St. Peter’s Anglican Church

ECUSA “Out of the Anglican Communion and the mainstream of apostolic Christianity.”

The best and brightest of the Episcopal Church interpret ECUSA’s recent actions here:

http://www.anglicancommunioninstitute.com/2009/07/statement-on-the-repudiation-of-b033/

Note specifically the Archbishop of Canterbury’s remarks prior to ECUSA taking the extraordinary measure last night:

Speaking at the close of the Council’s meeting, the Archbishop of Canterbury anticipated yesterday’s action and spoke directly to The Episcopal Church on its place in the Anglican Covenant when he said “Action to negate that resolution [the moratorium] would instantly suggest to many people in the communion that The Episcopal Church would prefer not to go down the route of closer structural bonds and that particular kind of mutual responsibility.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury said elsewhere as reported by Ruth Gledhill:

The Archbishop of Canterbury told General Synod today that he ‘regrets’ the decision by The Episcopal Church house of deputies to overturn the moratorium on the ordination of gay bishops. At the same time, the Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori has warned the Church of England that it should not recognise the new Anglican Church in North America, arguing ’schism is not a Christian act.’

Responding to a question by Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream, Dr Williams said: ‘As for General Convention it remains to be seen I think whether the vote of the House of Deputies will be endorsed by the House of Bishops. If the House of Bishops chooses to block then the moratorium remains. I regret the fact that there is not the will to observe the moratorium in such a significant part of the Church in North America but I can’t say more about that as I have no details.’

See full article here: http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2009/07/archbishop-of-canterbury-regrets-tec-move-to-gay-ordination.html .

ECUSA’a response? Vote affirmatively anyway. Indeed, on behalf of ECUSA, the presiding bishop shows disdain for the head of the Communion going so far as to suggest he, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Church of England, are fomenting schism.

So ECUSA opts out in spite of Canterbury’s appeal. Alabama’s bishop is one among many who recognize that this is precisely how the vote will be received:

Bishop Henry Parsley of Alabama and others who voted “no” said passage of the resolution would not be well-received by some members of the Anglican Communion.

“I long for us to be an inclusive church, but not a polarized church,” he said. “We need to be a part of the larger Anglican Communion in what we do in this matter. I think it will be interpreted internationally as a rejection of B033. I actually think it’s more nuanced and subtle than that.

“I think it can be understood that B033 still has some effect among us in terms of exercising restraint as we act under the constitution and canons of our church.”

See the entire article here:

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_112523_ENG_HTM.htm

“Still has some effect among us” is not likely to be overly reassuring.

Even the normally cautious and careful George Conger suggests the act may place ECUSA outside the Anglican Communion. See his article here: http://geoconger.wordpress.com/. Evident in his article is that many bishops meant the adoption of BO25 to declare a parting of the ways and independence from the Anglican Communion.

Church of England’s Graham Kings said this in response to the repudiation:

Bishop of Sherborne Dr Graham Kings said: “The Episcopal Church has clearly signalled, against the specific plea of the Archbishop of Canterbury on this very issue, its choice of autonomy over interdependence in the Anglican Communion. Questions will now have to be asked about the full continued participation of Episcopal Church representatives in Anglican Communion meetings.”

Dr Kings’s comments are particularly significant because, as a founder of the open or moderate evangelical forum Fulcrum, he has been one of the strongest advocates in the Church for maintaining bonds between evangelicals and liberals.

See the entire TIMESONLINE article here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6707029.ece

One cannot dismiss the breach as a figment of the imagination of reactionary African bishops.

These are sad times for a once venerable institution. Believing members are being compelled to declare - Episcopal Church or Jesus Christ and the Anglican Communion.