What Part of 'No Thank You' Don't You Understand

A report coming out of the last Executive Council Meeting was quoted in the Living Church Foundation as saying:

"Care needs to be taken that our conversations around an Anglican Covenant do not draw us necessarily toward a hierarchical model of a church union or even the perception of Anglicanism as a singular global church,” the reports states in its introduction. “Matters of moral authority and interdependence amongst the churches result from mutuality, not from regulation.”

I, as one lone voice crying in the wilderness (of San Joaquin) echo that sentiment.  I realize that these kinds of quotes are often a groupspeak non-attributable almost accurate type of quotation but it is the first thing that has made any sense to me in a ling time.

The gentlemen that had spun-off from TEC as well as the pretenders to the throne, as well as those who like poaching all have but one thing in common, they want hierarchical power.  They want nothing more than for a group of them, ah, "The Primates Council" (GAFCON nonsense) to rule on certain matters.  Those who have left TEC have done so because there is no one, no group, no body to "spank" those evil apostate folks in TEC and Wales and Canada.  Those who have left could not get traction in General Convention for "their good and holy" commandments and so they left to go with a group that would like nothing more than to exercise moral authority over "bad people".  

I am hopeful that the primary reason why the Anglican Communion is having such an incredibly difficult time with this is that we just do not know how to come with the idea of a "single head" making decisions that are binding for everyone.  The Primates in the Southern Cone do not like the Archbishop of Canterbury and do not believe that he represents them since he is not willing to "set rules and commandments and punish those who break those rules or commandments".  Well boys, here is  news flash all by itself, Long ago, in a far off land known as England, for reasons that may be transparent, Henry VIII told that single, all-knowing, all-powerful dictator that "it don't work like that no more."  From that time, and with TEC adding to the relative Independence of the episcopate, we have worked as a collegial group.  We do not know how to work any other way and this covenant thingy flies in the face of that collegial operation.  I never thought I would say something like this but, it has worked well for over the 200+ years here in TEC and we ought not give it up in favor of playing nice, or being in communion with or any other reason.  I am not anxious to bury John Locke or Thomas Hobbes for that matter. 

 I do not want a hierarchical model of any kind.  I like the way we play now.  To those GAFCON primates, "Thanks, but no thanks!"

Off topic, and before my friend thinks I am forgetful or worse.  I had an opportunity to meet a fellow blogger in the last couple weeks.  The Executive Committee  happened to be nearby and we took the opportunity to break bread.  I must say that while we bloggers enjoy the opportunities of mix that the internet gives there is just no substitute for breaking bread with a friend.  Gee, wonder where I heard that before?