Orthodox Anglicans in North America are inviting priests in the Church of England to make a show of solidarity by taking part in a clergy swap.
The Anglican Church in North America was formed last year by Anglicans who broke away from the liberal Episcopal Church in the US. It is proposing the swap in the wake of last Saturday’s consecration by TEC of its first partnered lesbian bishop.
ACNA said the clergy swap would be an opportunity for Church of England parishes and clergy to express their solidarity and friendship with ACNA churches.
Participating clergy will be matched to churches with similar preaching and ministry styles and serve the pulpit for a period of three to four weeks in January and July or August next year.
On one level this is a very smart move. Since most moderate-to-conservative Anglicans have no doubt about the validity of ACNA orders and since the Church of England continues to vacillate at the institutional level . . .
But looked at another way, it complements the progressive tactic of creating ‘facts on the ground.’ Another knock to catholic order to follow up on AMIA backing away from organic unity.
Ultimately, we may not get one federation (liberal) and one communion (conservative) but two federations (which, for some, may not matter all that much).
[url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com]Catholic and Reformed[/url]
I’m very concerned about catholicity but do not see any downside to this issue. At my parish, we often have visiting preachers from all over the Anglican Communion. This program should only increase peoples’ sense of being part of a worldwide body and, hence, promote a sense of catholicity in an era of too much fragmentation.
Fair enough, Ralph, but your visitors from all over the Anglican Communion aren’t caught up in a struggle for formal recognition.
Again, if the CoE is going to devolve into pro- and anti- FCA dioceses/parishes anyway it may not really matter. However, the fact that individual priests are being invited to do this (rather than, say, a group of confessing bishops within the CoE) doesn’t seem very catholic to me. But perhaps I’m reading too much into it.
Jeremy,
I’m afraid I’m with Ralph on this one. You may be overreacting, borther. I don’t see this as some sneaky way of subverting catholic order. It’s just a clergy swap, which gives congregations on both sides of the Pond a chance to become familiar with priests from the other side. Such arrangements have long been fairly common, but they’ve been done on a small scale, usually worked out by priests (or parish leaders) who happen to know each other. What seems new here is that it would be encouraged and facilitated by a central planning group and thus potentially involve more churches. That could be a very good thing.
BTW, I thought the review of your recent book on the history of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in AEH, Anglican and Episcopal History, was very positive. Congratulations on finishing it and getting it published. It’s important for us to realize that Pittsburgh didn’t become the conservative Anglican powerhouse that it is overnight, but that the process took several generations.
David Handy+
Thank you Father Handy (self-deprecating bow) 🙂
Please note that the reviewer is a notably fair-minded liberal whose [url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com/2008/01/accountability-globalism-wave-of-future.html]Anglican Communion in Crisis[/url] is well worth people’s time, if not already read. Like Philip Jenkins, I think she was ahead of the curve.
As far as my original comment is concerned, it may work out for the best; I don’t dismiss the possibility. I would just prefer that there be a more corporate sense of the “how” and the “who.” But then, if wishes were horses . . .
You’re welcome, Jeremy (#5).
You and Miranda Hassett seem to have a mutual admiration society going (at least of sorts). Nice review of her illuminating book.
And yes, if we all had our druthers, we’d never have to contend with this agonizing crisis in Anglicanism at all. We’d all be in agreement…
David Handy+
Methinks this is primarily an Evangelical issue. The Anglo-Catholic wing of the CoE will effectively cease to exist in the next 12-18 months.
I’m game for a swap. I’ll have to learn English.
#8: so will the English.
#8. Nah, the Brits will be learning “American”. LOL.
Really SC blu cat lady,
My honour is impugned.
And just remember your car has both a boot and a bonnet! 🙂
Frankly, I don’t see a thing wrong with this. It’s been going on for years, so why the concern now? I remember a time when my former parish (before it “went south”) had a Church of Ireland priest as locum tenens until our new rector came on board, and I know there have been many other similar instances.
“The United States and the United Kingdom: two countries separated by a common language.” — Churchill (?)
Clergy-swapping, wife-swapping; vestiges of a bygone era where swingers thought they were cool. Foisted upon unsuspecting members by some clergy and elitists.