Posted on 12/13/2006 6:14:41 PM PST by sionnsar
"A unification of all the Anglican churches that wish to join together in a new provincial structure-a structure that would serve as a coherent, unified, orthodox, mission-driven Anglican Church as a full province of the global Communion, and nothing less."
By Canon David C. Anderson
December 2006
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we go into the Advent and Christmas Season, we typically think of Peace on Earth and the birth of the Savior. As our Savior grew up, he cautioned us that his coming would bring conflict and a peace that was not based on simple peace and quiet. From childhood I have sung the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" and recognized that conflict is, in a spiritual sense, inevitable as the Kingdom of God overcomes the Kingdom of Satan. Conflict, both human and spiritual, has seemingly always been with us. Nations have fought against nations, and tribes against tribes.
The cause of the conflict may vary, but historians tell us that in every conflict there is one battle that turns the tide of combat and gives the advantage to the side that will ultimately be victorious. Historians also tell us that within this one battle there is one particular skirmish that will define the outcome, not only for the battle, but also for the entire war, and shape history for years to come.
The tide turns when a small group of well-disciplined soldiers are given the task of holding a position. The command is simple; if the enemy breaks through, they will overtake us from behind and secure the advantage, and the battle, and perhaps the war, will be lost. The task that our commanding officer gives is to hold our position at all cost. There are incredible stories of how the few have held off the mighty. Not only through the first or second charge but fourth, fifth, and sixth until victory was assured.
For the most part, those who stood in the breach and held their lines have not been immortalized in history; they don't have songs written about their bravery, and as time goes on their heroic deeds may be all but forgotten. But if it had not been for the few that were willing to pay the price and stand in the breach, history might look very different.
At General Convention 2003 a group of dedicated orthodox Episcopalians stood in the breach and said, "We will not be overrun." Through 2004, 2005 and 2006, the American Anglican Council, along with thousands of the faithful, has stood firm in the face of overwhelming odds and held fast knowing that the battle would turn and victory would be forthcoming. In June of this year, the tide turned, and The Episcopal Church (TEC) fell victim to its own distorted views of the Christian faith.
In July I wrote to you and stated that the war is over; and in some ways it is, and yet in other ways it is not. The burden of proof has been moved from our shoulders, and our case has been made by TEC herself.
The task of proving TEC guilty is over; now is the time to prove we can do better. Now is the time to build churches, to do the work of ministry, and to see people brought to Jesus and lives transformed. I firmly believe that although we face future skirmishes, the war is over!
After each conflict there must be a time of reconstruction. What will this reconstruction phase look like for faithful Anglicans? First, we have churches remaining in TEC, churches leaving TEC, and churches fully out of TEC; and all are struggling with issues unique to their situation.
The immediate work of the AAC is to assist Episcopalians still in TEC who intend, for at least the time being, to stay in TEC, to be strong and protective of their people and property in both doctrine and practice. Those Episcopalians who are seeking to leave TEC, with or without their property, have different needs, and the AAC, often working under the radar, is providing counsel, guidance, materials and legal referrals to help those on a spiritual Underground Railroad.
Those churches which have left TEC, or are newly started as church plants outside TEC, and are presently connected with an overseas Anglican Province, have still different needs.
In order to strengthen the global connection, the AAC has been working to provide Primates with inside information about the state of The Episcopal Church, its words, actions and outrages, and through various venues putting the needs of our TEC-free churches before them.
The mid-term goals of the AAC recognize that the present status of many overseas primatial connections have complications attached to their blessings.
The blessings are immediate and obvious: Our churches feel they are united with orthodox Anglican Christians and are under the safe pastorate of a believing bishop; and additionally, the missional relationships that result serve to strengthen both sides.
The complications are that the distances are very great between both the overseas dioceses and the U.S. churches, and the distance and communication difficulties result in requests for our overseas bishops to be with us more frequently than is often possible.
Finally, the U.S. orthodox are divided many different ways even though sometimes they may live only miles from one another. In Atlanta, within miles of one another, there are orthodox Bolivian, Anglican Mission in America (Rwandan), and Convocation of Anglicans in North America (Nigerian) congregations. What is needed is a solution that addresses these difficulties. Finding the solutions to these situations is an area where we are working and will continue to work, along with others.
The long-term goal, looking further into the future, is to see a unification of all the Anglican churches that wish to join together in a new provincial structure-a structure that would serve as a coherent, unified, orthodox, mission-driven Anglican Church as a full province of the global Communion, and nothing less.
As a member of the Common Cause Partners, the AAC wishes to work alongside other partners to secure much-needed additions to our life together. Putting together retirement provision that would be interchangeable among the churches, thus making life simpler for clergy, and implementing a common buying group for clergy family and employee health insurance would improve benefits and lower the cost.
Also, building a church search engine that would include all the Common Cause Partner churches in a searchable online database that is easy to use, along with other issues, need to be worked on collaboratively among orthodox Anglicans as we look to the larger future ahead. The AAC wants to assist in making the solutions reality.
As these goals are progressively reached, and as circumstances inevitably change, the specifics of the AAC's work will need to be adjusted and fine-tuned.
In every situation, the AAC is committed to facilitating orthodox mission and ministry, assisting the Primates as they help us, and seeing a restoration of the church here in America - not with the old leaven, but with a new infilling of the Holy Spirit, seeking to recover the zeal of the early church.
This is a three-stage vision taking us at least five years into the future, a vision of reforming and renewing Anglicanism domestically and globally, a vision that I hope engages you and causes you to want to sign on with us for the hard work ahead. As you pray, please remember our work.
In order to accomplish our mission, we need your support. To those of you who are supporting us now, we thank you and ask that you continue to do so. To those who have supported us in the past, we ask that you once again support us as we continue to stand in the breach for all who faithfully follow our Anglican heritage.
To those of you who have, for whatever reason, not joined us in the fight, we ask you to do so at this present time. The stronger we are, the better we can overcome the opposition, and the shorter the time needed until the final victory.
As you consider your year-end tax-deductible gifts, please remember that without you, the AAC could not have accomplished all that it has. To continue our work, we are seeking to raise $112,500 by the end of December. This amount will allow us to act on your behalf with diplomatic efforts, such as working with bishops and Primates of the Anglican Communion to further provide the primatial recognition and establishment of additional orthodox options.
Please make a gift to help us reach this goal by the end of December. You may contribute online, or call the AAC office (800-914-2000) and we can process your credit card contribution quickly and securely over the telephone. There is a new day for Anglicanism in North America - let's build it together!
May the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, bless you and your family through this season of hope. The AAC staff and Board of Directors send our Advent and Christmas Greetings to you and your loved ones. In Christ,
---The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson is CEO and President of the American Anglican Council
The American Anglican Council www.americananglican.org http://aacblog.classicalanglican.net/ info@americananglican.org
2296 Henderson Mill Rd. NE,
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Atlanta, GA 30345-2739
Phone: 800-914-2000 or 770-414-1515
Fax: 770-414-1518
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. What would be the purpose of bringing all the Anglican churches together? A consolidation of power and finances for those folks running it?
What else drives it?
I've talked a bit with Anglicans in other provinces at it seem clear that the desire for unity remains with the laity. And at least some clergy too.
It's likely true that there are those who would like to see the reunification so that they could be the ones running it, but that's not the only reason. The end goal is a new (reformed?) North American Anglican church, a member in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
My opinion should be given very little weight since I'm not in that denomination and don't have the history of what's going on other than what I read here or in the lousy newspaper I still pay for.
I don't want to get into doctrinal matters myself tonight, but the justification for unification being a bigger and better database as suggested in the article struck me as odd.
That couldn't have been a motivator 40 years ago, so the reason seemed quite secular to me. There were other reasons offered, but that one jumped out at me.
Maybe Sir Elton John can be moved to write a song endorsing this......t
Ha. I missed the database element on my scan of the article. It's a really small element. However, some of the other "lesser motivations" are real -- it's very hard for the splintered Anglican groups to provide such as common health insurance, for example, things that were normal in the Episcopal church.
Historically, the Anglican (Episcopal) Communion has been about the "biggest tent" of the original Protestant denominations. At the time of its founding, Anglicans were anything from Presbyterian-sympathizing Calvinists (Puritans)(the Westminster Confession of Faith, founding document of Presbyterianism, after all was an Anglican document, created in London) to people with "low church" (later Methodist) sympathies, to virtual Roman Catholics. The state Church of England included them all.
From the beginning though these were very orthodox Christians....who compromised primarily on form--while keeping a solid (but flexible) reformed protestant base. The 39 Articles are a firmly Calvinist/reformed Protestant document...but more general and flexible (and short!) than other Calvinist confessions (like Westminster).
The REAL "via media," which the liberals like to toss around today, was about flexibility and moderation WITHIN orthodox Christian categories--not between conservative and liberal theologies (which did not exist 400 years ago). Anglican C. S. Lewis' phrase "mere Christianity" shows the traditional Anglican ideal.
Every Christian desires a reunification of a PURE church, as Jesus prayed in His High Priestly prayer in John...as in the West our dissolution from one Church is less than 500 years old. Most are not willing to give away the return to the bible gained in the reformation....which is why we won't go with the liberals, nor (yet) will we go back to Roman Catholicism--both systems depart from scripture as the final authority (interestingly).
There are over 30 different (usually very small) Anglican associated denominations in the USA. Each one was started for different reasons--many are called part of "continuing Anglicanism" which has regarded TEC (and by extension, usually Canterbury too) too far gone to be in communion with. If a new very orthodox Anglican denomination formed...in full comminion with worldwide Anglicanism (unlike most of the 30 little denominations) some of these small denominations may join. Worldwide, the Anglican church (2nd largest single Christian denomination on the globe) is overwelmingly very orthodox and bible based--due primarily to the former British colonies' mission churches.
TEC is generally (with good reason) to (naturally) die on the vine, within a generation or so. Considering the decline in membership of ECUSA in the last 30 years, that's a very real posibility. When Christianity ceases to be faithful to the basics, as TEC has, it ceases to be compelling...besides ceasing to be Christian.
We would argue that the 39 Articles were not a firmly Calvinist / reformed Protestant document but rather a carefully crafted compromise that can be interpreted in a manner that could be sold to both Catholics and Puritans.
Although this is a viewpoint claimed by many Protestants, Catholics would say that there was never a difference between Protestants and Catholics in a view of scripture as the final authority. The difference (this is a crude simplification of some very complex issues)was rather between private interpretation (protestant) vs. ecclesial interpretation - the triad of scripture, tradition and reason (catholic/orthodox).
The Articles are general enough that Reformed and Anglo-Catholics could (and still can) abide by them. However...arguably, 16th Century Catholics (like most 16th Century Christians actually) were more predestinarian than modern Catholics (and generally, modern Christians of all types) tend to be.
The popular use of "Calvinist" today usually is shorthand for predestinarian, and the 39 Articles definitely are that.
Hooker's so-called 3 legged stool (or triad as you called it) was never that. (It is claimed to be by a lot by revisionists in Anglican circles now though, actually). I've read the quote where that idea came from, and clearly Hooker saw a priority...with scripture as the final authority, reason as secondary, and tradition in third place. This view arguably was also held by the Reformers...and is not a contradiction to their understanding of sola scriptura (which refered in 16th Century minds as final, unarguable authority, not solo authority).
Magisterial/Confessional protestants (Lutherans, Presbyterians/Reformed, and Anglicans) have always maintained it was the Church which had the responsibility of interpretation--hence the various confessions--hammered out and agreed to by highly qualified scholars in the church (not private interpretation)--which explain and detail what they aggreed in community as biblical doctrine.
I've recently taken a seminary course in Creeds, and it is fascinating how very much the historic Protestant creeds agree on...probably upwards of 95% between Lutheran and Reformed, and 98%+ between the various (many) Reformed creeds.
Me-and-my-Bible-alone Christianity is pretty well uniquely an American phenomina, and has been (and continues to be) on the fringes of Christianity--even Protestant Christianity. Even those groups (take Baptists for example) who claim to follow it....really don't tolerate private interpretation very far at all, their doctrines are developed (and interpreted) by their church scholars acting in community as well.
Let a bible study in a baptist church say they've come to understand the bible alows infant baptism....and those who say that won't be in their baptist church very long! So private interpretation of any great consequence in practice is very rarely tolerated by any group.
One of the wonders of all the various splintered Protestant groups, among the evangelical brand anyway, is the remarkable uniformity of belief--among groups who have no connection to each other in any sort of formal way.
It should help mission activity. Church planting is an area where coordination is vital. Whether there is full union or just agreement to coordiate efforts, folks shouldn't be stepping on each other's toes.
Seminary support is another area where there are economies of scale.
Finally, unity of the body should be an aspirational goal for all Christians.
"triad" = posting too late at night after a long day.
You make some excellent points. Interestingly, I have seen similar points get flamed by the staunch Calvinists on the "Reformed" threads. (These are particularly active around All Souls Day when they celebrate the disunification of the Church!)
"Worldwide, the Anglican church (2nd largest single Christian denomination on the globe) is overwelmingly very orthodox and bible based--due primarily to the former British colonies' mission churches."
Third largest.
"This view arguably was also held by the Reformers...and is not a contradiction to their understanding of sola scriptura (which refered in 16th Century minds as final, unarguable authority, not solo authority).
Magisterial/Confessional protestants (Lutherans, Presbyterians/Reformed, and Anglicans) have always maintained it was the Church which had the responsibility of interpretation--hence the various confessions--hammered out and agreed to by highly qualified scholars in the church (not private interpretation)--which explain and detail what they aggreed in community as biblical doctrine."
Now there's an interesting fact! You guys ought to join us Orthodox and the Catholics in the lists when the Calvinists and their fellow travelers go on their sola scriptura tears here on FR! They are particularly active right now. :)
The operative distinction is around negative or double predestination.
The orthodox Anglican churches of various jurisdictions cannot be stitched together from the top down. They must grow together from the bottom up. Otherwise we risk becoming another ECUSA. This will take time- perhaps many years, but it is the only way to move forward.
Right now, the orthodox Anglicans in America are under a wide variety of jurisdictions. We should view this as a great blessing. This enables us to learn to do joint ministry together (college, prison, youth camps, clergy support, etc.) without bludgeoning each other with ecclesiastical and diocesan politics.
I guess that makes myself and a lot of others I know (who are very conservative Presbyterian....and infralapsarian) negative predestinarian.
Since the Eastern Orthodox comprise of national Churches--with slightly different polities in each, that is why I listed Anglicans as 2nd. Depending on how you define a denomination or communion, you are correct. There are more Eastern Orthodox Christians than Anglican.
Still, the "sun never sets" empire of the British, was used mightily by God to build a huge communion.
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