About 50 conservative Anglican leaders, including eight young theological students, gathered in Toronto for a one-day consultation on Nov. 25 and emerged with a determination to remain within the Anglican Church of Canada. They came from 16 dioceses across the country.
Rev. Brett Cane of St. Aidan’s Anglican Church in Winnipeg is chair of Anglican Essentials Federation who was quick to point out that the organization is going through a name change. He said that the “Essentials” label has negative connotations in some parts of the country. He said that the federation is loosening its connection to the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). “We will still maintain links of fellowship with the network but we will not be organizationally tied together.”
I hope that the ACI will give us a more detailed report. I’m all for those who are pursuing the inside strategy meeting and encouraging one another. And I’m glad that this group will be represented at the upcoming CCP meeting in IL next week.
Although I’ve chosen the outside strategy myself, I continue to affirm that both the inside and the outside approach are necessary for orthodox Anglicans to be as effective as we can and should be. Like the two blades of a pair of scissors, both tactics are important.
David Handy+
David+,
As I recall, until recently, you were resident in Albany and had a church in another diocese in TEC. Which Anglican entity have you joined?
Interesting things going on it would seem.
This sounds to me like an attempt to diminish and marginalize the movement for a new province in North America. “Attending” Common Cause sessions need not be a friendly gesture but perhaps a proselying act. Am I reacting off-base here?
ACI hosted a conference with Wycliffe College, at St Paul’s Bloor Street, with +NT Wright, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon of Nigeria (Kaduna), Edith Humphrey, George Sumner and Jo Bailey Wells. We had a brilliant turnout and event, with a major DVD series emerging. We have two DVDs in production as part of a fifteen-part series Anglicanism — A Gift in Christ.
The report herewith is about something else: Essentials Federation. It is similar in character to Communion Partners in that these are the Network congregations and leaders who are not interested in a new province. But Don Harvey was present at the ACI event, as well as the Federation leaders. The ACI event was unrelated to these Canadian groupings so we are not in a position to comment. I was busy with the conference and only had brief conversations with Harvey and Cane. If people are interested in the DVD series, information will be forthcoming on our website. We have some very strong material on NT, OT, Charles Simeon, Hymnody and Christian-Muslim relations. On this last topic, AB Josiah was simply outstanding.
#5 Sounds good Professor Seitz – hope to hear what went on in due course.
#6 Pageant–this is going to be a several venue event. In Houston 16-17 April we augment our series with Worship-Sacraments (Bishop Burton), Major Anglican Figures (Radner), Reconciliation (Archbishop of Burundi), Ethics and Vocation (Turner) and related topics. The conference is at St Martin’s Houston. We intend to include additional topics (Renewal, Church Growth in a Variety of Cultures, Biblical Interpretation, and so forth). Wycliffe is to have a major centre at Church of the Incarnation, Dallas. We will include additional tapings from the UK. We had two English contributors in Toronto (+Tom Wright on NT; Jo Bailey Wells on OT), a Canadian speaker (Edith Humphrey), a Canadian-American (Sumner on Simeon), and a key Nigerian leader, and contributor to Windsor (Archbishop Josiah, whose knowledge of the Koran and Islam was extremely helpful). We will continue the international aspect in Houston and subsequently. I should also say that Wycliffe will be offerings credit courses at Incarnation-Dallas. You can check this at http://www.incarnation.org — grace and peace to you.
#7 Thanks – and that is an interesting link – congratulations Professor Seitz.
Mr Pageant–do come and visit your anglican family in North America. You are most welcome (unless I see you sooner in England). The St Martin’s conference should be a major event akin to Toronto. +Burundi in particular should be eye-opening on reconciliation, in the light of genocide struggles and aftermath. Yrs in Christ.
#9 I would love to. I have heard some amazing stories of reconciliation work in Burundi – very humbling.
TJ (#2),
I’m afraid the answer to your question is confusing. I’m still technically a priest of Albany and thus within TEC, although I’ve just finished serving as a part-time interim at an AMiA church in Newport News, VA, where I’m currently on staff at an evangelical retreat center. When back in Richmond, I attend a Ugandan church plant, Eternity Anglican, which I consider my home church. I guess you might say, that “I’m (formally) in TEC, but not of TEC.” Emotionally, I detached and left TEC several years ago. You might say I’m in transition.
Dr. Seitz,
I’m so glad you are producing the DVD set on Anglicanism, along with other ACI materials. The conference sounds tremendous.
David Handy+
The “inside strategy” makes sense from the point of view of ecclesiology – if the Church is supposed to be “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic,” one should not divide the body that is the heir of the Reformation recovery of the biblical gospel, but rather work to reform it.
However, ecclesiology is a secondary level of theology. It depends on a solid trinitarian theology and proper Christology, hamartology, and soteriology. To say that these higher elements of theology are lacking in ECUSA is an understatement of profound proportions. Not only is sound biblical theology lacking in ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada, it is despised. The problem with the vast majority of the bishops and other leaders in ECUSA is not ignorance but hearts set on another gospel that is no gospel.
My fear for the inside strategy is that it legitimizes the false theologies of the reappraisers by remaining in working fellowship with them. How can one stand up to the reappraisers while staying in the same organization? They do not care what we say, as long as we let them get on with their agenda.
What is the advantage of observing a good ecclesiology while allowing wretched views of more important doctrines?
I have to admit that I am still in ECUSA, but it is more and more horrifying with each passing day. And I am not even in a liberal diocese.