Posted on 06/26/2006 4:54:13 PM PDT by sionnsar
Despite an 11th hour effort at the just-concluded General Convention to remain in good graces with the wider Anglican Communion, there is reason to think Episcopal Church now stands a good chance of being deemed by Anglican primates to be "walking apart" from the global church.
But have Episcopal hierarchs had a "Plan B" for just such a contingency all along, one that was in plain view at the June 13-21 convention in Columbus, Ohio?
Most readers will have heard that the U.S. Episcopal Church has now decided to be simply The Episcopal Church (TEC, instead of ECUSA). Add to this the 16 flags that formed the backdrop of the dais in the House of Deputies, and things start to become clearer. (There was no cross as at previous conventions - geography trumps the faith).
The Rt. Revd. Pierre W. Whalon, Bishop in charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe seemed to kick things off with his pointed comment during the convention that TEC "is the only global [province] in the Anglican Communion." And in fact, TEC includes not only the U.S. but jurisdictions in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe.
One of the messages here, it seems, is that if Anglican primates want to kick TEC out of the Communion, they will be kicking out little Honduras or Ecuador along with it. (Both are part of TEC's Province IX, which also includes Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Litoral and the Dominican Republic; TEC also has extra-provincial or –territorial jurisdictions in Europe, Haiti, Micronesia, the Virgin Islands, Taiwan, and the U.S. Armed Forces.)
Haiti is touted as the largest diocese in the Episcopal Church and the most poverty stricken.
But some think it likely that the other "subtle message" to the rest of the Communion in the Episcopal Church's sudden global emphasis is that "we are just the same as you."
Indeed, the collection of jurisdictions in TEC's "orbit" looks to some like the potential nucleus of a rival Anglican Communion, which could attract other liberal-led Anglican jurisdictions.
The orthodox former Bishop of Eau Claire (WI), William Wantland, who is also a lawyer, said he thinks that TEC "wants to stay in the Anglican Communion if it can on its own terms, or BE a communion on its own terms."
That's a "fair speculation," agreed the Rev. Martyn Minns of the conservative American Anglican Council.
Wantland thinks there is a good possibility that, if TEC set out on its own, it would seek to convince other liberal provinces to join the alternate Anglican fold. These might include Canada, Brazil (an Episcopal Church plant), Central America, the Philippines, and possibly Southern Africa, the only liberal-led African Anglican province.
Canon David Anderson leader of the American Anglican Council wrote that with this degree of vacillation within TEC's own ranks, Lambeth is now apparently unclear as to what status TEC should have and so we are advised the global primates will have to discern this next year when they meet. A decision delayed allows the Episcopal Church to assemble primates friendly to them and of the same mind and move toward a new global coalition, he said.
"Along these lines, the Episcopal Church tipped off those who were paying close attention when they made reference at General Convention that TEC was the only truly international Province having some sixteen nations linked to it in some sort of an organic manner. Is the Episcopal Church planning a communion wide coup d'etat? Are they even now planning on joining other provinces friendly to them to take over the communion, or at the least, to create a parallel Anglican Communion of the far revisionist left? Many are wondering what TEC meant by letting that sixteen nations line slip, and why?"
"I suspect we will find out in the next nine months of gestation exactly what is coming to pass. Hold on," wrote Anderson.
Whatever The Episcopal Church does or does not do in the days that lie ahead, everything has changed and nothing will be as it was. The Episcopal Church has finally gone into an unbiblical orbit with a clarity that no one can miss. All that remains is see what finally shakes out. Stay tuned.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. It sounds a lot like blackmail to me.
"The Episcopal Church has finally gone into an unbiblical orbit with a clarity that no one can miss." Uh, the Episcopal Church in America has now revealed its allegiance to satan's way. Sadly, many souls will be lost in the demonic river through the broad gate. We live in the end times when the spirit of antichrist is not hiding the agenda any longer.
I don't see a problem with this. We compete with druids, Leninists, animists and wicca globally. How could this be much different?
Not one bit. But "we" compete with them outside instead of inside. (I'm being generous with the "we" -- I left (P)ECUSA a long time ago.)
Precisely. It will become a more open and transparent choice, with less chance of confusion or false pretense. Who knows, maybe TEC will even merge with the Unitarian Universalists?
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