The latest debacle in the Church of England – the proposed gender-apartheid between dioceses, with those who can’t abide the prospect of women bishops being catered for by men-only provinces – has those with only a passing acquaintance with their established church staring in disbelief at the institution’s capacity for chaos and meltdown.
Meanwhile, most of those inside the church do a reasonable impression of Ronaldo missing a penalty; falling to their knees and holding their heads despairingly in their hands.
It is embarrassing. How could such allegedly wise men propose a scheme that alienates and angers both traditionalists and liberals? Is it, possibly, because there are no women among them to talk sense?
Regardless of the enumeration of possibilities, the first one listed in this article will become the reality. Just glance at ECUSA/TEC and the history of the issue.
“Rowan Williams will not be driven out of office”
No, we are not getting defensive.
I, for one, look forward to the day when Dr. Williams returns to Wales and takes up fly-fishing as a permanent vocation. Witnessing the melodrama which is the C of E is like watching your dear old mum go through the final throws of alzheimer’s disease. You want to remember her as she once was and you wish it was all over.
If C.S. Lewis were still living, he would face being forced out of the CoE.
🙄
#4 – I suspect that if Jack were around today, he’d be in the Church of Rome. (BTW, that’s what he referred to it as — the “Church of Rome.”)
wm.
p.s. I say this as one who left the Church of Rome.
[blockquote] Rowan Williams will not be driven out of office[/blockquote]
Pity. Few have deserved it more.
Won’t be driven?
How about walk?
or..run?
…or crawl.
Just go.
The ABC is not being driven out of office! Everyone can see he is simply driving off the cliff.
Some points that struck me from the article:
[blockquote] Some 20 per cent of the Lambeth Conference may go AWOL in a boycott, but it does not speak for the broad swathes of Anglican congregations in countries such as Britain. [/blockquote]
Failing to note that those 20% of bishops represent over a majority of the actual membership of churches in the communion is a rather significant omission, no? However, it is true that evangelicals and traditionalists are a minority in the CoE, but I would suggest they are a large minority, larger, even, than in the US. So the lack if interest by the Archbishop in the attendance by those 20% may nevertheless become a bit of a problem, it seems likely to me.
[blockquote] My prediction? … some will split away and make their own arrangements but, as part of the miraculous survival of the Church of England, we’ll soon wonder what all the fuss was about.[/blockquote]
This is the meme in the US. “This will all blow over”, the spokesman for the Episcopal Church in the US famously said on CNN in 2003. Well, I see no signs of that yet, but maybe like this vicar, he still hopes so.
Terms like “gender-apartheid” are a real turn-off to me taking someone seriously. What kind of discussion can you build around that kind of cant?
What, Jeffersonian: you don’t think Jack Spong didn’t deserve it more? Would you like me to list some other bishops?
I honestly don’t understand the animus against Williams. Would you really rather have the orthodox version of KJS?
I agree with C. Wingate – although I am disappointed with the actions of Rowan, I remain confident of our Lord who is in control.
Let us not grumble.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
-Genesis 50:20 (New Living Translation)
Similar agreement here with C. Wingate. The Archbishop has under his care a Communion in crisis. The job could not be more difficult, and I think we could do a heck of a lot worse than his leadership. Were he to respond to the crisis as most on this blog seem to prefer, he would indeed be an Orthodox version of KJS. “My way or the highway” is not particularly pastoral, nor is it Anglican. (I think Philip Turner had some excellent points on that in the piece re: Covenant posted today.)
The Archbishop is quite evidently committed to the catholic nature of the Communion, and I, for one, pray the spirit evidenced by his leadership grows and spreads within the Communion. Such a commitment is necessary for Anglicanism’s future. Without it our Communion–if it could be called such–would be nothing more than another schismatic bunch of Protestants.