I am still elated from yesterday’s investiture of the second Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, the Right Rev. Dr. Foley Thomas Beach. It is always a joy at these gatherings of our Church to see so many old friends from across North America”“ it really does have the joy of a family reunion. I was so blessed to see the number of archbishops, bishops, clergy, laity and friends from all across the Anglican Communion with us (at substantial cost, I might add!) simply to rejoice with us in this milestone in the growth of our Anglican Church, and to reaffirm our communion with them and the vast majority of practicing Anglicans across the globe.
Here are just some of the high points for me:
”“The Communion anthem by the combined choirs on the Holy Spirit”“ it lifted me out of my seat and into the throne room of the Lord in worship, reminding me of our continuing need for a new Pentecost
”“ The presence of youth and adults, Americans, Canadians, Burmese, Nigerians (a Nigerian female deacon read the Gospel), all highlighting Archbishop ++Foley’s observation that we are indeed a “diverse lot”
”“ The greetings brought from The Rev. Preb. Charles Marnham, St Mark’s Chester Square London, on behalf of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in the UK, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, the Church of England Evangelical Council, Church Society, Reform, and the Anglican Mission in England”“ with the heartfelt reminder that we should never forgot “how many friends we have in the Church of England.”
But especially the Primates gathering around our new Archbishop, laying hands on him and praying together out loud the blessing, and adding in this significant sentence NOT in the original worship bulletin:
“Foley Beach, We receive you as an Archbishop and a Primate in the Anglican Communion.”
That they went out of their way, together, to pray this before the gathered people of God is a clear reaffirmation of the Primates’ authority to decide who is Anglican, and their confirmation of our Anglican identity on behalf of the vast majority of practicing Anglicans within the Communion.
Whether or not the Archbishop of Canterbury respects this, we will move on with the distinct mission to which our new Archbishop has called us”“ to be a repenting, reconciling, reproducing and relentlessly compassionate Anglican Church reaching North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ!
“Whether or not the Archbishop of Canterbury respects this, we will move on with the distinct mission to which our new Archbishop has called us– to be a repenting, reconciling, reproducing and relentlessly compassionate Anglican Church reaching North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ!”
Whether or not the +ABC respects, this might in part determine how relevant he remains to the AC.
#1, I agree, and I’ll go further, along with adding a caveat.
First, along with Phil Ashey+, I heartily rejoice in the global nature of the celebration in Atlanta, and particularly I’m thrilled by the resounding affirmation by the assembled primates that ++Foley Beach was fully accepted by them as one of their elite company.
Second, the most important man among the primates to make that welcome affirmation was, of course, ++Mouneer Anis, as the Chairman of the Global South alliance. He was at the ACNA Provincial Assembly in June too, and since he represents the wider Global South fellowship that extends beyond GAFCOM/GFCA, that is a very promising development in terms of the broader recognition of the ACNA.
Finally, however, my enthusiasm is slightly tempered by the fact that I think the worthy primates made a significant slip in the language that they chose to use. It’s unfortunate (IMHO) that, in their commendable zeal to affirm that Foley Beach is a real Anglican archbishop and that implicitly the ACNA is a real Anglican province, (or perhaps still a province in formation), on a par with other Anglican provinces around the globe, the seven primates regrettably spoke of receiving ++Beach into “the Anglican Communion.”
Personally, I think that’s needlessly confusing. No subgroup of primates can speak for the whole “Anglican Communion” or for its 38 official provinces (i.e., 38 according to the traditional way of counting). What I think they meant was that this major group of primates receives ++Beach as fully and authentically Anglican, regardless of whatever status he has or doesn’t have, in the official international polity structures of the “Anglican Communion.”
Therein lies the rub, and much of the confusion about who is and is not Anglican. I contend, fervently, that being fully Anglican and being a part of the Anglican Communion are NOT synonymous. The two aren’t equivalent, and they haven’t been for some time now. There are LOTS of people, including bishops, priests, and seminary professors, who are a part of the official Anglican Communion who are outright heretics and don’t deserve to be considered true Anglicans at all (the PB of TEC is only the most obvious and notorious example). OTOH, there are LOTS of Anglicans who are genuine, faithful Prayerbook Christians, who are currently outside the official boundaries of the Communion.
We must stop confusing the two things. Being truly Anglican and being a part of the Anglican Communion are increasingly different things. Despite whatever propaganda comes out of St. Andrew’s House (ACO) or Lambeth Palace. Unfortunately, even the noble orthodox primates in Atlanta seem to have fallen into the trap of confusing the two things.
Let me restate it more positively. I contend that Anglicanism is greater than any institutional manifestation of it. Real Anglicanism is both larger and smaller than the “Anglican Communion.” The primates were right, and courageous, in boldly affirming that Foley Beach is a real Anglican archbishop and that the ACNA is fully and authentically Anglican, even if it’s not yet a part of, or even if it never becomes part of, the Communion that is officially recognized by Canterbury or the worthless, uttterly corrupt and discredited ACC.
David Handy+