A Deo et Rege

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/11/10/walkout_divides_nh_church/

It seems that Church of the Redeemer in Rochester, NH wanted nothing to do with the re-education officer priest sent by Bishop Theuner to take the place of the orthodox priest he had removed days earlier. The orthodox are in a state of mutiny and ECUSA is quickly fragmenting to say nothing of the communion itself. These incidents are only beginning. The cavalier and condescending attitude of our “leaders” is to blame. I started this controversy as a concerned, but pragmatic, conservative willing to go with the flow. After seeing the complete arrogance of the PB and others, I have become galvanized. I am no longer Erasmus, but Martin Luther in full swing.

http://nashuatelegraph.com/Main.asp?SectionID=25&SubSectionID=378&ArticleID=93055

Ok, it seems we’ve seen yet another act of “tolerance” from a liberal bishop. Bishop Douglas Theuner of New Hampshire has removed orthodox priest, Fr. Don Wilson from his position as interim priest of Church of the Redeemer, Rochester. And it had nothing to do with his opposition to Robinson, according to Theuner. Seriously. Just how stupid does this guy think we are? Theuner, his diocese isolated, has no spiritual or theological ground to stand on, so he uses the canons to persecute orthodox opponents (the same canons I’m sure he ignores on a regular basis with regards to homosexuality and closed communion). He is using Ingham’s bullying tactics and sadly, I think incidents like this will increase. All the talk of inclusivity, tolerance and diversity? Just buzzwords. This could happen to anyone in any diocese who runs afoul of his or her bishop. I don’t know if the Episcopalian orthodox can last 12 months for the Primate’s commission.

Many people are wondering what the future of ecumenical relations will be now that ECUSA has gone off the deep end. I think ECUSA will be as isolated as ever and probably only engage in dialogue with liberal Protestants. I believe that the talks with the Orthodox and Roman Catholics will stop, although gradually so as not to look too harsh in public. Perhaps in their places the Episcopal Church can start dialogues with the Unitarian Universalists and the MCC.

But…for Anglicans, I think ecumenical relations look bright. Once re-alignment has some discernible structure I think that the Catholic and Orthodox will negotiate with the new Anglican expression (the Pope’s letter of support sent over Griswold’s head to the AAC meeting in Dallas is a foreshadowing of this policy). I also think that while official dialogue between mainlines and American Anglicans will go through ECUSA, on a local level, many orthodox Presbyterians, Methodists, and Lutherans will prefer to work with the re-aligned communion instead.

Ancient and Future Catholics was born out of an internet ecumenical experience. People from various backgrounds gathered for prayer, fellowship, and discussion on Paltalk and found we had a lot more in common than we ever knew. However, this commonality was based on our adherence to the ancient faith, not on revisionist values. Tired of being attacked by those who were revisionists we almost by necessity stuck together. I believe as the other mainlines fall to the revisionist agenda, this “sticking together” will begin to occur on the local and national level. So, in my opinion the new ecumenism will not seek to merge denominations, but will be local, regional, and national networks of various denominations sticking together to stand up for biblical truth in the midst of a hostile secular and revisionist religious environment.

http://gc2003.episcopalchurch.org/ens/3577_21567_ENG_HTM.htm?menu=undefined

The Episcopal News Service has issued an article today entitled “International reaction to consecration in New Hampshire mixed.” It looks like Fox News isn’t going to have to worry about ENS stealing the “fair and balanced” label anytime soon. Basically, 20 Primates of the “Global South” representing 50 million of the world’s Anglicans condemned this consecration. Sydney’s archbishop Peter Jensen also condemned it in strong terms. It also mentions Archbishop Eames and Rowan Williams as being opposed, although not as dogmatically so. And New Zealand bishop Thomas Brown opposed it, but doesn’t see the fuss. Ok, chalk him up as “mixed.” The only ones outside of ECUSA quoted in the article who think this is the best thing since sliced bread are Archbishop Ndungane of South Africa and Colin Slee and Colin Coward (both priests) of England. So, they can muster one archbishop and two priests and this somehow balances out 22 primates, an archbishop, and the over 50 million Anglicans they represent? If this is what passes for “mixed” in the fantasyland called the current Episcopal Church, then it’s no wonder diversity is just an affirming buzzword for an aggregate of upper class, white liberals.

I am 25 years old and since I’m not a modernist, I would never claim to speak for all young people. But here is a 20-something who opposes not only Robinson, but also the revisionist agenda. It boggles the minds of some in the Episcopal Church that a young person can stand against so called progressive Christianity. Well, it seems that “progressive” Christianity when viewed through the eyes of Generation Y, looks rather…well…regressive. I love the music of the 1960s, but the theology and social values have proven to be rather bankrupt. While ECUSA bishops think I would love to be assoiciated with “cutting edge” folks like Barbara Harris and Jack Spong, I have no need of outdated feminism or outdated 19th century German theology viewed through outdated 1960s American lenses. Even among young Episcopalians, the 1960s vision too often lives on, which is why I believe we have abyssmal growth, especially among young people. ECUSA has become a haven for agnostics, pluralists, and athiests. These people need God too, but in the mainlines they’re frequently not getting God, just comfortable reaffirmation of their present state.

I have never been involved in or have seen a Canterbury or mainline college campus group that had more than 15 regular attendees. Most evangelical and Roman Catholic campus groups have that many showing up during an ebola outbreak during summer vacation. Modernism allowed the culture to critique the faith: thus, if an educated athiest couldn’t believe in the resurrection, then the Church shouldn’t either. The most thriving, growing churches of today, especially among young people, allow the faith to critique the culture. That is why on one hand, mainlines are rapidly graying and on the other hand why mainline youth convert to more evangelical or Catholic or Orthodox traditions. Research has shown that younger people want mystery and substance in their faith, not rationalism and an anything goes attitude. Church membership statistics confirm this trend. Classical Anglicanism offers alot to our youth: mystery, substance, and even charismatic experiences (also a hugely growing movement) but also a place for honest questioning. ECUSA is graying because it not only does not offer the aforementioned traits, but often mocks them. The re-aligned churches will find a huge mission field out there and I hope we take advantage of it.

Pax

This is it; the deed has been done. Robinson is now consecrated. I’m usually never at a loss for words, but they seem to be getting stuck halfway today. This is a period of intense sadness. Sure, there is the anger and the sarcasm, but they’re just ways of covering up the pain I feel at the course of action ECUSA has taken. When I converted to Anglicanism, I fell in love with the “Anglican Way.” Being Anglican also meant, in the USA, becoming Episcopalian. So, I also fell in love with the Episcopal Church. It has been a generally happy, but somewhat rocky 3 years, filled with moments of discovering exactly how far the Episcopal Church has moved from the historic faith. But, I treated them like a spouse often treats revelations of a mate’s infidelity: with rationalisation and denial. I figured that there was a silent orthodox majority or that our youth would save the church from ruin. But, I was wrong. The Church I loved has disappointed me in such a profound way, words cannot express it. Today is like the start of the divorce. It is appropriately the calendar day for the Day of the Dead (although it is translated to tomorrow). For many people, their relationship with the Episcopal Church, the Church they loved, is dead. The betrayal, hurt and disappointment are just too much to bear.

However, there is hope; the Anglican Church in America will be raised up from the ashes and apart from ECUSA may now be able to finally engage the mission field that is the Americas. We will at last be freed from a hierarchy that has never quite gotten over the theological and social fads of the 1960s. Today is All Saints Sunday in the Episcopal Calendar, a traditional day of baptism. The symbolism of death and new life in baptism is appropriate. Today may seem like a day of death for many in ECUSA, but out of death comes new life. God is doing something new in American Anglicanism. Thanks be to God.

Today is the evening before Gene Robinson is consecrated as bishop of New Hampshire. Call it the eve of “All Hell Breaks Loose” Day. I honestly believe the Anglican Communion as we know it will look radically different after Robinson is consecrated tomorrow. The Primates have spoken, the rest of Christendom has spoken and our interfaith partners have spoken. Yet, ECUSA does not listen and moves forward anyway, knowing it will mean certain excommunication from the majority of the world’s Anglicans and the breakdown of ecumenical talks. Robinson’s election did not draw the battle lines. Rather, it revealed the fault lines that have existed for years. When the bishops at General Convention refused to affirm key principles of Anglicanism (and Christianity for that matter), they publically affirmed that there are two churches in ECUSA: One church that stands for the catholic faith and evangelical mission and one that stands for inclusivity and diversity, which is essentially standing for whatever happens to be in fashion. There can be no true unity between these two churches because they are radically different in belief and in practice. The choices left are to remain together simply for the sake of remaining together or to go our separate ways.

People will be going their separate ways after November 2nd (many already have). Some will just leave Anglicanism completely, some will go to one of the continuing churches, and others will stick it out and seek re-alignment. The options are many, but for most of the orthodox, myself included, remaining in ECUSA outright is not an option. After Sunday, we will have to seriously discern where God is leading us. As a postulant for holy orders, this will be especially difficult, as I have devoted much time and money to ECUSA. But there are others who have devoted much more than I and will lose much too. I watch ECUSA act in this way with a feeling of profound sadness. But there is also hope, hope that the biblical, catholic, and orthodox Anglicans in the USA may finally be able to live out their vision in a realigned communion instead of having to make continuous compromises with a national church that includes the agendas of people like Bishop Spong. I believe that after re-alignment, ECUSA will finally be free to live out its vision as well. With the conservatives mostly gone, it will probably take only a couple of General Conventions to approve same sex blessings, start the creation of a feminist revision of the Prayer Book, and approve “open” communion. As ECUSA spirals out of control, the realigned churches will probably see more and more people come over until ECUSA is a UU church with ceremonial. I have many friends and mentors whom I love and know to be solid Christians who will remain with ECUSA and I hope for their sake I am wrong. Even after Nov. 2nd, I will never stop praying for their ministries.

During and after Robinson’s consecration tomorrow, I will be in prayer, praying for the future of Anglicanism. I don’t believe God is finished with us yet and it could be the start of something wonderful. Let the chaos begin.