Anglican Mainstream

By Ephraim Radner, The Living Church (Courtesy of Virtueonline)

The recently disclosed rupture in the relationship of the Rwandan House of Bishops and bishops of the Anglican Mission in the Americas, although hardly yet resolved or completely transparent, illumines at least a couple of key elements about ecclesial existence, especially among Anglicans. I was never a supporter of the AMiA's formation, for mainly two reasons: it diluted traditional Anglican witness within North America and it provided a model of and stoked the dynamics for Anglican fragmentation around the world. But for all that, many of the AMiA's leaders have been people of enormous missionary commitment and skill, and the public dispute among their American and Rwandan leaders hardly does them the honor they deserve.

But what does the dispute illumine? First, it clarifies some of the perennial limitations of "strategizing" for the Church's "reform." These limitations, it needs to be said, afflict Christians of all theological commitments, not just the AMiA. And they do so precisely because strategizing reform is an inevitably political process that demands marshaling decision-making powers and, in the case of ecclesial recognition ("replacement" provinces, "pressures" on Canterbury, and the rest), persuading other such powers on one's behalf.

Politics may be both necessary in the Church and the potential place for the exercise of certain virtues, but it is in fact rarely the latter, and because of this, the reality of the former is a burden to be borne rather than deliberately assumed, let alone constructed. Questions of authority, resources, and legal standing emerge as tools and objects of contest, and it is almost inevitable that instead of reform one finds the corruption of purpose and relationship.

The fact that money, jurisdiction, and threatened lawsuits are now part of the dispute is hardly a surprise: they are the natural result of politicizing the shape of Christian witness. North American Anglicanism's landscape is now littered with such examples. Non corrupting reform within the Church comes from another source, surely, to be discovered on another path.

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by Rob Schwarzwalder, FRC

Kevin and George discuss Dr. Jeffert-Shori's denial letter and AMiA's role in the 2008 Rwanda Canons. Also in this week's episode Peter Ould discusses the on going saga of the Church of England and women Bishops; and AS Haley gives his time slot to the latest news from Georgia and the Diocese of South Carolina.

Oh… and there is important news at the end of Episode 19 too.
 

By Michael Poon, The Living Church

In whatever ways we justify and reinterpret the Communion instruments of the Anglican Communion, it is clear the instruments no longer unite Anglican churches worldwide. Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates’ Meetings have become obstacles rather than means of healing the Communion’s wounds.

The reasons are clear. The Anglican Communion itself, understood as a Christian World Communion alongside the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other families of churches, is a novel idea in the post-Western missionary era. The instruments emerged in haphazard ways amid the devolution of metropolitan authorities from Canterbury and New York to churches in the southern continents. To be sure, they were useful to connect churches with one another in years surrounding the independence of the southern churches.

They have now become part of the problem, and have lost their legitimacy in the new conditions of the new century. For one, international conferences are expensive exercises, which are hardly sustainable in present-day economic conditions. More important, there is a worrying disconnect between what happens at Communion levels and what occurs at local levels. The faithful in their parishes are expected to remain loyal Anglicans week in and week out. To them, the Anglican disputes are irrelevant. Many of them perhaps have not heard about the Anglican Communion Covenant. Churches of weaker numerical strength and in more fragile conditions are sidelined as well in a high-stakes and wasting religious war.

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By Matt Kennedy, Stand Firm

Early on in the present crisis, Graham Kings (now Bishop Kings) proposed four categories, arranged graphically into a square with four quadrants, into which all Anglicans might be arranged and by which they might be measured. Here are those categories as Kings articulated them:

'Federal Conservatives', in the bottom right, consists of those who are conservative on sexual ethics but who do not consider highly the ecclesiology of the Windsor Report and especially its warnings against transprovincial interventions. They would not be unhappy with the demotion of the Anglican Communion to a Federation of Anglican Churches.

'Communion Conservatives', in the top right, consists of those who are conservative on sexual ethics but have a high regard for the ecclesiology and the recommendations of the Windsor Report. They are keen to hold to the concept of Communion.

'Communion Liberals', in the top left, consists of those who are liberal on sexual ethics but have a high regard for the ecclesiology set out in the Windsor Report, if not all its recommendations.

'Federal Liberals', in the bottom left, consists of those who are liberal on sexual ethics and have a low regard for the ecclesiology set out in the Windsor Report and many of its recommendations.

At the time I thought Kings’ quadrant was the best way of thinking about the Anglican universe. I’ve changed my mind for two reasons.

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From Anglican TV

Take a deep breath – that is what Kevin and George did before they beganthis week's Episode 17 of Anglican Unscripted. This week your hosts bring you their years of acumen to teach you the four rules of journalism… at least the four most importantrules. After a Full Disclosure statement the show continues with a discusion of AMIA's response to Episode 16 and Journalism rule #2 and the very inconvenient 'Washington Statement'.

Special guest Jeff Walton of the IRD discusses with Kevin the falling church attendance numbers that continue to plague most mainline denominations and Allan Haley is impressed with a new legal tactic in the property battles with the EpiscopalChurch revealed in their discussion about St Pauls, Darien.

From Anglican TV

AnglicanUnscripted examines the tensions between the ACNA and theChurch of Nigeria over the new Diocese of the Trinity,unconfirmed reports about the AMiA’s future, thetrouble at St Paul’s and the latest on KatharineJefferts Schori and Bede Parry.

From AAC

As Christians, we are living in tumultuous times: old things, some of which were good, are passing away, and new things, some of which are frightening, are coming upon us. Many of us are asking what this means, and how we should live in the midst of this turmoil. What should we accept, what should we fight, and if the latter, how militantly should we conduct the fight? The changes fall into two broad categories – spiritual/religious and secular/civil, so most people are feeling the stress of change from two directions at once.

In the spiritual realm, we are seeing old churches fall into apostasy, marching straight to the gates of Hell in full formal attire. Things that were taught us from the church's nursery through confirmation and ordination are now discarded by some church leaders. Is Jesus the Christ the only begotten Son of God, the Way, the Truth and the Life, or is he just one of several valid ways to find the "god presence?" I stand by what I was taught, by what I have lived in this teaching of Christ, and the truth that has flowed from it, and I will not budge.

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By Michael Poon, Fulcrum

In whatever ways we justify and reinterpret the Communion instruments of the Anglican Communion, it is clear the instruments no longer serve to unite Anglican churches worldwide. Canterbury, the Lambeth Conferences, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates' Meetings have become an obstacle rather than means of solving the Communion ills.

The reasons are clear. The 'Anglican Communion' itself, understood as a 'Christian World Communion' alongside the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and other families of churches, is a novel idea in the post Western missionary era. The instruments emerged in haphazard ways amid the devolution of metropolitan authorities from Canterbury and New York to churches in the southern continents. To be sure, they were useful to connect churches with one another in years surrounding the independence of the southern churches. They have now become part of the problem, and have lost their legitimacy in the new conditions in the new century. For one, international conferences are expensive exercises, which are hardly sustainable in present-day economic conditions. More important, there is a worrying disconnect between what happens at Communion-levels and takes place at local levels. The faithful in their parishes are expected to remain loyal Anglicans week in and week out. To them, the Anglican disputes are irrelevant. Many of them perhaps have not even heard about the Anglican Communion Covenant. Churches of weaker numerical strengths and in more fragile conditions are sidelined as well in a high-stake and wasting religious war.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Reform,

Greetings in the Name of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

The world wide Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is a cause of great joy to me because it is bringing together Anglicans around the globe in a
common love for each other and the Lord Jesus Christ. This love is the work of the Holy Spirit who is gathering us for clear and confident gospel
witness at a time when there is growing confusion and disorder in our beloved Anglican Communion.

I thank God for the witness of Reform as you hold unswervingly to the faith once for all delivered to the saints despite the severe erosion of
orthodoxy taking place around you. As the Global South Primates acknowledged at our recent meeting in China 'it grieves us deeply to
observe many Anglican churches in the west yielding to secular pressure to allow unacceptable practices in the name of human rights and equality'.

So I would like to assure you of my prayers and necessary support. We are building a truly global fellowship in a partnership inspired by the Holy
Spirit, marked by prayer, generosity, sacrifice and genuine love. I long to see the day when faithful Anglicans can feel at home in any part of the
world and share the joy of true fellowship in the Holy Spirit.

May the favour of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands.

The Most Revd Dr Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop, the Anglican Church of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council

By David Virtue, Virtueonline

"The Anglican Communion's Instruments of Unity have become dysfunctional and no longer have the ecclesial and moral authority to hold the Communion together" — Global South Primates

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams is losing the fight to keep the Anglican Communion together.

His forays to Africa (Kenya and Congo), following the disastrous Dublin Primates gathering which saw a third of his archbishops (mostly African) refusing to show up, reveal a communion in tatters with his ability to hold it all together now permanently impaired. On a recent trip to Kenya he was accepted as primus inter pares, but not as the leader of the Anglican Communion, a mild slap in the face.

His more recent foray to Zimbabwe proved only a partial success. Dr. Williams was able to paint President Mugabe and Bishop Kunonga as part of the evil empire of homophobia, but he took some serious hits when he was painted as a man who could not make up his mind about what he thought about homosexuality and therefore betrayed the Communion. British Anglican columnist Charles Raven noted Williams' strategic abilities and suggested that his confrontation with Mugabe "looks like an exercise in Lambeth Palace's African 'realpolitik' which orthodox Anglicans ignore at their peril."

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Episode 13 brings a fresh perspective on the Diocese of South Caroline Vs 815. Kevin and George also discuss the death of Steve Jobs and Kevin gives his unique perspective on Steve Jobs' legacy. Alan Haley provides detailed legal options for the Diocese of South Carolina… perhaps too detailed. And, Today-in-history is about the first Anglo-Catholic.

From ACNS

The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and his family are celebrating today after finally getting permission to remain in the city after many months of legal and diplomat appeals.

The Rt. Revd Suheil Dawani, who is also Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, today spoke of his delight at finally getting the Residency Permits that as someone born in Nablus in the West Bank must have to stay in East Jerusalem, where St. George Anglican Cathedral and the bishop's offices are located.

"It is with great pleasure, and with God’s help, that I and my family have received our Residency Permits," he said in a statement to his supporters.

"I want to thank all of you, my friends and colleagues throughout the Anglican Episcopal Communion and the Worldwide Christian Community, for your continued support throughout this time. It has been deeply appreciated and most encouraging knowing that we have been kept in your thoughts and prayers as we awaited this most heartening outcome.

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Dermot O’Callaghan – September 2011

The book "The Anglican Communion and Homosexuality"⁽¹⁾ is an important resource for Anglicans in the ongoing discussion of the topic. It says (p290), “As for causation, some may perhaps choose HS, but for some it is most likely innate.”

1. My own position

My instinctive view used to be that HS was innate. Over the past few years, however, I have come to believe that it is overwhelmingly a matter of nurture rather than nature. (I mention this to underscore the fact that I don’t have a prior anti-nature bias.) The argument in this Anglican book challenges that view and causes me to think through the matter with some care.

2. The book’s structure

Although the other chapters in the book (which address subjects ranging from scripture to culture) are generally written by two people addressing a common issue from two different points of view, the chapter entitled The Witness of Science is structured differently. Dr David de Pomerai, a biologist at Nottingham University, and Professor Glynn Harrison, a psychiatrist at Bristol University, were given different subjects, rather than asked to discuss the same issue from their respective points of view. Dr de Pomerai was asked to look at causes of homosexuality, while Professor Harrison addressed the question of whether change was possible. This present essay discusses only the former topic – the question of causes.

3. Dr de Pomerai’s brief

The brief given to Dr de Pomerai (p 267) was to focus “on the possible biological causes of HS” (my emphasis) rather than “the possible causes of HS”. This is a one-sided question which introduces an explicit bias from the beginning. Without a corresponding consideration of possible non-biological causes, the scientific exploration will be incomplete and cannot be satisfactory.

4. The book’s methodology

Dr de Pomerai’s methodology was true to his brief and focused on the biological question, progressively excluding the nurture aspect.

First, he used the BIOSIS search engine, which is geared to “the biological literature”.

Then he conducted a search using the key words ‘biology’ and ‘homosexual’, rather than, for example, ‘homosexual’ on its own.

This search yielded 66 studies related to biological factors. It also identified 65 studies related to psychosocial factors. This latter fact is remarkable in itself, given the strong methodological bias against such an outcome. It begs an obvious question from the outset.

Then, continuing in faithfulness to his brief, Dr de Pomerai set the psychosocial papers aside, understanding that they were to be “discussed elsewhere” in the book – but they are not. He does refer to “the undoubted importance of environmental factors in HS”, but his methodology does not allow him to identify these factors or engage meaningfully with them.

Download and Read the Full Paper as a PDF

By George Conger, CEN

With Kevin Kallsen and George Conger

by Peter Ould

In addition to the regular sessions, there was a separate presentation by members of the Standing Commis­sion on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) of the Episcopal Church in the United States on their development of a theological rationale and litur­gical principles for same-sex bless­ings. Those who attended were asked to give feed­back by consider­ing specific ques­tions in small work­ing groups.

 

The chair of the IALC, Dr Eileen Scully, from Canada, said on Thurs­day of last week that the purpose of the IALC meeting was to work on rites related to heterosexual couples only. In countries where civil-marriage laws were changing, how­ever, to allow either civil unions or same-sex marriage, Churches faced challenges. They needed to reflect on the parallels with traditional marriage.

By Pat Ashworth, Church Times

The distress and chaos predicted by the Bishop of Harare, the Rt Revd Chad Gandiya, became a reality on Monday when Kunonga’s supporters — some accompanied by police — delivered stamped copies of the court judgment to all clerics still in parish rectories.

“They told our priests to move out,” Bishop Gandiya said on Mon­day. “We do not know who he is going to put in these houses.”

The two-part judgment was promised a year ago. The diocese had appealed after attempts were made to stop Bishop Gandiya’s consecra­tion in July 2009, and Kunonga was given custodianship of the properties by Justice Ben Hlatshwayo (News, 31 July 2009).

He has turned all the church buildings into business and other centres, and some are also being used for living space. Police used violence and tear gas to prevent worshippers from sharing the buildings with Kunonga’s “congrega­tions”. Now they worship in tents, outdoors, or in the rented buildings of other Churches.

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By Stephen Noll, AAC

Over the years, my family has welcomed a summer vacation on the Atlantic coast. The sun, the sea, the sand, the shrimp combine for some deep-down rest and enjoyment. We have also encountered occasional storms and even a hurricane or two. Usually storms pass quickly, with a return to sunny beach weather. However, for several days thereafter the sea is roiled with dangerous currents and breakers far up the shoreline before returning to almost lake-like placidity.

I thought about this natural cycle in reviewing the Minutes of “The Standing Committee” of the Anglican Communion. Let’s begin with the storm. The decade following the 1998 Lambeth Conference was quite tumultuous, as I have documented elsewhere. The Episcopal Church (TEC) willfully rejected the biblical and traditional understanding of sex and marriage, as affirmed in Lambeth Resolution I.10 on Human Sexuality and advanced its agenda of promoting same-sex “blessings” and marriage and ordaining practicing homosexuals to the priesthood and episcopate, leading most notably to the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson in 2003. This violation in turn led to a flurry of crisis meetings, forced by the Primates of the Global South, climaxing in 2007 at Dar es Salaam with an ultimatum threatening its exclusion from the Communion.

The Archbishops of Canterbury during the decade following Lambeth 1998 tried to blunt the gale force winds from the Global South at a series of Primates’ Meetings which climaxed in Rowan Williams reneging on the Primates’ resolutions at Dar es Salaam in 2007. The Archbishop’s betrayal of trust led seven Provinces, including two from the largest Provinces in the Communion, to convene the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem in June 2008 and to boycott the Lambeth Conference later that summer. These Provinces went on to set up a parallel Primates’ Council and recognize the Anglican Church in North America as the legitimate Anglican Province in North America.

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