I have no clue what to make of this, but it is very interesting…

[update: Kendall has now picked up the story, so maybe there will be more light shed on it.]

Church of Pakistan demands representation in Anglican Consultative Council.

Karachi; April 10, 2006. The Church of Pakistan (United) have demanded representation in Anglican Consultative Council in a letter to Dr. Rowan D. Williams, President, Anglican Consultative Council, Right Reverend John Paterson, Chairman, Anglican Consultative Council & Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand and The Reverend Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary, Anglican Consultative Council, Anglican Communion Office, 16 Tavistock Crescent , London .

It is submitted that Church of Pakistan ( United) is one of the churches/members of the Anglican Consultative Council according to the schedule of membership prescribed in Article 3(a) of the Constitution of the Anglican Consultative Council.

That the Church of Pakistan (United) is presently been represented in the Anglican Consultative Council by Rt. Rev. Dr. Alexander John Malik of `The Church of Pakistan Lahore Diocesan Council` in utter disregard to the Constitutions of the Anglican Consultative Council and that of the Church of Pakistan (United).

It may please be clarified that `The Church of Pakistan Lahore Diocesan Council` and `The Church of Pakistan` are two different churches/bodies/organizations and `The Church of Pakistan` is a United Church and a member of the ACC. Whereas `The Church of Pakistan Lahore Diocesan Council` is an independent and parallel Church, free from any control, legal or legislative or administrative or otherwise of any CHURCH or COUNCIL or SYNOD or SOCIETY external to itself and has not been privileged to be a member of the Anglican Consultative Council.

Please note that the Constitution of the ACC in its Article 3(b) clearly states that:-

“Members shall be appointed as provincial, national or regional machinery provides. Alternate members shall be appointed in a similar manner and shall be invited to attend a meeting if the ordinary member is unable to be present for a whole session of the council. Any appointment of a member or alternate member may be revoked by the body that made the appointment.”

While the Article 4(a) of the Constitution of ACC says that:-

“Each of the appointing bodies shall have regard to the desirability of ensuring that any member appointed to represent it on the council shall be a member of its own representative structures and that such person shall be given appropriate opportunity to report the proceedings of the council to its own decision-making bodies and to convey the views of such decision-making bodies to the council.”

It may also be noted that the Constitution of `The Church of Pakistan Lahore Diocesan Council` in its Section – I, Article – 10 states that:-

“The Church of Pakistan Lahore Diocesan Council is an autonomous Church and free from any control, legal or legislative or administrative or otherwise of any Church or Council or SYNOD or Society external to itself.”

{read it all}

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