Posted on 02/18/2007 4:23:24 PM PST by sionnsar
I was reading this post on “The Continuum” and the thought has crossed my mind before. And the suggestion of (perhaps) a 2nd communal province in North America makes this idea VERY timely and VERY VERY important.
This new province would have, as possibilities, ready-to-use components that can all benefit each other as co-communicants in an Orthodox province.
The ACC, APCK, AMiA, CANA, REC and former TEC parishes / dioceses will not be as large as TEC, initially. But their evengelical fervor, proven to be more ardent than that of the revisionists, doubtlessly will allow for greater growth in this new province. Factor in the “Episcopalians are too smart to have kids” mindset, and the future definitely would belong to the Orthodox Province.
All these groups are 1928 BCP-oriented, all adhere to “Rome’s” position on WO and other social issues, so their Orthodoxy makes for a great deal of common cause. All they need to do is start the union, and NOT bicker, NOT adhere to falsely sacred cows, and focus on the larger picture.
It could be really energizing and vibrant, to bring all the Continuum back into the Communion.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. You are a member of one of the more conservative bodies, as I recall. Do you think the proposal is workable?
I'm a member of the APA and I do not think it is workable. It seems to be very appealing to the people who are just now leaving ECUSA/TEC, less appealing to those of us who have been out for a longer time.
I think it could work once the groups decide that the essentials are more important than the non-essentials.
Case in point: I'm an AMIA priest currently working to plant a church here in the Spokane Valley and twice already I've been invited to preach at the local ACA church.
We're really all on the same team, perhaps just playing different positions.
I think the APA-REC merger is likely to (continue to) be a difficult one; quite a reach. But between the APCK and the ACC, I don't understand why we aren't already there.
The total lack of Anglican unity, which can only come from above, was one of the clearest signs for me to high-tail it to Rome when I became disillusioned of Episcopalianism in 1992.
The idea that Continuing Anglican unity is not workable is a sign that Continuing Anglicanism is a work of man. Man has been unable to unite anything of his own since the Tower of Babel.
There is strong question on the APCK side about some of the ACC clergy. Here in NC relations are on the Ice Age side between active APCK and ACC people.
Is that all? C'mon, call a commission, put this problem-solver engineer on it, we'll get it hammered out in short order. (It may not be comfortable for a few folks for a short time, for much fewer for a longer time, but we have to start undoing all these divisions.)
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