As for Bp. Wright’s concern about Anglican Church in North America, I am sure, knowing the Anglican Communion hierarchy, that there will be no rush to enfranchise ACNA or disenfranchise the Communion Partners remaining in TEC. But is it too much to ask the Archbishop of Canterbury to reaffirm the Primates’ call at Dar es Salaam for the cessation on lawsuits for all orthodox in TEC and ACNA on threat of immediately withdrawing his recognition?
The big question for the days ahead is whether the two streams of the orthodox movement ”“ which had coalesced in the Anglican Communion Network in North America and the Global South coalition ”“ will begin to come together again. I believe their reunion, not at first political but spiritual and practical, is devoutly to be wished.
Let me point out two positive indicators for why this can happen….
Naturally, I welcome this conciliatory statement from one of the most influential leaders of the FCA movement (the equivalent of Dr. Seitz say on the GAFCON side). I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Noll.
It’s interesting that Dr. Noll is more realistic about the prospects of actually strengthening section 4, especially the all important 4.1.5, than the ACI gang in their latest statement. As Noll correctly notes, that part of the Covenant can be amended later, by the provinces themselves, to make it toughter.
But I want to highlight the optimistic conclusion of this short piece by Dr. Noll. He encouragingly asserts, after quoting the famous line from Psalm 30 about “weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning,” that, [i]”I believe a new morning is breaking for our Communion and our tradition.”[/i]
I would offer what I hope is taken as a friendly amendment to that bold claim. I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Noll that a bright and glorious new day is dawning for the Anglican tradition. But I will have to demur and admit that I think the worst is still to come for the Communion. The AC, in its present form, is unlikely to survive this “train wreck.” The old, colonialstic, Christendom style wineskins of the AC as we currently know it appear to be doomed. They were not designed to hold in check wayward provinces like TEC or the ACoC that are simply determined to “walk apart.” So, it’s no surprise that the current Instruments of Unity failed dismally at that.
But Anglicanism is much greater than the old wineskins of the AC. The international structure of the AC are obsolete and expendable. They can and will be replaced, although the shape of that replacement is not yet clear.
But I fervently believe, with all my heart, that the best days for orthodox Anglicanism are still to come. The New Reformation is here and underway. It’s still gaining strength and momentum.
Some may still be grieving and mourning the loss of the old Anglicanism that is all we’ve ever known, and which we rightly remember fondly and cherish. That is perfectly normal, natural, and appropriate. Some, like +Wright, may still be feeling anger at the way the deluded leaders of TEC have hijacked TEC and recklessly taken it off into blatant heresy and open schism. And that is perfectly understandable and apprpriate too.
But some of us have already moved on. We’ve worked through our anger and grief. And we’re ready to start rebuilding the New Anglicanism of the 21st century.
Yes, a new and hopeful day is indeed dawning for biblical Anglicans worldwide. But before there can be a resurrection, there must be a death. The AC, as we’ve known it (which is the key phrase), must die, in order that the more important Anglican tradition can be raised to newness of life in a better, healthier form.
David Handy+
Passionate advocate of a global, post-colonial, post-Constantinian style Anglicanism with a renewed, much clearer confessional basis, and new binding, transprovincial authority structres (a real magisterium).
I’ve long held that a new reformation or a new revival is underway and we are seeing its beginnings in Africa. I also welcome Stephen Noll’s article and hope that, from the ashes of TEC and with the help of ACNA, a new – orthodox and united Anglican witness in North America will spring. It will be long and I don’t know if I will see it or not. But I believe (=faith) that it will happen.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder