The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has appointed the Revd Anders Litzell as Prior of the Community of St Anselm, a radical new Christian community at Lambeth Palace.
Mr Litzell, 34, is an Anglican priest from Sweden, who has experience of the Pentecostal and Lutheran traditions as well as three provinces of the Anglican Communion. He will pioneer the Community, which launches in September 2015, and direct its worship and work. He will work as Prior under the auspices of the Archbishop, who will be Abbot of the Community. Mr Litzell will take up the role on 5th January 2015.
The Community will initially consist of 16 people living at Lambeth Palace full-time, and up to 40 people, who live and work in London, joining as non-residential members. The Archbishop hopes that the Community will be definitive in shaping future leaders to serve the common good in a variety of fields, as they immerse themselves in a challenging year of rigorous formation through prayer, study, practical service and community life.
Looks like we have an Anglican in Rome and a Catholic in Lambeth, albeit a rather modern liberal one. What do we call the ‘Abbot’s wife’ – Mrs Abbot?
Mudlark Abbey is a pretty wacky place these days.
For such a young man, Anders has a rich history in education and ecumenics and evangelism. All I know of him through the International Alpha network tells me Archbishop Welby has chosen well.
“The Archbishop hopes that the Community will be definitive in shaping future leaders to serve the common good in a variety of fields”
What does that mean?
And why is this news? I mean, it is wonderful when even a handful of people study to lead churches, but this is 16 full-time and 40 part-time theological students. That is a drop in the bucket compared to what CofE needs.
Compare this to one theological college in Australia down the road from me which has 300 full-time students.
There must be a reason why a faculty with 16 full-time students is news, but I’m dashed if I can work out what it is, at least from this article.
#2 Tory
All I know of him through the International Alpha network tells me Archbishop Welby has chosen well.
Well, having served in the loony liberal Church of Sweden, he should certainly fit in. Moreover, being married, like his ‘Abbot’ he should be completely qualified to run the Monastery of the Blessed Stanley Hauerwas.
Are you sure you aren’t serving as a spokesman/PR consultant to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Tory?
#3 Michael A
There must be a reason why a faculty with 16 full-time students is news, but I’m dashed if I can work out what it is, at least from this article
I doubt if Moore College provides the young with an opportunity to serve as an apprentice catamite during a gap year.
I think such communities are great in principle, but it will be interesting to know how this one will fare amidst the ever increasing moral and doctrinal ambiguity of the CofE.
Hmm, listening to Anders Litzell’s Video on the ABC site:
“It was while studying in the US that I began to realise what depths of riches existed outside of my own church family and I was born in a Pentecostal family but I met people who were so different, in particular Episcopalians – they had thought so deeply about things which weren’t even on my radar. And it challenged me and it inspired me, and eventually led to me being ordained in the Church of England”
So, attended a TEC church where you can find open communion, centering prayer and worship of a “consistently inclusive Jesus”; subsequently served in the Province of Southern Africa and the Church of Sweden. Liberal enough Por-voo?
Another thought: I wonder who is paying for it all?
Until earlier this year, I was the rector of St. Barnabas, Glen Ellyn. I was rector there when Anders Litzell attended. “Open Communion” was very deliberately not practiced at St. Barnabas during my tenure and as far as I know is not now.
FWIW, I think Anders is a brilliant choice. He was a good, thoughtful, and faithful young man when he attended St. Barnabas. He is older and more experienced now. I look forward to seeing how the Community of St Anselm develops under his leadership.
A Modest Proposal: Open Communion a Sermon preached at St Barnabas Glenn Ellen by the Rev. Dr Donna Ialongo on Sunday, November 2nd, 2014.
???
A proposal by the interim. We’ll see if it becomes the policy of the congregation. I hope not. In any event, and more pertinent to the thread, it was not the policy or teaching when Anders Litzell was there.
???
I did not know at the time Max was not baptized. We had a clear statement in the bulletin, but I do not check folk at the railing. My practice, upon finding out that someone was not baptized was coming to the rail for communion, has been to explain to them why that is problematic and invite them to explore baptism. In the meantime, I encourage them to come forward to receive a blessing. I am happy to report that Max was later baptized. He was heard singing in the shower the morning of his baptism, “Today, I am being baptized and becoming a christian.”
Well reading the rest of the sermon, Max had been attending your church once a month since he was one and receiving a blessing, was then nine and attending a Catechesis class. Do you not remember the children you bless at Communion month by month, or even have baptized?
Some of that I do not remember particularly. What I do remember is that once Max took communion, we had the conversation and we moved toward baptism. He did not take communion again until he was baptized. I have spoken against the practice of “open communion” at Seabury-Western Seminary, at General Convention, at St. Barnabas, and have published on the topic. And, again, more pertinent to the thread, nothing Anders Litzell would have heard when he was at St. Barnabas was anything but mere Christianity. It was the insinuations against him that prompted my posting. I think I am done defending myself to an anonymous interlocutor.
Peemer #2
I’ve told you before I’d converse with you on these matters if you’d demonstrate enough integrity to use your real name.
#14 Tory
You asked me to contact you privately to discuss my concerns about you taking Shannon Johnston to London and opening ‘ministry opportunities’ to him in the Church of England – a most unfriendly act, which as Fr Matt Kennedy pointed out to you, I am under no obligation to take offline nor to use any other name.
“demonstrate enough integrity to use your real name” – something I have come to recognise as boilerplate Lambeth Palace attack when someone gets too close to the mark. I have noted several instances recently. I take it as an indication that I have hit the mark and it has shot up and rung the bell. Interesting that Matt Gunter makes the same point, although I have no reason to believe that he is a spokesman/PR Consultant for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Many people on T19 and other blogs use a nom-de-blog, many for good reason. You may use yours ‘Tory’ or not as you wish, and others may use theirs, or not as they wish.
#13 Matt Gunter – thank you for the information. However, you came on this thread to refute open communion at your church – something the Interim Priest testified to in the pulpit and cited your giving of communion to an unbaptized child as the reason for her about face on the issue and the reason she is now pushing the parish towards formal acceptance of open communion. While you have clarified your opposition to open communion, my statement was correct based on the information on the parish website, including about your actions.
I agree it is difficult and requires sensitivity to deal with a nine year old without discouraging him and am also glad that both he and Anders Litzell proceded further into the church and I am sure Litzell is a nice and capable young man – that is not the issue.
However, it is not the case that you were prompted by ‘insinuations’. What has happened is that it is becoming clear from the publicity put out by Lambeth Palace that Mr Litzell has served and worshipped in some of the most liberal churches in the Communion/Porvoo churches, though it may be that there are more faithful pockets within all of those churches, so it is valid to raise the question of what it is that he believes and teaches since he has been placed in a position where provinces in the Anglican Communion are to be asked to send their young people to be taught and trained by him and Archbishop Justin’s team.
Will they be taught the faith as it has been revealed to us or will they be encouraged to believe that God is doing a new thing and is revealing new truth in an ever expanding revelation as TEC, the Church of Sweden and some parts of the Province of Southern Africa believe? It has been fascinating seeing these links unfold, and also of who has been coming out of the woodwork in response to this thread. I will be interested to see what else emerges.