My brothers and sisters in Christ in the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Someone asked me recently if I was planning to vote at the Convention on November 2. “Not until they allow email ballots,” was my answer. But it occurred to me that I could send an electronic voice vote instead of a paper ballot.
I write to you from a distance but with a closeness of heart as you prepare for the Convention this weekend. I have been an Episcopalian since my conversion and baptism as a university student in 1966. I have been ordained since 1971 and a priest of the Diocese since 1979. I have been a theologian and educator at Trinity School for Ministry for 21 years and now in Uganda since 2000. I have been addressing the crisis in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion for the past 20 years.
I believe Bishop Jack Iker has spoken frankly and prophetically when he states there is no future in The Episcopal Church for those who hold to biblical Christianity in the Anglican tradition. In my courses on the prophets, I always taught that oracles of judgement precede oracles of hope. Such is the situation of Anglicanism today. We have incurred God’s judgement as a tradition and as a church. The responses of biblically-minded Anglicans to this crisis have been various, uncoordinated and often contradictory, which may itself be an outworking of judgement.
About ten years ago, I did some contingency planning for the American Anglican Council by projecting five scenarios for the future. Let me comment on them briefly with benefit of ten years of hindsight.
Scenario 1: Victory in turning the institution back to the biblical and historic faith. Despite strenuous efforts by the AAC and others, the Episcopal Church has set its course for the future, and we are not a part of it. Politically, we lost. There is no credible scenario now by which TEC can be reformed or revived from within.
Scenario 2: A negotiated settlement that would allow our group (call them confessors or dissidents) to live in peace or to separate with a fair distribution of property. The powers that be have ruled out this option, either out of fear that they might open the floodgates to departures or out of conviction that they don’t need to compromise, holding the legal cards in their hand.
Scenario 3: A league of confessing parishes. Parishes have been the main source of strength among confessing Episcopalians. Beginning with the First Promise movement, then with AMiA, and now with other networks aligned with overseas provinces, parishes have become the foundation of a new church. In most cases, joining these networks has cost churches and clergy their property, pensions, and some of their people. At the same time, breaking free has brought new energy for evangelism, church planting and mission.
Scenario 4: A league of confessing dioceses. The Anglican Communion Network emerged out of the AAC to unite bishops and like-minded dioceses against the powers that be. Unfortunately, this league has been whittled down to only a few. Help has come from another quarter: a network of bishops and dioceses has emerged, with connections reaching internationally into the Global South and historically back to the Reformed Episcopal Church and other groups who have been marginalized by the Episcopal Establishment over the years. This is the Common Cause Partnership.
Scenario 5: Piecemeal disintegration. Institutional death ”“ comfortably financed but death nonetheless ”“ is the future of The Episcopal Church. If the typical Anglican worldwide is a 30 year-old person of color, so the typical Episcopalian of the future will be a 70-year-old divorced priest. Those who stay in the institution to make a witness will be swallowed up and swept away like the exiles of Samaria after 722 BC.
None of the above scenarios is pleasant, humanly speaking; even the first (victory) would have been distressing in its way. As Scripture says: “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant”¦. But some scenarios ”“ call them ways of obedience ”“ are hopeful; as the writer continues: “later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).
I think realignment through the Common Cause Partnership offers the best amalgamation of parish and diocesan scenarios that we can ask for at present. Yes, there is danger of splintering. Yes, there are thorny issues like women’s ordination to be faced. And certainly, there is no way we shall return to “business as usual.” On the other hand, I think this movement has garnered the best leadership in the church, and above all, it has the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ that those who are faithful over a little will be entrusted with more (Matthew 25:21).
Some of my friends and former students have concluded that Anglicanism has lost its saltiness and have departed to other churches. I believe Establishment Anglicanism is dying, both nationally and internationally, but the Anglican tradition, chastened and reformed, has an ongoing witness to make. Certainly, the Anglicans in the Church of Uganda see it that way. So I plan to continue an Anglican come what may.
I serve in Uganda, but I am proud to be a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. I am in awe of my bishop, who has exhibited sacrificial courage, biblical faithfulness, and practical wisdom in leading the Network and Common Cause movements. I cannot in good conscience remain a priest of The Episcopal Church much longer, but it is my hope that I may remain a priest of this diocese for years to come. Your decisions this week may enable that possibility.
May God bless and guide you in your deliberations. We shall be praying with you as you meet.
Cordially in Christ,
Stephen
The Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll
Mukono, Uganda
28 October 2007
God bless you Stephen Noll. May your hope be realised and may your vision of the future come to pass, or even better.
And God bless the strategic gospel work at UCU in Mukono through you too. 🙂
Let’s pray all this into reality……
It was about ten years ago that I, a church-homeless person wandered into the Episcopal fray looking for my church ancestery, hoping that perhaps there might be a home in a conservative orthodox Episcopal Church for me. Alas, it has been the fray that consumed me. I have argued, from the outside, my observations and opinions to the pew-sitters that I had contact with. I neither suggested staying nor leaving to them but that they would honor God and act in faith no matter their decision. I watched with many others those 5 Scenarios develop with their respective hopes and failures. I prayed for the suffering, an ever growing number. I prayed that God would purify His Church. I watched good leadership rise from the ashes.
Now I read this by Mr. Noll. I think that he says nothing new, and yet what he says leaves me stunned in a way. God knew, God saw, God was giving vision to those who needed to know. I said as much many times to many people but here I see some (more) evidence of that. It seems a powerful thing.
A voice crying in the wilderness. Like the prophet’s of old, Stephen Noll has been prophesying and, unfortunately, the worshippers of the golden calf and other idols have been ignoring his protestations. Kendall gave two lectures at our meeting of CLCC in Colorado. They are available online, [url=http://www.christchurchdenver.org/Anglican_Pages_p23/page23.html ]here[/url], but the thrust is that we are like the Israelites of old. Judgement is being meted out for our foolishness and unrepentant and rebellious hearts.
It is crazy, but I don’t mind the coming storm. Yes, it is said to see the demise of the church that I was raised in. I personally have grown in my faith tremendously over the past year. Episcopalians have been divided into the liberal usurpers, the orthodox faithful, and the slumbering masses. I was part of the later. Renewal accompanies reformation. Certainly it is helpful that we have leaders like Bps Duncan and Iker and Father Noll as we head into uncertain times. Faith, hope and love will guide us.
[blockquote]Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” [/blockquote]
Re #3: Actually, Episcopalians aren’t divided at all. The great majority have simply decided to have their own way at any cost. “The liberal usurpers, the orthodox faithful, and the slumbering masses” are all united in that. I don’t see a lot to choose between one individualist schismatic heresy and another, frankly.
Dale, if I had a choice, I would go with the “individualist schismatic heresy” that lined up with 2000 years of consistent Christian teaching on the presenting issues.
# 4: Once again you confuse schism with heresy. Once again you tar the opponents of false teaching – even blasphemous and immoral teaching that endagers the souls of men and women – as ‘heretics’. And you don’t even recognize how much these Christians have suffered at the hands of putative bishops, in the loss of buildings, jobs and homes, in maintaining this faithful witness for the gospel. If that makes you feel superior and above the fray, well bully for you. But the rest of us are not really concerned with keeping a liturgical choral society going. There’s too much of real importance at stake.
These are tough times, but bracing. We’re being called to examine our idolatries—and we all have them—and to offer them up. I love beautiful buildings as much as anyone (my father-in-law’s company built the one my husband and I currently worship in), but it’s clear from the recent behavior of the PB that lovely buildings are a kind of corporate “branding” that will be guarded will an unholy and ruthless zeal.
4, Go along to get along regardless. Is that right Dale?
Wait a minute, didn’t I read in Episcopal Life that it was Bob Duncan who had rejected +KJS’s offer of reconciliation. Yep, there it is on page three.
RevK, perhaps Bp Duncan knows her better than Bp Lee of DioVa. An example of her reconciliation style: “I ordered U-turn on dealâ€
Bishop Schori said she ordered Virginia Bishop Peter Lee to break a verbal agreement allowing the 11 parishes to withdraw from the diocese so as to prevent “incursions by foreign bishops.â€
RevK, Duncan is right, according with St Paul, Christian shouldn’t have any business(fellowship) with heretics.
#9 RevK
There is one of the major problems in all of this. Where one sees offers of reconciliation others see calls for capitualation. We are so far past reconciliation at this point that we should just get on with it and settle on an orderly protocol for parting ways. What is happening now can only deepen the divisions to the detriment of all.
I’m sorry that my sarcasm was too thin. I was making a comment on the quality of Episcopal Life truthfulness and my tongue was firmly in my cheek.
Where is that `sarcasm` emoticon when you need it, eh?