[UK] Church on brink of split

Church of England Newspaper ^ | 29 April 2004 | staff writers

[ahadams2]

Church on brink of split

Number: 5715 Date: April 29

The Church of England is facing the growing possibility of disintegration as opposition to Canon Jeffrey John’s appointment as Dean of St Albans gained momentum this week.

Leading evangelicals were warning that the appointment would change the relationship of their churches with bishops across the country, raising the possibility of impaired communion across the Church.

St Albans clergy met this week to discuss action that they would be taking in protest at Dr John’s promotion at a time when the Eames Commission had called for calm and restraint. Many of the churches will be deciding whether to cut payments to the dioceses, and to stop the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert, from taking confirmations at their churches. They were saying that the Southwark canon’s promotion had “changed everything”. The split in the St Albans diocese is expected to widen at the national level, according to one evangelical leader.

Evangelicals pointed to comments made by the gay dean in the first week since his new posting was announced as indications of his plans to attack the traditional teaching of the Church. The Rev John Coles, leader of the New Wine network, which represents the leaders of 600 Anglican churches, said that Dr John was “publicly committed to undermining the historic Christian position.” New Wine is now working in connection with the other traditionalist streams in opposing the appointment.

On Sunday, the gay dean followed last week’s call for the Church to bless same-sex relationships by accusing those who opposed his ministry as being akin to 19th century supporters of slavery.

Mr Coles said: “The appointment was inflammatory, and his comments are very inflammatory. The house is on fire and we are going to put it out.”

One of the St Albans clergy opposed to Dr John’s appointment, the Rev Charles Dobbie, said that the comments were outrageous. He confirmed that his church would consider ending payments to the diocese as one option in response to the controversial move to make the gay canon dean.

A senior evangelical said that he would be making the seriousness of traditionalists’ concern clear to a diocesan bishop this week, expressing his dismay at the lack of action taken by evangelical bishops in standing against Jeffrey John’s appointment.

Anglican Mainstream has asked the Prime Minister to meet a delegation who want to air their concerns about the appointment.

[ahadams2]

CofE conservatives appeal to Prime Minister on appointment of Jeffery Johns Ping.

[Unam Sanctam]

The fact that they are meeting the Prime Minister just demonstrates the ridiculous Erastianism of the Church of England. The Prime Minister makes church-related decisions because he represents the Crown, and the Queen of England is by law the "Head of the Church" as successor to Henry VIII. I personally think the successor to Peter would be a more Biblically-authorized head of the Church than the monarch of England, but then the people of England were never given the choice to agree to a change in church-governance that was imposed by state coercion.

[ahadams2]

I think you very much have a point as far as the dangers of an 'established religion' within a country - any such, no matter how well structured - will eventually become as much a political tool as anything else.

[Martin Tell]

by law the "Head of the Church" as successor to Henry VIII ...

Not exactly. The crown is the "Supreme Governour" of the Church; Jesus Christ is the Head.

There is (true) story that when a British Monarch died last century, the Pope sent a telegram to the Archbishop of Canterbury expressing sympathy "on the death of your Church's Head." The Archbishop replied, "It's all right. He rose again on the third day."