Having monitored the Anglican news scene for so long, I am noticing a sea change. Some Anglican news outlets seem to be having trouble finding stories to report. There have been slow seasons in Anglican news before, and the period following the Episcopal Church’s triennial General Convention (which we are now in) is often one of those seasons.
But this time it is different, and I find myself questioning whether the Anglican news scene will ever be the same again. In July, I wrote a piece entitled, “Probably My Last Post about General Convention–Ever.” I felt safe in entitling it that because, not only has the Episcopal Church moved beyond my ability to care, it has moved beyond the ability to surprise. For something to be newsworthy, there has to be a certain “Man Bites Dog” element to it; and, frankly, we will never see that kind of newsworthiness from the Episcopal Church ever again.
Gay bishops–done that. Gay marriage–done that. Transgendered clergy–done that. Panentheist theology–now so much a part of the landscape that orthodoxy is virtually extinct. Episcopal Church tries to co-opt African churches with its money–entirely predictable. What is left to surprise us? Polyamory? Rewriting the Prayer Book for a gender-neutral or feminine God? These are just the next stops on the train ride
“You can’t have another revolution when the last revolution broke all the rules.”
It seems that so much of the Anglican news emanates from GAFCON and that can’t be an every day item. As boring as TEC is, the +ABC and the follies of the CoE follow close behind.
There seems to be a big vacuum created by ACNA: as if we don’t want to tell the world what we are doing and we don’t seemingly want to comment on what the world is doing.
Case in point is the current refugee crisis. The ACNA has published nothing, absolutely nothing on this crisis [at least the +ABC did offer a prayer]. The ACNA Canon for Communications was asked about this, and he replied “we don’t have plans to release anything”.
Such a high-minded stance might be okay when you are the huge, Roman Catholic Church and your very presence makes news, but the ACNA barely has 100,000 worshipers. Communications from +Foley is sparse and communications from him or the COB to the clergy is non-existent. We often learn things from Diocesan newsletters at the same time the laity does.
Tried leaving this on the TATW page, but the captcha is non-functional, apparently, although the “pick the food” thing is interesting. Or else, I got it wrong 9 times. But what I wanted to say, which might be more appropriate here anyway, is this-
I am inclined to say that it is not so much a dearth of Anglican news, but a dearth of European and North American Anglican news. TEC is no longer recognizably Anglican (it no longer shares the same definition of God, sacraments, or liturgy with Anglican Churches.
What is lacking is not news, what is lacking is Anglican reporters in Uganda, Sudan, Nigeria, Egypt, Iran, etc.- the places where things both tragic and joyful are happening every day, but we seldom hear about. Imagine what T19 or SF might look like if they were featuring stories on the spread of the Gospel by the church of Nigeria, or weekly sermons of 2 or 3 noted Anglican preachers of the Global South. Not saying they don’t print an occasional article on these subjects, but think about what it might be like to have a couple Global South clergy as regular contributors.
For example, and it’s only one coming out of Africa, [url=http://dioceseofegypt.org/explore/horn-of-africa/]here[/url] is the page for the Anglican activities in the Horn of Africa. They are building churches, training leaders, and have established a theological college to train up ordinands.
I love the image of TEC news in the obituaries and Anglican news with the births.
Great article Revd Munday.
I agree that its not a dearth of Anglican news so much as a dearth of *Episcopalian* news. TEC and ACoC are moving beyond the power to shock, into irrelevance.
I note Capt Father Warren’s comment: “Communications from +Foley is sparse and communications from him or the COB to the clergy is non-existent.” That should be a concern for ACNA – don’t your diocesan bishops meet with their clergy?
But there is another issue as well, which is that the Anglican blogs don’t seem to carry much news about ACNA, even when it is there. Take the recent visit of Archbishop Beach and others to the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia: Patriarch Kiril made some very pointed comments about revisionist Anglicans and in support of ACNA. That is surely newsworthy, yet there has been nothing at all about it on Stand Firm, a slight mention on VOL, and there may have been a mention on T19 but since articles there disappear from the front page so quickly, who would know?
What about positive news from the various dioceses, parishes and missions that are doing faithful work in the west: There is ACNA, the Continuum churches, Dio SC, the ReNew Group in England. Plenty of news there, but those who remain fixated on the hollow shell that is TEC can’t see it.
I agree with tjmcmahon and Katherine that more news could be carried of events in Africa. However, this will carry limited resonance with western readers. I agree our blogs and news services could have more, but mainly they need to be finding the news of renewal and growth in Western Anglicanism. It is there, people just have to be prepared to see it.
#6 – Thanks MichaelA. Here are some articles:
– Russian Orthodox Church: HH Patriarch Kirill receives delegation of ACNA
– Russian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Hilarion meets with delegation of ACNA
– ACNA report: Anglican Leaders Received in Moscow
Although the scroll back feature for prior pages no longer works from the front page, older articles may be found by:
1. scrolling through the monthly archives on the right; or
2. clicking on the appropriate category for articles from the past on that subject at the base of an article, or by using the categories on the right; or
3. using the search feature using for example ‘Russian Orthodox’ or ‘ACNA’
Seek and ye shall find
Ahhh, thank you!
In this case, “seek and it shall be handed to you on a platter”. Much obliged, dear Elves