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September 2006
New directions
home
After
being trounced at the Episcopal Church's General Convention,
conservative leaders gathered in the steel city of Pittsburg to seek
a new direction for Classical Anglicanism in North America.
Felix Orji
File Photos: Sue Careless
Participants in the “Pittsburgh meeting”: (top from left) Bob
Duncan, David
Anderson, David Short; (bottom from left) Kendall Harmon, Felix Orji,
and
Keith Ackermann.
The Anglican Communion Network Council (ACN - USA), meeting July
31-Aug. 22 drew 160 key participants. Distinguished guests included
Archbishop Justice Akrofi of West Africa, Bishop Mouneer Anis of
Egypt, Bishop Marcelino Rivera of Northern Mexico and Bishop Don
Harvey Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network in Canada.
Rev. David Short of St. John’s Shaughnessy, Vancouver, gave the
Bible expositions. Short told the attendees that the question today
is no longer, “Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God?”
but “Do you use it?” He called the Network leadership to deepen
their commitment to the Scriptures and to a life of holiness
especially in matters of sexuality.
Dr. Kendell Harmon, Canon theologian in the diocese of South
Carolina declared, “In a time of exiles gathering with other exiles
for fellowship, prayer, creative cooperation and proclaiming the
Word consistently, clearly and deeply as David Short has done is the
way a more promising future will emerge.”
John-David Scofield, Bishop of San Joaquin, said, “I came with some
reservations and I leave very encouraged.” He was encouraged
particularly by the “outstanding” discussion among the bishops in
attendance during a private meeting. “It brought clarity,
focus and a way forward that wasn’t there before the meeting.”
In his keynote address Bob Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and
moderator of the Network, emphasized the need for a reformation of
behavior amongst conservatives that is characterized by an embrace
of holiness and by a commitment to radical discipleship. “The whole
world is drawn to the body of Christ when the body of Christ looks
like Jesus, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. This must be
at the center of our future together.”
In the same vein Short warned the conference, “We may achieve every
goal of a thoroughly orthodox, conservative, theologically correct
church with all the right oversight in place but if our lives do not
demonstrate the humility of Christ, it will be a wasted effort and
it will not please him. A theologically correct church by
itself will never shake the world with transforming power.
What will threaten our culture is not just right doctrine but lives
with heavenly Christ-like humility in the service of right
doctrine.”
Many conference participants strongly hope that the Archbishop of
Canterbury (ABC) will provide “Alternative Primatial Oversight” (APO)
for the seven bishops and their dioceses. There was a note of
urgency about this. Popular media blogger Kevin Kallsen hoped
that “ABC will take time to recognize faithful Anglicans in North
America represented by ACN. It is in the hands of ABC; if he
doesn’t do it the global South Primates will. When ABC doesn’t
exercise his power, some others will do it for him.” Similarly
Duncan noted that if the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams
ignores the request for APO for Conservatives in Canada and the
U.S.A. “Any hope for a communion unifying solution slips away,
and so does the shape and leadership of the Anglican Communion as we
have known it.”
However, Keith Ackermann, the Bishop of Quincy and Jeffrey Steenson,
the Bishop of Rio Grande, while in favor of a new province in
communion with the See of Canterbury, are reluctant to ask for APO
at this time. Steenson believes that APO as it is conceived
does not adequately address the deeper issues presented to the
Communion by TEC. He is more interested in following through with
the Windsor Plan and/or the plan outlined by Rowan Williams.
“I would like to see a re-alignment that allows for parallel
jurisdiction with TEC having an associate status in the Communion --
an ecumenical model which allows for different levels of Communion.”
For Steenson it’s crucial
that ACN handles things in an “ordered way.”
Ackermann added that since TEC is “now guilty of violating its own
constitution,” it is critical for each diocese to evaluate its
relationship with the province and also with the Communion. “Both
those who have officially asked for APO and those who completely
concur with Windsor await advice and direction from ABC and the
other primates of the Anglican Communion.”
Bishop Ackermann is willing to live with parallel jurisdiction but
he encouraged conservatives not to lose heart over it. Parallel
jurisdiction would be temporary in the sense that, “when the branch
thinks of itself as a vine, it is only a matter of time before it
discovers that it is not self-sustaining,” that is, TEC would
eventually wither.
In defense of Network bishops who have asked for APO, Canon David
Anderson of American Anglican Council warned that “Bishops who
consider themselves Windsor bishops but wish to do nothing but wait
till 2008 will find many of their laity, some of their clergy and
churches have departed from them. The battle is to hold on to our
people. People tell us that they have done enough of waiting.”
Short acknowledged, “ABC and the Primates do not really have the
power and authority to give the USA an orthodox province, they do
have the power to recognize us.” Anderson concurred, “The
Network is properly looking to ABC for emergency relief with the
realization that if Canterbury doesn’t act it will lose an
opportunity that others will then take up.”
The Rev’d Dr. Michael Perko of the Rio Grande was very optimistic
that Canterbury will not ignore the conservatives in the end. “This
is the moment for Anglicanism to redefine itself to become a
conciliar church after the Orthodox Church model.”
While recognizing the urgent need for APO and a new province in
North America, Duncan warns against the too easy “preference . . .
for a microwave church, nearly instant results, on our terms, at the
moment we desire.”
One of the most encouraging aspects of the conference was its focus
on global missions, children and youth initiatives, church planting
developments, and relief and development around the globe. The
Network is committed to “spending at least as much on missions - in
all its forms - as we spend on ourselves,” said Duncan.
Nigerian Bishop-elect the Rev. Martin Minns, was excited about the
mission focus. “God is using this brokenness for his purpose.
My hope is that we shall return to a missionary focus, zeal and
celebration of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
Duncan concluded by inviting the Council to trust God’s
faithfulness: “We do not know what God is going to do. We do know
that God is faithful to His people and that God has a purpose for
Anglicanism in the world.”
Felix Orji is the associate rector at St. Francis on the
Hill, El Paso Texas, in the Diocese of the Rio Grande.
SEE ALSO:
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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