still there.
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| Dr Rowan Williams |
It safe to say that all his skillful maneuvering (especially the Lambeth agreement of 2008), could easily unravel over the next nine months and leave him with only a legacy of regret. Already doubts about his achievements have been voiced .... the BBC quote Church of England General Synod member and long term critic of his Archbishopric Alison Ruoff, as saying that "Under Archbishop Rowan's tenure, the Church has really gone in a most liberal direction. Many, many churches have gone away from Bible truth and that's really to the detriment not only of the Church of England but also to the detriment to the nation. He's a kind, wise, warm, godly man, but had he actually stood up and been counted as a leader, I think we would be in a very different place in the Church of England from where we are now, and that is thoroughly regrettable". .... in this she is voicing the sentiments of many on the conservative wing who consider that he has has not defended 'Bible truth' against those who wish to subvert it.
The struggle to replace him will no doubt cause yet another crisis in this collapsing Church as both right and left try to determine the next decades course.
For this blog, he will best be remembered for calling for elements of Sharia law to be incorporated into British Law ..... a madness that we may even now have to face in the future.
