In the course of a very long sentence, full of visionary flight and theological ballast, Paul tells us about God’s plan “for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:10 NRSV). The unity envisioned here is breathtaking in its cosmic scope. Everything will be gathered up in Christ in the culmination of God’s plan being worked out through history.
The implication is inescapable: the Church anticipates the end of the plan by living in peaceful unity here and now. Unsurprisingly Paul follows the theological first half of Ephesians with an application second half in which he begs his readers “to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called … making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:1,3). There is more, much more, in a similar vein in this chapter (e.g. “the unity of the faith,” v. 13).
The situation of the Church in the world today is a travesty of the vision articulated in Ephesians, itself a vision in harmony with the prayer of our Lord “that they may be one” (John 17:11,20). For the Anglican Communion as a particular expression of God’s Church, what Paul says in Ephesians is, or ought to be, a sober dose of theological medicine healing our ills of division.
It is not just that the Communion should be unified, but also that the whole Church of God in the world should be one Church. All this, incidentally, is not only so the mission of God may be strengthened through the witness of a united Church. A united Church, as a precursor to a united world, is the mission of God. For the Anglican Communion to continue fracturing is a sign that collectively we do not understand God’s will for the world. If this line of thought is correct then there is a deep irony when the final text of the Covenant talks of “the ecumenical vocation of Anglicanism to the full visible unity of the Church in accordance with Christ’s prayer that ‘all may be one’ ” (from 2.1.5). The Anglican Communion, with its roots not only in the Catholic and Reformed but also ancient orthodox Church in England, is uniquely placed to fulfill this ecumenical vocation. Yet at this time the Anglican Communion is unable to offer itself, let alone other churches, a sure sign of vocation to “the full visible unity of the Church.”
At precisely this point a huge strength of the proposed Covenant is identifiable: it is a document intended to serve the full visible unity of the Anglican Communion in accordance with the ultimate plan of God. Yet critics of the Covenant find much to complain about. It will impose uniformity, stifle prophetic action, and lead to a Communion ruled by Canterbury — so we are told.
But this, not to put too fine a point on the matter, is a form of sanctified carping. The vision for the unity of the Church in the prayers of Jesus and Paul is a vision for a Church with diversity, prophecy, and lay participation. Our Anglican vision for being what we are named, a full visible Communion with an ecumenical vocation, is no less than the vision of God itself. How dare we deflect it with prognostications of bleak outcomes!
One challenge of the Covenant, then, is whether we are committed to a theology of unity in our Communion. Such a theology, drawn from Ephesians and the Gospel of John, calls us to speak the truth in love and to love one another in truth. It offers no easy recourse either to dismiss unity in the name of “truth” or to suppress commitment to truth in the name of “unity.” But a theology of unity, faithful to Christ and the Spirit, provokes us with searching questions. If we claim to know the truth, are we willing to submit that claim to the whole body of Christ for judgment? If we claim to live in unity, is it on the basis of truth we believe together? Are we making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? Should that effort include commitment to signing the Covenant?
It would be strange to affirm as an Anglican that one was making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit while refusing to sign the Covenant. The effort, in an Ephesians perspective, is worth it because the goal is not stitching together an agreement which enables the Communion to limp along till its next crisis. The goal is the universe itself: one world under God, prefaced by one Church united in Christ.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Carrell is Director of Education, Diocese of Christchurch, in the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia.
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3 Comments
With all due respect, this appears to be new hermeneutics! Please remember that we must follow ALL scripture, not just a select few that, when manipulated, tell us what we want to hear. Everyone should be welcomed into church and encouraged to attend. Of course we need to be united; of course we want to be united; of course a united church would enfold those who need Christ. But, unfortunately, we all need to remember that sin is sin. Sin doesn't stop just because we want it to. Prayer is in order for not only the Anglican and Episcopal church, but also for all religions and all Christians--even those who have not yet decided to become Christian! My prayers are that we will all be one, but that we will all be one as Jesus Christ instructed us to be. None of us are sinless, but those who embrace sin should not be leaders of the church. As leaders we must strive toward a higher standard.
Here in the U.K., Anglicans await our General Synod next word on women bishops, due in February. If the issue is push on with at full speed, then there is further threat to C of E unity, let alone wider Anglican unity, let alone with the Orthodox and R.C. churches. My wife, five feisty daughters, and as they grow up, five grand-daughters, look forward to the day when barriers are finally broken down between male and female. Until then, I hope they agree with me that the unity of the church of Christ is not worth undermining by precipitate action in this area. If those wanting women bishops in the Church of England are not willing to give legal safeguards to those not yet ready for such a development, then under God we should surely exhibit the same self-control commended by Peter Carroll with regards to the proposed Covenant.
Actually, the Covenant will not creat unity at all. It will only offer a platform for a storm of ecclesial litigation as the penal aspects of section 4 are brought to bear. I, for one, hope that TEC will sign it and then begin to file charges against all those provinces that have usurped parishes and Dioceses within TEC alienating propety and assets, as well as those provinces, like Uganda, which violate the the spirit of the whole of Lambeth I.10, the Dromantine letter and international conventions on human rights.
If reali mutual accountability is a condition of unity, any number of provinces are going to find themselves held accountable even as they sign it thinking they can punish TEC. I believe people will come to rue the day they signed on.