Is the easiest –“the American” – thing to do the right thing to do?!

In the Yellow Pages of Phone Books that cover the big cities, one finds a
very long list of different churches, denominations, sects and cults. I
call this List. the Supermarket of Religions. In it, as a small proportion
of the whole, there is a variety of churches, denominations, jurisdictions,
congregations, societies and groups that use the name “Anglican” or
“Episcopal.” And the largest by far of these is of course the Episcopal
Church, USA [the ECUSA] with perhaps two million members nation-wide. Then
we meet thirty or forty denominations or jurisdictions that in comparison
to the ECUSA are exceedingly small and their total membership is not more
than 100,000. And in this small grouping some are very much larger than the
others, for some jurisdictions have only five or so congregations while
others have fifty or more.

Within this Anglican/Episcopal presence of thirty or forty groups that are
outside the ECUSA, a majority of the jurisdictions claim to be
authentically Anglican, receive the Scriptures as the Word of God written,
believe the Creeds and accept the classic Anglican Formularies. And their
history is that they were once within the ECUSA and have seceded from it on
doctrinal and moral grounds. In fact, had there not been further divisions
in their ranks after the original secessions from the ECUSA then the number
of jurisdictions would have been very small, with the largest being “the
Anglican Continuing Church.” Alongside it would have been only the older
Reformed Episcopal Church, the new Anglican Mission in America, and a few
others – say a total of ten instead of forty.

But the reality is that there are a lot of groups and most of them (in
comparison with others in the Supermarket) are selling the same product. It
seems that they believe that competition is healthy for the propagation of
Anglican Christianity in the USA. Yet the evidence of the last three decades
does not point to growth in either numbers or quality.

Now such is the nature of the competitive supermarket of religions, and such
is the space and liberty that is modern America, that the easiest thing for
each of these jurisdictions to do is to do its own thing. That is to pursue
its own agenda and to cooperate if necessary here and there with those who
are deemed to be fellow travelers. And in defense of this isolationism and
autonomy, any group/jurisdiction can point to problems, doctrinal and
practical errors, and personality cults in the other jurisdictions.
Further, they can say that they are doing the American thing and that being
true to oneself is all right and good.

When one tries to use either practical arguments [e.g., all are basically
Anglican and should be in coalition] or biblical doctrine e.g., [“that
they may be one” joined in “koinonia” etc.] to call those groups which claim
to be biblical and orthodox to cooperate, to dialogue, to form a coalition
and to work towards unity, then one meets some of the emotion of
isolationism and autonomy. Certainly a few come out in support of such
proposals and are truly enthusiastic. But at the same time one receives a
large mail from those who are happy to do their own thing, to perpetuate
their own little group, and to pretend that they are effectively the only
truly Anglican group in existence selling the real product. Thus the
proposer of a coalition is attacked as being a compromiser and an
interferer and as being a less than right-minded American.

Does one give up and let the small Anglican offerings in the American
Supermarket follow the normal competitive ethos therein and continue to
divided and subdivide? Or does one keep on trying, keep on reminding
Anglicans that the whole thrust of the Christian Religion calls them not to
competition but to cooperation, coalition and unity now in this sinful world
where the Church is imperfect? Does one remind them that the major part of
the Anglican family is not in the West but in Africa and Asia and that we
are called to be one with these brothers and sisters? Certainly there will
be unity at the Eschaton but that which shall be at the end time by the
grace of God, surely we are called to work for NOW!

I think that I will keep on trying… at least for a little longer.

The Rev’d Dr. Peter Toon July 10, 2001