www.american-anglican.fsnet.co.uk
Many words of protest and condemnation have been uttered and continue to be uttered against Canon, now “Bishop”, Gene Robinson. Most are misplaced for they should have been directed against those who voted for him, supported him and finally “consecrated” him. Regrettably, because of the way the media exists and works, the opposition to Robinson has given tremendous free publicity world-wide to the “gay” cause.
However, Protesting, Prophesying and Proclaiming a message of condemnation against Robinson and his guides, mentors and supporters is merely a religious game, merely hypocrisy UNLESS there is also engagement immediately in reform and renewal of that part of the Episcopal/Anglican family & territory which is inhabited by the protestors.
The American Anglican Household is disordered and each and every part is in need of renewal. The parts inhabited by the Protestors currently unite against common enemies but are not united on such basics as worship, doctrine, and discipline. Some of these protesting parts are within the structure known as the Episcopal Church of the USA and others are in groups and jurisdictions that have left that Church or been formed alongside it since the latter part of the 19th century, and especially since 1976 (REC, AMiA, Continuing Anglican Jurisdictions etc – some 75,000 or more souls). Those within and without the ECUSA have more in common than in difference and now, if ever there is a time, is the time for growing together towards unity in Christ as he is known in the Anglican Way.
Those who believe themselves to be biblically-based and desirous to be orthodox in Anglican worship, doctrine and discipline surely have a most clear duty BEFORE the God of grace to rebuild their parts of the American Anglican Household so that they do begin to live alongside each other in harmony, with a common faith and practice, and thus provide a credible alternative to the present ECUSA (which is set to become more not less secular in its common life).
In the year – 2003-2004-- that the Archbishop’s/Primates’ Commission is seeking to find ways of dealing with the various crises caused by the exercise of excessive provincial autonomy, there is space and time for the would-be orthodox and would- be biblically minded Anglicans/Episcopalians of the USA to get together and (probably with the help of a distinguished Convener) begin to form a united front for the edification of all and for the credibility of Christian witness and evangelization. The end result could be the existence of two Provinces in the USA, one the present ECUSA not recognized by the Anglican Family and another, slowly emerging into shape being encouraged and helped by the Anglican Family through the Primates, made up of the present mixed bag of groups/dioceses/jurisdictions inside and outside the ECUSA.
Dr Tarsitano and I have sought and continue to seek to encourage the necessary basic thinking and conversations amongst and between these would-be faithful Anglican groups (see www.american-anglican.fsnet.co.uk) and we are very glad to find that the Anglicans United (formerly Episcopalians United) have similar suggestions. (Visit also www.episcopalian.org/pbs1928)
The sight of the American Anglican Household to the on-looking world is NOT even plausible, even less is it credible. There are too many centrifugal forces and too few centripetal forces; there are too many individual persons and groups doing their own things and too few sharing a common platform and reforming agenda. All need to begin to knock down bad walls and rebuild together on a sure foundation and with a view to being a credible expression of the Anglican Way of Reformed Catholic Christianity in America --- to put it another way, not many diverse items on the shelves of the supermarket packed together as “Anglican” but one basic product in differing flavors known as “Anglican” that is attractive to those desiring to worship God in the beauty of holiness.
The Rev’d Dr Peter Toon November 4, 2003 peter@toon662.fsnet.co.uk
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