Prayer Book Society of the USA – does it have a future?

A personal explanation from the Revd Dr Peter Toon addressed to enquirers

My first encounter with the Prayer Book Society was at the General Convention of ECUSA at Phoenix in 1991, where I assisted in the production of daily newssheet(s) providing theological comment on what was being debated. I had only been in the USA for 9 months and it was all new to me. Then it was called “The Prayer Book Society of the Episcopal Church.” It tended to act as though it had real influence in that Church (when it had very little); talked as though, by a simple return to the use of the BCP (1928), the ECUSA would be cured of all its ills; and used professional republican fund raisers to write begging letters, usually emphasizing the moral failures of leading Episcopalians.

Since 1995 or so, a deeper appreciation of the actual religion, faith and morality, of the Prayer Book, together with a practical and financial realism, have descended, I believe, upon the Board of the Society. So exhibitions and massive expenditure at the General Convention have ceased; production there of a daily newspaper alone or with the FinFNA has ceased; pretence that the ECUSA can easily be turned around has disappeared, and politicized letters begging for money no longer go out. Further, the Board has made major changes by (a) calling itself the PBS of the USA and enlarging its mission to include all Anglicans, outside and inside the ECUSA, and (b) by including in its mission statement a commitment not only to the 1928 edition of the BCP but to the 1662 & 1962 editions as well. By the latter, it states that it is one with the majority of the Anglican Communion of Churches for whom the Formularies of 1662 are their Standards.

Uniquely amongst the Prayer Book Societies of the Anglican Family, the PBS of the USA seeks energetically to preserve not only the BCP in print and in use but also all its clear doctrines (not only those of “Mere Christianity” and the Apostles’ Creed) as the teaching of Reformed Catholicism. In practice, this means that the Society assumes that the ordination of women is contrary to biblical and catholic truth and order, and that generous and gracious patriarchy/headship is to characterize bishops (“Father in God”) in church and fathers in Christian families.

In fact, the USA Society sees the three Formularies – BCP, Ordinal and Articles of Religion – as belonging together and therefore does not campaign merely for the text of the BCP to be in use but also for the Formularies to be in place and their reformed catholic teaching to be known, appreciated and propagated. It holds this to be good and right in itself but particularly apposite in the USA situation where only by a return to the foundations of the Anglican Way will there be both unity of Anglicans and advancement of the Anglican Way as Reformed Catholic Faith.

This means that the PBS of the USA has the distinct task of witnessing within the “would-be orthodox remnant of the ECUSA” to the need to set aside all the major innovations of the ECUSA and return with zeal and humility to the Formularies as the foundation for a real forward movement of authentic Anglicanism. At the same time, it has the vocation of encouraging those who already use the classic editions of the BCP to do so with enthusiasm, grace and humility so that what they do and offer is attractive to those who seek to know God and worship him in spirit and in truth. Also it seeks to encourage all who use the classic BCP to have fellowship one with another and join in common mission and service. Further, it recognizes that a real sense of evangelization is needed in BCP churches – “let your light shine before men…” !

To assist in these goals the PBS of the USA uses a variety of means of communication – bi-monthly magazine, web sites, books, booklets, CD’s, messages by mail and e mail, and so on. (see websites for details)

The PBS of the USA is of course a voluntary society and a non-profit society. It has a Board composed of dedicated men and women and this Board meets twice a year and keeps in weekly contact by e-mail. It seeks to keep its administration to a minimum and so spends most of its money on getting its message out. Naturally, it looks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to inspire people to join the cause and to give financially and practically to the mission.

Whatever happens to the ECUSA in terms of its relation to the Anglican Communion, the mission of the PBS of the USA will remain reasonably clear. To keep in print and in use the classic editions of the one Book of Common Prayer (with the Ordinal & Articles attached) and to encourage congregations & jurisdictions (in the Alphabet of Affiliations which now exist and will probably do so for some years) to use it both as their Standard of Faith and also as their primary means of public worship.

The PBS of the USA does not itself engage in planting churches or calling congregations out of one jurisdiction into another. Rather, it seeks to serve all those who desire to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and in spirit and truth, using the proven and sound means of the services and rites of The Book of Common Prayer (editions of 1662, 1928, 1962).

www.episcopalian.org/pbs1928 and www.anglicanmarketplace.com

P.O. Box 35220, Philadelphia, PA 19128-0220 1-800-PBS-1928