Matt Kennedy+ has posted the following over at Stand Firm in Faith, positing four possible responses by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the anticipated decision by ECUSA at this month's General Convention not to comply with the Windsor Report.
The most likely scenario, in Matt's opinion, is the following one:
"Two parallel provinces. ECUSA does not comply with Windsor. The Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledges the failure to comply but does not act immediately to derecognize ECUSA, preferring to put off a final decision until 2008. ECUSA is still part of the Anglican Communion but in a sort of suspended state, a limbo. The non-compliant bishops will be invited to “observe” at Lambeth. As a result of non-compliance, and in anticipation of some form of “walking apart” the ABC gives special recognition to the Windsor compliant bishops as a separate entity and indicates, by word and/or deed that, at least until Lambeth, there are two legitimate Anglican entities in the USA: one non-compliant and under discipline and one that is Windsor compliant. The Windsor compliant entity, comprised both of non-Network and Network bishops and non ECUSA and ECUSA parishes begins to function like a full-fledged province: planting churches, perhaps even ordaining bishops (recognized by Canterbury) for parishes residing in non-compliant jurisdictions."
His remaining three scenarios are for One replacement province one disciplined rival; two rival Communions, two rival provinces and one province, several provincial missions.
Read it all here:
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/anglican_futures/
Speaking as a Christian first, a Catholic second, and an Anglican third, and deeply committed to the goal of reunion among the disparate elements of orthodox Anglican faith and practice as a first step toward broader ecumenism, I would like to pose the following question for discussion:
Which one of these scenarios is most likely to serve as the best impetus to bringing about that Anglican reunion?
1 comment:
Frankly, I've come to the point where any arrangement that recognizes any of the revisionists as having real standing as Anglicans, disciplined or otherwise, will be a total barrier to a reunion of Orthodox Anglicans. Coexistence in one body, or even intercommunion with those who deny the fundamentals of Christianity is impossible, and all attempts to achieve that need to be abandoned.
Secondly, among those who are orthodox on the central, credal issues, there are those who have abandoned the historic ministry by ordaining women. It is just not possible for those who accept this and those who cannot recognize such a ministry to coexist in one body. Real union is not possible without a dramatic change of views.
These irreducible differences have to be recognized, and must either be remedied (by restoration of both Apostolic faith and order) or identified as true communion breakers. Until this is a reality the whole issue of union will remain so clouded that it cannot happen.
When the impossibilities have been removed, then and only then can those who still hold the ancient faith find their way to unity -- and then such unity becomes an immediate imperative, as nothing but sin and misunderstanding stands in the way.
I'm not sure I've addressed the specific question very well, but I'm not sure any of those scenarios really represent the spiritual dimension of the problem.
ed
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