Friday, July 17, 2009

For and against the inclusion of ACNA in the Communion

A voice for inclusion, none other than the Church Times:

"But unless the Communion can embrace ACNA, whose views are no different from many African provinces, and the US Episcopal Church and its web of global sympathisers, it is not trying hard enough. The great challenge of the 21st century is how people of different faiths can live together. If Christians cannot find the love that transcends differences within their own Church, how can they speak about unity to others in parts of the world where it is a matter of life and death?"

The whole editorial is worth reading ...

Then Midwest Conservative Journal is not so keen on the idea:

"My major problem with a parallel province is the theological incoherence such an arrangement will necessitate. Official recognition of both the Anglican Church in North America and the Episcopal Organization will mean that international Anglican Christianity will contain member churches that preach two mutually-exclusive ideas.

Allow that and you’re asking for a repeat of all this down the road somewhere, sooner rather than later. Because TEO will, sooner rather than later, come up with another “prophetic” invention which will shake the Communion to its foundations again. Better to lance that boil right now.

Can a parallel province work? Sure it can. TEO will still attempt to sue ACNA parishes and dioceses out of their real estate and the Communion won’t do anything about the legal attacks on its parallel province but that hopefully won’t matter too much as long as ACNA maintains its zeal for true Christian missions and church planting.

Will a parallel province work? Your guess is as good as mine. But I’m not hopeful."

On this occasion I will stick with the Church Times.

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