No Gurls Allowed!

MadPriest was quoted in detail at Friends of Jake on the issue of Gene Robinson and his consecration to the episcopate.  MadPriest is effusive of his praise of +Robinson and rightfully so.  All of what is said both at Friends of Jake and at OCICBW are right and true.

But, do you suppose there may be at least one unintended consequence?  The fallout being the pushing to the side of the issue of women's ordination and consecration?  The LGBT issue comes to the front burner and begins to actually be accepted when suddenly the issue of women's consecration rears it's head again but this time it is in the form of a "primate" or, as we know it, our Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori?  When Bishop Robinson was consecrated a lot actually did happen (see above) but from the Anglican Communion crowd all we got was a bunch more hot air from the usual blowhards and then suddenly, the "men" had to be subservient to "that woman".  Everyone now moves more quickly than anyone expected -- I mean John David Schofield hadn't move that fast since he last flew in a jet plane and yet had his diocese out and gone before a miter could hit the floor!

The primates then decided that they could not be at the Eucharistic table with her and now we have this wonderful little ditty courtesy of David Anderson:

The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr. President and CEO, American Anglican Council, had a different perspective . . .saying, "I would strongly advise the orthodox Primates to 1) organize before the Primates' meeting, and 2) attend and remove by force of numbers the Presiding Bishop of the American Episcopal Church (not physically, but by either voting her off the "island," or recessing to another room and not letting her in). The meeting is a place to gather and potentially to settle some of the issues that are pulling the Anglican Communion apart, and to begin to restore health to a most wonderful communion.

Can you imagine this?  It sounds like a bunch of boys playing in a backyard treehouse and someone's sister came out and wanted to play only to discover that the "boys" had a sign out that said:

Then the "boys" pulled up the rope ladder and believed they were safely ensconced in their own little world.  When lots of folks called the primates on this issue they countered with the Anglcian Covenant.  Now they want to do everything in their power to punish perhaps, not TEC  per se but rather +Katherine Jefferts Schori specifically, in effect "putting her in her place." It's got to be a "man thing", just ask +Peter Akinola.  After all a woman's place is barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen.   Women should not be found taking care of "men's business" in the Anglican Communion.  Look at who has left the the Anglican Communion and where have they gone?  To Rome! 

What does this mean?  Well, let's assume the Anglican Communion is gone -- which it is and now there is a new "Anglican Communion" made up of all the boys in the treehouse and they are not letting any women in.

This is the "boyz" only group.

 

As far as don't ask don't tell is concerned -- they haven't taken a survey yet.  Perhaps they can call on the Secretary of the Defense.



The Anglican Communion Equation Grows More Complicated

The last equation to hit the blog was No Anglican Communion = (Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral) minus the (Jerusalem Declaration). Apparently, the Most Reverend Greg Venables did not like that equation, or rather, it was not sufficiently complicated, so he, in the name of the GAFCON/Confessing Anglicans decided to make it a little more complicated. They have since added the Oxford Statement. so what does the new equation look like:

No Anglican Communion = (Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral plus Primates meeting[including Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori] plus [Separate meeting Rooms]) minus (Jerusalem Declaration plus (Oxford Statement) plus [Primates Meeting minus 10 Global South Primates])

If, for some reason, you doubt for one more moment that the Anglican Communion is not dead (just not buried) here is an excerpt from the Oxford Statement:

3. We believe that we are now entering a new era for the Anglican Communion. New ways of living out our common life are emerging as old structures are proven to be ineffective in confronting the challenges of living in a pluralistic global community. We rejoice in the call of the Jerusalem Declaration for a renewed commitment to the authority of scripture and the centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly the rejection of these historic anchors to our faith has brought us to a crisis in the life of the Communion.

And this,

5. For the sake of Christ and of His Gospel we can no longer maintain the illusion of normalcy and so we join with other Primates from the Global South in declaring that we will not be present at the next Primates’ meeting to be held in Ireland. And while we acknowledge that the efforts to heal our brokenness through the introduction of an Anglican Covenant were well intentioned we have come to the conclusion the current text is fatally flawed and so support for this initiative is no longer appropriate.

And, should you think that Canterbury has any sway or power in this battle take a look at the BOLD statement from the Oxford thingy:

7. The Primates Council, as bishops of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, wish to affirm the reality of human sin and divine judgment, the only way of salvation from sin through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, the sufficiency and clarity of Holy Scripture as the revelation of God’s will, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit as he brings new birth and holiness of life.

Isn't it nice to know we have a group that can determine what sin is for us? More importantly, the language is clearly dominant and not the least bit deferential to Canterbury or anyone else (at least on this earth).

Also. look at the Jerusalem Declaration (posted above) as it says that the one does not need an Archbishop of Canterbury (sorry John David) to be Anglican (huh?)!
And more yet:

11. We remain convinced that the unique character of GAFCON/FCA with its diversity of cultures and its embrace of the Jerusalem Declaration as a common theological confession is a vital contribution to the future of the global Anglican Communion. We are persuaded that we must offer new initiatives to more effectively respond to the crises that confront us all. We must strengthen our communication capabilities and we are also looking to build partnerships with other denominational churches that share our faith convictions.

And finally, when will GAFCON give the Anglican Communion (as we know it) a Christian burial, we now know that as well:

12. Specifically, we are planning a leadership conference in the latter part of 2011 that will focus on the need to “Contend for the Faith in the Public Square.” We are also beginning preparations for an international gathering of Primates, Bishops, Clergy and Lay leaders in 2012, provisionally designated “GAFCON 2”. To support all of this we have approved the expansion of the Secretariat.

Clearly, the Anglican Communion no longer exists, and while the Archbishop of Canterbury is trying to explain to the Queen where the empire went GAFCON/FCA is "stealing" it out from under his nose. So, what should we be doing?
Episcopalians, we need to step out in faith and begin to lead as we have never done so in the past. With firm conviction, with the moral strength of a David and give Anglicans worldwide a far more inclusive approach to our God than GAFCON/FCA is willing to provide. Now is a good time to begin, don't you think?

(Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral) minus (Jerusalem Declaration) = NO Anglican Communion

UPDATE: Reposted with a Title

Here, for the first time ever, is the comparison of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral with the Jerusalem Declaration.  This, along with the proposed Angliacan Covenant will completely re-create the Anglican Communion in the image of those who, in my humble opinion, least understand it.  The Covenant is not a unity document, it is a document, along with the Jerusalem Declaration that will transform the "Anglican Communion into a Fellowship of Confessing Conealonialists.  If that is what you as an Epsicopalian and a member of the Anglican Communion want, then by all means vote for it.  if, on the other hand, on the off chance you would like to see the historic Anglican communion continue as it has, but with the renewed energy that comes from an all-inclusive, big tent, Christ centered people then actively work to defeat the proposed Anglican Covenant.

Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral 1.The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as "containing all things necessary to salvation," and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith. 2. The Apostles' Creed, as the Baptismal Symbol; and the Nicene Creed, as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith. 3. The two Sacraments ordained by Christ Himself — Baptism and the Supper of the Lord — ministered with unfailing use of Christ's Words of Institution, and of the elements ordained by Him. 4. The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the Unity of His Church.

Jerusalem Declaration 1. We rejoice in the gospel of God through which we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God first loved us, we love him and as believers bring forth fruits of love, ongoing repentance, lively hope and thanksgiving to God in all things. 2. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God written and to contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading. 3. We uphold the four Ecumenical Councils and the three historic Creeds as expressing the rule of faith of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church. 4. We uphold the Thirty-nine Articles as containing the true doctrine of the Church agreeing with God’s Word and as authoritative for Anglicans today. 5. We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all who come to him in repentance and faith. 6. We rejoice in our Anglican sacramental and liturgical heritage as an expression of the gospel, and we uphold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer, to be translated and locally adapted for each culture. 7. We recognise that God has called and gifted bishops, priests and deacons in historic succession to equip all the people of God for their ministry in the world. We uphold the classic Anglican Ordinal as an authoritative standard of clerical orders. 8. We acknowledge God’s creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family. We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married. 9. We gladly accept the Great Commission of the risen Lord to make disciples of all nations, to seek those who do not know Christ and to baptise, teach and bring new believers to maturity. 10. 11. We are mindful of our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, to uphold and advocate justice in society, and to seek relief and empowerment of the poor and needy. 12. We are committed to the unity of all those who know and love Christ and to building authentic ecumenical relationships. We recognise the orders and jurisdiction of those Anglicans who uphold orthodox faith and practice, and we encourage them to join us in this declaration. 13. We celebrate the God-given diversity among us which enriches our global fellowship, and we acknowledge freedom in secondary matters. We pledge to work together to seek the mind of Christ on issues that divide us. 14. We reject the authority of those churches and leaders who have denied the orthodox faith in word or deed. We pray for them and call on them to repent and return to the Lord. 15. We rejoice at the prospect of Jesus’ coming again in glory, and while we await this final event of history, we praise him for the way he builds up his church through his Spirit by miraculously changing lives.

FCA: Fellowship of Confessing Conealonialist Anglicans

Wow, sometimes I am absolutely amazed and the sheer audacity of some folks!  Over at the Fellowship of Conealonialist Anglicans Bishop John Rodgers has decided that the Anglican Covenant is not acceptable to them for some of the following reasons.

First, 

the Primates are not the body to oversee compliance, the Standing Committee,is and the committee has historic standing in the Communion.

Where in the world did that come from?  We all just assumed that the primates were a bit power hungry and if there was any doubt this has removed it.  Never mind the Standing Committee, just hand over the jewels to the Primates, after all, who could possibly know better than Peter Akinola and Henri Orombi and Rowan Williams and Greg Venables to name a few.  Hell, they would not even sit down with a woman for fear of cooties, why would I want them adjudicate anything of real meaning.  Look at the countries they represent and tell me that they stand between the devil and the high road?  I think not.

Then there is this even more astounding comment:

it would be strengthened were the Jerusalem Declaration added to the standard of Faith to which all signers were committed and held accountable.

A rather self-serving document written by at least one canon from the Anglican diocese of San Joaquin and with no input from half (or more ) of the Anglican Communion. Lest you think I am kidding, here, in his own words (Bill Gandenberger, former Episcopal priest) from the blog Soundings:

I am writing you on the last day of the GAFCON, or Global Anglican Future Conference, in Jerusalem. It has been a long 10 days since the Bishop and I arrived, with the bulk of my time spent in our hotel, working with the other delegates on a statement that will provide the groundwork for a new, biblically orthodox, mission-focused, global Anglican movement. The Final GAFCON Statement

And then there is this charming little ditty:

It is clear that the revisionists are allergic to any covenant that would interfere with their autonomy, not only in things secondary but in the primary matters of the Gospel

Apparently living up to the gospel of full inclusion: "and the second is like unto it, love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the laws and the prophets." is not what the Global South Primates and GAFCON have in mind.  They would prefer to be true to scripture and make everyone live down to the Jerusalem Declaration.

So the reason that GAFCON and the Global South Primates will not sign on the the Anglican Covenant  is because they do not get to be the judge, jury and executioner for those who "do wrong". 

My final question for this group is:  "Who died and left you God?"

The Constraints of the Anglican Covenant

For openers, I strongly encourage each to read the following essay on line: The Church Idea.  Just what is this vague but intriguing work?  Well, it is an essay written by William Reed Huntington ( a priest and not a bishop) and is the basis for the Chicago Quadrilateral, that statement adopted first by our House of Bishops and then by the Lambeth Conference, all back in the 1870-1880s.  I believe it is as timely today, right now, as it was back then.  It addresses among other things, the uniquely American experience that is centered in the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States.  It makes a very clear distinction between how and why we as Americans are governed and every other country including, by inference such places as Nigeria, Uganda, Argentina, and yes, even merry-olde England.  If you read no other part, read the American Problem.   It also discusses such issues as Romanism, Puritanism and the DREADED liberalism. 

This very fine work turns out to discuss the very same issues that we are discussing today and while the names have been changed to protect the guilty, we are still hashing and re-hashing the same points and counter points.  Let me add as a footnote, the William Reed Huntington was the primary mover and shaker that back in the 19th century wanted women as deaconesses and through patience and persistence got it and became a haven for women to become more included in the full life of the church.

There are two brief points I would like to make.  First, we really did settle this argument a long time ago with the Chicago Quadrilateral and I have heard, read, seen, or been privy to any  new arguments that would make an Anglican Covenant necessary.  We already have the four main points and do not need any more, at least based on the Huntington work.  Don't take my word for it though, read it and see what you formulate.  This Church Idea is a brilliant work that covers all the bases including the "need" for something that looks like the 39 Articles -- folks it is in there, it is included in the Quadrilateral.

The second point is perhaps a more pressing argument for today.  The point behind this Anglican Covenant is supposedly one unifying, in essence "rally round the flag boys" kind of issue.  This is so that when we approach other denominations approach us on issues of unity they (the other denomination) understands what and who we are.  Here is the rub.  The original Quadrilateral posed stumbling blocks of universality back in the 1880s and it had the four points we all know and love.  With the newest proposed Anglican Covenant those stumbling blocks become larger.  How so?  Well, we are in effect setting up a a ruling junta not unlike the Roman "magisterium".  The more formal but inconsequential power structures the Anglican Communion sets up the more likely they will become additional impediments to coming together.  One of the major issues with ARCIC is not the Pope per se but rather the magisterium, check it out.  So, what is it that we are doing?  The Anglican Communion removed the Episcopal presence on the Faith and Unity Commission thinking that it was a impediment to the ARCIC program.  The proposed power structure for the Anglican Communion becomes just as great an impediment. 

So, what is the upshot?  We have the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral and it dealt with all the issues that we are re-visiting today.  If pithy is best, then we need to stay with the quadrilateral and leave all this other nonsense alone.  If, on the other hand, this really is a power grab and an extreme effort to wreak havoc by those who have power (or about to get it) on those who have no power then isn't that reason to not approve the Covenant as well?

Who Says The Anglican Communion is Broken?

There has been an incredible amount of talk about the Anglican Communion and the Anglican Covenant.  Much discussion has circled around the Anglican Covenant.  But who says the Anglican Communion needs a covenant?  Who says the Anglican Communion is dysfunctional?  Who says the Communion is broken?

Perhaps, just perhaps, the Anglican Communion is functioning as it always has and as it always should! Whenever there is a problem to be fixed the first thing one ought to do is name the problem.  I have heard no one name the problem, have you?  If one cannot name the problem then how is one to fix it?  How is one to determine what the fix is if no one can determine what the problem is? 

So what is the problem?  Some groups do not like women's ordination though it has been around throughout the communion for thirty or more years.  Others do not like the issue full inclusion -- though there is sound biblical grounding for that.  Still others think divorce is either a big thing or no thing depending on who and where you are.  And still others do not like the Book of Common Prayer as developed and used in one or more provinces.  And so what do we do?  We argue and sometimes we yell and sometimes we scream at and by and through each other.  Sometimes we are not civil and sometimes some of us lose our tempers and refuse to go to the rail with the rest of us.

Sounds to me like one big family trying to live with each other.  See, I come from a family with 7 siblings and two parents and the escapades that go on both now and in the past are pretty much the escapades that go on inside the Anglican Communion.  And let's face it, relationships are not just built on hugs and kisses they are also built on arguments and making up. 

So what is the problem?  I do not think there is a problem and therefore no fix is necessary.  True, some within the family do not want to argue -- so would rather have this nice and smooth sailing for ever and ever.  They are the ones that do not want to argue and discuss and kind of spit and chew.  But there are those in every family.  They are the ones that can't stand messy messes.  But our communion is built on messy messes.  That is how we grow and live and learn and ultimately get closer.  Making up gets to be that much more fun (well most of the time). 

So what should we do?  We just continue to live our lives as we see the gospel leading us - here and abroad.  Those that are having hissy-fits can continue to have hissy-fits and if they must leave they must leave (keep in mind the prodigal son story).  We and the rest of the communion just move forward in love and discussion.  We continue the dialogue as we have and we continue to move -- sometimes in our own ways and sometimes together.  Isn't that what the communion is all about?  Isn't that what family is all about?

The Episcopal Diocese of San JoaURAquin

Well, everyone, ya just can't make this stuff up.  The current Provincial head of the Southern Cone, just happens to be the bishop of Uruguay and they want to ordain women.  Certainly a just cause.  In point of fact, their provincial constitution "supposedly" allows for churches to expressly do this.  My initial reaction is to say, What the ????

Then good sense and an eye toward connecting the dots takes over and I calm down and things look different. 

First, the Province of the Southern Cone was just this month "punished" for their cross border excursions.

Second, the provincial head IS the Bishop of Uruguay.  He wants to "break away" from the province and find a home some place else?

Third, the issue is women's ordination???  The very reason why some of the diocese in TEC fled to the Southern Cone.  Certainly John David Schofield and Jack Iker.

The diocese of Uruguay -- does it have a parliamentary style of governance similar to TEC?  Probably not, but I do not know.

What happens if Uruguay is picked up by the Diocese of San Joaquin or by TEC?  NOW we have the cross border excursion problem and they (Southern Cone) would point out very quickly that they are doing nothing more than what we are doing.  Still, the dust settles and TEC has the issue of full inclusion which lots of folks including the Southern Cone don't like. 

What happens if we do not pick up Uruguay?  A bishop, in good conscience could still ordain women.  Bishops in TEC did it years ago, why not the Bishop of Uruguay?  What then?  Greg Vulnerable has to sit on it and rotate?  Right? 

No, I propose we let them stew in their own juices for  a while.  Uruguay can still do what they want to do without aid from us -- at least for the time being.