While understanding that for some conservative constituents another path may soon be chosen, the advisory board of the Communion Partner rectors said recently that a new Anglican province in North America “is not something we desire or a structure in which we wish to participate.”
The Communion Partner rectors met Nov. 6-7 at St. Martin’s Church, Houston. The initial list of rectors has grown from 17 parishes representing 25,000 communicants to 45 parishes representing 42,000 communicants, according to a news release prepared by the group.
The group said that although they appreciate the “serious challenges of this present season in our greater Communion and The Episcopal Church,” they were “firmly committed to remain in The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, respecting and honoring the proper authority of our bishops and working in concert with them to strengthen our voice with the church.
“We wish to support and encourage the Windsor process, the development of an Anglican Covenant and the Instruments of Communion. We believe this is the path Christ is calling us to follow together with faithful leadership throughout the world-wide Anglican Communion.”
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8 Comments
The Windsor Process ship has sailed, gentlemen. It died when Dr. Williams made certain that the Lambeth Conference solved nothing. Get your heads out of the sand.
It seems to me funny. While Jesus placed St. Peter in charge of his church, he did not set up "fences" which can not be breached by HIS followers in HIS effort to get HIS word out to the masses. Why are we being so darn protective of our territory?
If fact it is NOT OUR territory, but God's. We have a real problem. The historic faith is not being upheld by the leadership of the Episcopal Church USA (and some others). TEC wants their territory to be protected ie. let's keep out anyone who disagrees with US. Again, I wonder what Jesus would say in defence of TEC on this issue? Chris Johnson has a point. Why do we need to wait for Dr. Williams' view? He apparantly has abdicated a leadership position.
With due respect, our heads are not in the sand. We, the Communion Partner Rectors, or which I am one who attended the meeting, see a future with the Anglican covenant process. We seek to work from within the Episcopal Church instead of from without. If you choose to be one of the ones who desires to leave the Episcopal Church, that is your choice. We choose to stay and make a stand for orthodoxy. It's a whole lot easier to flee than it is to stay and fight. One could even say it is more courageous to stand one's ground than to surrender the ship, which sounds a little less courageous to do, in my humble opinion.
Thanks to the Communion Partner Rectors and their willingness to work from within. Also thanks to ++Williams, who has argued for orthodox Christology in everything he's written, including a long rebuttal of Bishop Spong's 12 Theses. Also thanks for what he has done in the Windsor Process--which is to say "stop, wait" (and the answer might be "never") instead of simply "no, never" (in which case there would be no need for a Windsor Process).
I would agree with Mifflin Dove if it were not late in 2008, fully 5 years since the "SIN" was committed. TEC, ECUSA or whatever has waffled, wavered and has actually strongly come against all NON-REVISIONISTS through law suits they may have robbed pension funds, etc. to pay for.
Matthew 10:14 (New International Version) says,
"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town." I've seen no indication that the PB has any inclination to do anything but keep on litigating, de-frocking and ridiculing anyone who doesn't agree with her. I've seen NO movement in favor of the true, historic, traditional and Scriptural interpretation of the faith.
If the early church leaders like St. Peter and St. Paul had not moved on when the TRUTH and LIGHT they preached was rejected, they would never have finished their travels prior to their deaths. What would Jesus say/do? I'm guessing, based on how he moved many miles in his ministry in such a short time that HE would also have moved on.
There is, in my humble opinion, a time to recognize when you are being diddled and move on. From a practical standpoint too, our conservative TEC rectors may inadvertantly be aiding and abetting this go-nowhere process by "hanging on" and stringing out their congregations in the process.
My heart goes out to the Communion Partner Rectors like Mifflin because they must guard what they teach and act in their parishes. If they are truthful and honest in their sermons and teaching in their own parishes, they risk deposition, thereby risking subjecting their congregations to the installation of committed representatives of heretical theology.
Since we never know when our time is up, do we really want to risk being called to the judgement seat having been even remotely complicit in such blatant heresy? The old phrase, "guilt by association" comes to mind.
Fr. Dove--you may see a future with the Anglican covenant process. Yet, as you know, your Presiding Bishop has made it clear that any Anglican covenant presented to GC09 should not considered, because it would be too early. What indication has she given that said covenant would be considered in the future?
George Danz--why do you think Communion Partner rectors risk deposition? I have not heard of any rectors being deposed by bishops because they preached the doctrine of the church as defined in the TEC constitution. Bishops have not been deposed because they DID preach against the doctrine of the church as defined in the constitution, which I have difficulty understanding. As we all know, however, bishops have been deposed because they consistently counseled their flocks to leave TEC.
Friends, the Archbishop Williams made it clear that if a province does not sign on to the Anglican Covenant, then individual dioceses would have the option to sign on, or even individual parishes in dioceses unwilling to sign on.
The Anglican Communion Partners are working to promote the Covenant process in whatever direction it takes. Those dioceses and parishes that sign on to the Covenant will continue to be considered full members of the Anglican Communion.
As we know, Bishop Schori is trying to stall on having the General Convention participate in this process. General Convention ultimately does not matter here. The Covenant process can bypass the obstructions created by our national leadership.
We Communion Partner Rectors and Bishops are working to do just that, while at the same time remaining a loyal opposition against the liberal agenda. We have a representative meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury this week, and we believe he will support us in our endeavor. We also have the support of the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey.
We are seeking to be a "righteous remnant" that will one day be raised up, by God's grace, to restore the leadership of our national Church to orthodoxy. We are not going to abandon ship. We are going to stand our ground without retreat. We are going to build momentum to gain ground and take back the ship from the "pirates," to use a term.
We believe that God is stronger than a liberal agenda. God's Holy Spirit defeated heresy at the Council of Nicea when orthodoxy seemed lost. God will not abandon us if we are faithful to him.
The growing parishes and dioceses in the Episcopal Church are the orthodox ones. The liberal parishes and dioceses are shrinking. It is only a matter of time in a contest of attrition before the growing army overpowers the shrinking one.
We may have lost some battles here and there, but God will certainly help us win the war. Hang in there, friends. Don't give up. Don't run away. Join us in standing our ground. If we are on God's side, we will prevail.