The Rev. Hal T. Ley Hayek is the rector of Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem and the dean of the Winston-Salem convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. His church does not plan to join the new branch.
“Our hope in the Episcopal church is to live in the highest degree of communion that we possibly can,” Hayek said. “Our living in communion is a witness to the world and the reconciling mission of Jesus. That’s the mission of all Christians.”
but it has so many problems…read here for my full view- http://www.sbarnabas.com/blog
I am in general agreement with rpp. And I can’t see Ft. Worth and Quincy remaining with a protestant group for very long.
#1 & 2,
I understand your concerns, as conservative Anglo-Catholics who are apparently both opposed to WO. But here in the USA, we don’t have the luxury of waiting to see how things play out the way you may in England, rugbyplayingpriest.
Suffice to say that I for one am no Puritan, although I style myself a New Reformation Advocate. Rather, I have repeatedly and explicitly championed what I call “3-D Christianity,” i.e., fervently supporting a synthesis of all three dimensions of biblical Christianity: evangelical, catholic, and charismatic. And at this moment I’m still technically a priest of the very high church Diocese of Albany (which I’d call “Anglo-Catholic” too, although it does support WO), although I attend a very evangelical Ugandan church in Richmond, VA, when I’m there, and an equally evangelical, low-church Rwandan (AMiA) church in Newport News, VA, when I’m there.
Check out what the new Constitution for the ACNA says about the place of the 39 Articles in this new province in the making. It’s in Article I on the Fundamental Declarations of the Province. Point 7 is very nuanced really, and carefully says that the new entity receives the Articles of Religion and accepts tham as “fundamental PRINCIPLES” of authentic Anglican idenity. It pointedly does NOT state that those thoroughly Protestant, Reformation-era Articles are binding in all their particulars as a normative confession of Anglican doctrine today. I found that very reassuring. Sydney’s ++Peter Jensen may play a key role in the FCA movement, but Sydney’s brand of hard-core, ultra-Protestant style Anglicanism is NOT dominant in this movement.
Only time will tell if this coalition will hang together and last. But I’m quite optimistic myself. And after all, Advent is a season of waiting in joyful hope. I’m more hopeful about the future of orthodox Anglicanism in North America and indeed worldwide than I’ve been in years.
David Handy+
NRA – Thx. as usual for your thoughtful comment. I am not as sanguine as are you about the future of Catholics in the new, upcoming, province. As to WO, I am against it in ECUSA to the extent that it was instituted as a “justice” issue. I’m ambivalent on its future place in Catholic Christendom as I appreciate the arguments against it based on tradition and on the priest as the “icon” of Christ (especially in the mass). I say this while acknowledging that one of the most orthodox Catholic (big C) priests I know is female. It’s my hunch, though, that in another century or so WO will also be a reality in the RC Church. I see myself either remaining in ECUSA (its sacraments are still valid), or going to Rome. Thx.
rob k,
You’re welcome, brother. FWIW, even my wife isn’t as optimistic as I am. She says I’m the epitome of the eternal optimist and she claims to be the “realist” in the family. Of course, I tease her about being the “pessimist” instead.
I appreciate your kind words.
David Handy+