Friday, October 24, 2003

Bringing into order & unity the American Anglican Household - a first step

If the American Anglican Household is to be brought together in an ordered unity for the sake of its Lord and Master, and for the edification of all involved, a meeting of the representatives of the bodies who claim to be orthodox Anglicans must occur soon.

To make it possible that this meeting actually occurs, there is needed a respected convener, one who would be perceived - at least by the majority -- as having prestige, impartiality, and a lack of ambition.

He will need to be acceptable to the majority of the folks from the ECUSA, the AAC, the REC, the major Continuing Churches, the AMiA, the Fin FNA, and so on.

His task will be to assist these representative persons (at least two from each group) to find common ground in their Christian & Anglican commitment and discover whether they have sufficient in common to move to the next stage. This would probably be that of a longer meeting with prayer and fasting to plan the first stages of bringing the Anglican Household in America from its present disorder and division into the beginnings of order and unified witness -- and thus into that which will eventually, by God's providence and the help of Primates, lead to an orthodox Province/National Church, and full membership of the Anglican Communion.

Where shall we find such a Convener?

1. Retired Anglican bishops (a missionary bishop would perhaps be especially desirable).

2. A respected scholar, professor, or physician.

3. A layman who has been a senior civil official, such as a governor, a mayor, or a cabinet officer.

4. A war hero of some sort.

The hard part is figuring out who we know in any of these categories and whether we could recruit him.

If the omniscient and omnipotent Lord is guiding these attempts towards unity of a part of his universal Household, then he has a man ready and being prepared for the vocation of convener.

When the Lord reveals his identity, then we can move ahead!

Please pray with us and in your charity for us,

Louis R Tarsitano & Peter Toon

P.S. We hope to announce on the 27th October the address of a website where all the papers and proposals written by us for the reforming and renewing of the whole Anglican Household in America can be read and downloaded.

The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon.)

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