Conservative Anglicans say they do not expect their new North American church to receive official approval from Anglican archbishops who will convene next week (Feb. 1-5) in Alexandria, Egypt.
“We do expect that our situation will be discussed,” said the Rev.
Peter Frank, a spokesman for the newly established Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). “At the same time, it would be very surprising if there was some kind of quick, game-changing action.”
After years of disagreeing with the liberal majorities in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, conservatives broke off and formed a rival church last December. Conservatives hope the fledgling province will ultimately be recognized as the official Anglican franchise in North America.
Before the new province can assume full membership in the communion, it will need approval from both the Anglican Consultative Council and two-thirds of the world’s 38 Anglican primates, or leading archbishops.
Conservatives say they must be patient with the slow pace of change in the Anglican Communion, which has 77 million members and is the world’s third-largest body of churches.
“When it comes to the international situation and politics in the Anglican Communion, we’re realistic about the speed in which things move,” said Frank.
To date, only five primates, most from Africa, where Anglicans lean conservative on sexual issues, have publicly sanctioned the new North American church.
Bishop Martyn Minns, a leader in ACNA, said he expects more primates to approve the rival church after it has ratified its constitution in June. “They’re going to wait until we’re up and running,” he said.
Jim Naughton, director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, said: “I don’t think there’s any chance of two-thirds of the primates expressing desire to legitimize this thing in any capacity.”
Earlier this month, Welsh Archbishop Barry Morgan told Virginia Episcopalians that he would oppose the new province “with every fiber of my being.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who is spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, has asked the heads of five provinces, including the U.S. and Canada, to give presentations at the upcoming meeting in Egypt on how the current conflict over homosexuality and the Bible has impacted their churches.
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said his message will be that “there’s more to the Canadian church than discussions about sexuality; that mission is front and center,”
according to the Anglican Journal.
The office of Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori could not provide immediate comment.
At last year’s meeting in Tanzania, the primates pushed the U.S. and Canadian churches to pledge not to authorize public rites for same-sex blessings and to ban gays and lesbians from becoming bishops.
Both North American churches promised to enact moratoria on the gay issues, but blessings for gay unions continue in some dioceses within both provinces. Tension among Anglicans has steadily boiled since the
2003 consecration of an openly gay man as bishop of New Hampshire.
By Daniel Burke
Religion News Service
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted January 29, 2009 at 6:36 pm
{“When it comes to the international situation and politics in the Anglican Communion, we’re realistic about the speed in which things move,” said Frank.}
Perhaps, but are you realistic about the direction in which things move, Rev. Frank?
But I’m glad to hear a little tidbit from the Episcopalian situation. All this controversy over some moonbat clergymen in a Catholic schismatic society is starting to make me very nauseous. Hopefully there will be some real controversy in the Anglican Communion that will detract some of the negative attention
posted January 30, 2009 at 10:19 am
The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Episcopal Church in the United States (TEC) have been breaking the rules for over a decade and getting away with it. Lambeth 1998 resolution 1.10 was passed and completely ignored by both ACC and TEC. The Archbishop of Canterberry (ABC) has reqeusted a 3 part moratorium (no more homosexual blessings, no more homosexual priests, and no more border crossings). The Canadian House of Bishops (CHOB) this past October issued a statement agreeing to comply with this moratorium, and then several Canadian Dioceses proceeded to ignore both the ABC and CHOB.
The list of transgressions goes on and on. How much more will it take until the Worldwide Anglican Communion (WAC) wakes up and realize that ACC and TEC are no longer Anglican, and in fact no longer even Christian? ACC and TEC break the rules of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, ignore the Holy Scriptures, sign on to agreements without any intention of living up them, prosecute and persecute those who stand up for God, and use secular legal means to take away the places of worship from those who cannot associate with their sins.
How much more must happen until the WAC sees the truth of what is happening?
posted January 30, 2009 at 10:53 am
I’ve listened to both sides of this and still say the TEC are closer to the teachings of God through Jesus Christ. Is being Anglican more important than loving all Gods people?
posted January 30, 2009 at 11:25 am
I detected a bit of hatred of us Anglo Catholics who have left TEC for the Anglican Church in North America. It is unwarranted, unfair, and an apology is clearly in order.
posted January 30, 2009 at 11:55 am
Gee! The initials are now getting all mixed up in the Episcopal church…who can figure out who is who?
posted January 30, 2009 at 4:56 pm
nobody said we didn’t love all God’s people; perhaps you might delve into our side a little more; Jesus didn’t say ‘i don’t condemn you, now go sin your little heart out’ he said ‘i don’t condemn you, go and sin no more’. big difference but love shown just the same. sure some of us are extreme, just like some of the liberals, but most of us are just regular Christians who believe the way the Church has always believed- at least until aprx 30 years ago.
posted January 30, 2009 at 8:21 pm
If all these branches continue, then there will be a choice for Episcopalians …if they are accepting of homosexuality and marriage for them as well as women priests, bishops etc., they can go to one branch, if they are ultra-conservative and really don’t think “God” made and accepts homosexuality, they can go to another branch…kind of like a super market…choices on every shelf. There is probably a branch for undecided folks too.
posted January 31, 2009 at 12:04 am
AMPisAnglican:
“How much more will it take until the Worldwide Anglican Communion (WAC) wakes up and realize that ACC and TEC are no longer Anglican, and in fact no longer even Christian?”
With so many different denominations in the world claiming to be Christian, how can there be one set definition for what “Christian” means? Although lately, the conservative definition seems to have become fairly simple: “no queers allowed”.
This whole schism thing gives me a migraine. My thought is this: if there was going to be a split, the liberals should have left first. With the opposition to same-sex members in places like Africa and in parts of the U.S., I don’t see the Anglicans reconciling with them anytime soon.
Kenneth Jones:
“I detected a bit of hatred of us Anglo Catholics who have left TEC for the Anglican Church in North America. It is unwarranted, unfair, and an apology is clearly in order.”
I detect a bit of hatred (on a daily basis) of us LGBT people who don’t succumb to self-loathing and pander to the religious right by denying ourselves. It is unwarranted, unfair, and an apology is clearly in order.