The Continuum is One Year Old

It is already November 12 in some parts of the world, so I can honestly say that it was a year ago today that I created The Continuum, never imagining that it would blossom in the way that it has.

For those of you who have never read the masthead, this is what was on my mind at the time: I envisioned a "place where those who live in the Anglican Continuum, or who are thinking of moving there, might share in robust, if polite, discussion of matters theological and ecclesiological."

Not long after, I began to flesh out that idea by proposing to make The Continuum the preeminent site for news about the continuing movement and for discussion about what it is, where it is and where it should be going.

At about the same time, I approached Fathers Robert Hart of the APCK and Matthew Kirby of the ACC, with whom I was familiar from other blogs, to join me as co-hosts. They very graciously agreed to do so, and have been mainstays ever since -- both of them with their insightful theological commentary, and Fr Hart also with what has now become a most welcome and inspiring weekly feature, his Sunday sermon.

Also at around the same time, I got to know Ed Pacht. A poet and a Reader in the ACA, he was one of the first people to become a regular commenter on the blog. So impressed was I by his enthusiasm and sensitivity, that I asked him to come aboard as my third co-host.

We have come a long way since. I am thrilled to say that earlier this week, the blog passed the 25,000-hit mark. While I am sure that some of the blogs linked in the sidebar probably have about that many every month, I am quite pleased that we have made gone so far in such a short time, and with what is probably still a fairly small target audience.

Moreover, there is a sense of family with others, including Warwickensis and Death Bredon, who were regular contributors and who then went mysteriously silent. I later discovered the reason why. There O Cuniculi! and The Patristic Anglican blogs were born not long after mine.

This closeness has been strengthened by creation of the Continuing Anglican BlogRing by the host of another mainstay of our genre, Continuing Home. (I hope he will forgive me for not mentioning his name, but it has slipped my mind and I couldn't find it on his blog).

It is also strengthened by the generosity with which I think we all share our material and our commentary, and I am particularly mindful of Fr Gordon Anderson, at The Continuing Anglican Churchman, whose blog celebrated its second birthday just a few days ago.

I would like to thank all of you, and those others, who have been kind enough to link us on their blogs, and to thank CaNN, whose famous Web Elves have increasingly seen fit to include us in their incomparable digest of news and commentary.

Looking forward to our second year, I can only say that I am still saddened by the dearth of news about the continuing movement, here and elsewhere. I would hope that this will change, and that we here at The Continuum can be a force in making that happen. To that end, I would be most grateful if regular readers would do whatever they can to see that we are linked on their parish, diocesan and provincial sites.

In the same vein, I would renew the invitation I made to one and all early on: if there is an event you want to see publicised or a topic you think should be written about, either by us or by yourselves, contact me offline and let me know about it.

I am also working with Ed Pacht on an idea to include more spiritual and inspirational material in the blog, and hope eventually to make the site a bit more graphically pleasing and technologically sophisticated. The latter will first require me to become more graphically and technologically savvy, so bear with me.

In closing, let me thank all of you, those whom I have mentioned and those I haven't, for helping me to make this a joyous experience. The Continuum is part of the emerging electronic ministry of sharing the traditional Anglican faith across the world, and I thank God for giving us the opportunity to excercise that ministry.

May the Father's blessing be upon us, the most Holy Spirit our constant guide in all that we do, so that we might glorify God in all things, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Albion Land