Reforming ECUSA by creating a covenanted, godly remnant

discernment and fervent prayer by Episcopalians

I cannot escape the thought that the Lord of the Church is saying quietly and tenderly to those Episcopalians who have ears to hear:

“As a starter, find Me one, just one, bishop in the Episcopal Church who is so committed to Me and my mission, that he is prepared as a modern Athanasius to stand for Me and my truth, and take whatever persecution and dishonor comes his way in order to lead My people into the full experience of My grace and truth.”

I realize and am a little embarrassed to state that this word stands in such sharp contrast to the apparent, normal stance of most “orthodox” ECUSA bishops -- which is, or appears to be, to take a minimal stand for the full truth of the Anglican Way, and then wait upon the turn of events, hoping that somehow they will turn in their favor in such a way as to make it unnecessary for them to do anything out of the normal to keep things near the status quo of yesterday.

In various essays I have pointed out that that normal way of reformation in the mainline American Churches since the late 19th century has been by the “orthodox” departing, and doing so in order to create a new church wherein their cherished principles can be realized. In other words, schism is the name of the game, and this has energized the American supermarket of religions and keeps increasing the content of the yellow pages of the Telephone Directory.

Is it possible that the Episcopal Church could – against all the odds – provide an example contrary to the trend in the mainline and see genuine reform and renewal from within?

The answer seems to be Yes, if, and only if, the senior pastors of this dis-ordered flock (a) begin to act as if they were really and truly senior pastors of the flock, and (b) focus on the model provided in the Old and New Testament of the righteous remnant. How often are we encouraged to read about the remnant as represented by Hosea, Jeremiah, the family of John the Baptist, Simeon and Anna, with the earthly parents of Jesus of Nazareth. They did not the people Israel to form a sect but suffered and witnessed within this people, and their witness inspires us thousands of years later.

Right now, it is claimed by the CAN and AAC that there are ten diocesan bishops and ten dioceses who claim to be “orthodox” and opposed to the “revisionism” which characterizes the House of Bishops and the General Convention. We focus on bishops for the obvious reason that the polity of the Episcopal Way is in part hierarchical in that Bishops alone and together have much authority and are the office-holders who are specifically called to lead – to lead, however, as “father-in-God” and “shepherd of the flock,” not as C E O or Manager or Chief Liturgical Officer.

Therefore, because of their position as successors of the apostles and head of the hierarchy of ministry, it would appear that the only way that there can be genuine reform of the Episcopal Church at this time is by these ten bishops (or some of them) covenanting together, after due prayer, fasting and receiving godly advice from abroad. In the solemn covenant they could/would, for example,

• bind themselves before God to stand together and act together, really and truly not partially and according to feeling;
• declare themselves out of Eucharistic communion with all ECUSA bishops who stand even minimally for the progressive liberal agenda of the General Convention;
• form a federation of dioceses, which (a) recovered the historic Formularies that were ditched in 1979, making the BCP 1928 as chief formulary and treating the 1979 Prayer Book as a Book of Varied and Alternative Services, and (b) declared null and void for the Federation all canons and resolutions of General Convention since 1970 which changed the received Anglican doctrines of baptism, confirmation, marriage, women’s ordination and same-sex relations;
• attend the regular ECUSA meetings as a unit and stand together graciously yet firmly for righteousness and against heresy and immorality;
• gather to them the seventy or so congregations that have left the ECUSA recently and make them real parts of their dioceses;
• be instantly prepared to cross diocesan boundaries to minister to isolated parishes desirous to flee the ECUSA heresies and in need of pastoral care,
• seek the blessing and support of Anglican provinces abroad.
  

As and when the Bishops do this, faithful clergy and laity will surely come to their side in loving and prayerful support. Further, the Media will take note and the faithful in the other mainline denominations will be encouraged.

Of course, canon lawyers will say that it is impossible; of course, bishops who are not used to being godly leaders of the flock will at first regard all this as just too much even to contemplate; and, of course, it will be ridiculed and opposed by the present leadership of the Church. And the chorus will even arise from within the “orthodox camp”: “We must wait to see what the next General Convention does and then also to see who is invited to the Lambeth Conference and what the Primates have to say….and so on and so on.” But, let us recall, all this kind of thing was said by the Episcopal Synod in the early 90s as it played a waiting game, and, we have to ask, where is that organization and movement now and specifically where are its bishops?

The possibility of the remnant acting NOW in the wisdom and strength of Christ is one real possible scenario of which one may perhaps dare to think and then say that “with God all things are possible.” If this movement of reform is approached from the remnant’s side in fear and trembling before the Lord of hosts and with humility before the God of all grace and mercy, who can predict what will happen?

It would appear (based on previous history in the mainline Churches of the USA) that if this kind of godly action is not taken now by the Bishops then all the fine rhetoric, expensive plans and large promises of the Anglican Communion Network and the American Anglican Council, with other bodies, will lead only to great frustration for thousand of laity and clergy and also the increase of the Alphabet of Affiliations outside the Episcopal Church (no longer 70 but hundreds). More and more parishes will leave the ECUSA looking for a godly bishop and they will eventually find him in one of the thirty or so provinces overseas. And it will become increasingly difficult to keep these schisms together and these relations over thousands of miles meaningful and sweet, and, indeed, very difficult to speak optimistically for “orthodoxy” at all within or without the ECUSA. The Anglican Way, although now deeply divided and pulling in many directions, will become even more centrifugally determined.

Anglican Polity is neither congregationalism nor Presbyterianism. It is the people of God in dioceses ruled and pastored by their Pastors (Bishops) assisted by presbyters, deacons and lay ministers. Note that the shepherds whom Jesus knew (read Psalm 23) went ahead of their flock to make ready the way for them and to lead them. And note that the northern European shepherd goes behind the flock using his sheepdog to keep the sheep under control. The shepherds Jesus had in mind as his apostles and bishops were those who led from the front, staff in hand, and did not look to others to do their jobs for them! They were prepared to risk all for the one lost sheep! Today we tend to choose as bishops men who become bureaucrats, managers, counselors, CEO’s, and facilitators, and last of all, if at all, a father-in God, a shepherd. But God our Father, we humbly believe, can make them into real Shepherds! Although he may choose to do so through our sacrificial and fervent prayer and devotion this Lent.

So, I believe, the Lord of the Church and the Great Shepherd of the sheep looks for an under-shepherd in the ECUSA who will truly display a shepherd’s mind, heart and will; and as such will inspire others to become and do the same so that the remnant can effectively be saved and become the catalyst for new beginnings for the Anglican Way in the ECUSA and its offshoots.

(for a portrayal of the serious sickness of the ECUSA, a sickness which affects all its bishops, priests and membership, and sickness to be delivered from, read my Episcopal Innovations 1960-2004 at www.virtueonline.org in the theology section; or at www.challengeonline.org or at www.episcopalian.org/pbs1928 It will be released as a booklet of 64 pages by the Prayer Book Society on March 3, 2006)


February 17, 2006 petertoon@msn.com