From here (page 5):
The Anglican Church of Canada has a number of ecumenical partners. One, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, has become a full communion partner with which we enjoy a full and mutual recognition of ministry and sacraments. With others, like the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, we’re still on that journey—an admittedly longer one.
To be an ecumenical partner means to repent of our divisions and to understand them as a scandalous contradiction of the will of Christ. It means to fervently desire reconciliation with the churches from which we are separated, and to manifest this desire in prayer, dialogue and action.
To be an ecumenical partner also means recognizing that the other with whom you are seeking to reconcile demonstrates signs of the Holy Spirit at work, even if you are in disagreement about some significant issues.
It’s far from clear that ACNA yet manifests these qualities of an ecumenical partner. Its repentance is, according to its constitution, limited to “things done and left undone that have contributed to or tolerated the rise of false teaching” in the Anglican churches from which it has chosen to walk apart.
It’s still in a legal fight over property with two dioceses in the United States. It seeks recognition as a new North American province of the Anglican Communion without desiring reconciliation with those already existing.
I suspect what is really troubling Bruce Myers is not so much the division in North American Anglicanism but the fact that ANCA has made it so conspicuous. The division existed for decades before the final split occurred; while it was hidden, conservatives could be safely ignored. By making the split so blatant, ACNA has clearly said in action and word that the Anglican Church of Canada and TEC are guilty of “false teaching”; their religion does not meet the standards needed to be called Christian. It is, at best, sub-Christian.
A liberal like Myers is tolerant of just about anything other than being firmly told he is wrong. The desire for reconciliation is little more than carefully disguised insecurity.
To illustrate the point: a number of years ago when a vote for same sex-blessings passed in the Diocese of Niagara, a number of clergy voiced their opposition and walked out. A liberal priest rose to his feet and spluttered indignantly that those walking out were declaring by their action that he was not a Christian. That wasn’t the intention, but the question is: why was he so desperate for the approval of those whose theology he had spent years despising? There is no insecurity quite as profound as liberal insecurity.
Myers wants affirmation not reconciliation.
Merry Christmas, Archdeacon.
He doesn’t understand that the train has left the station, I suppose. I don’t folow the doings of the ACoC anymore.
I just read the article. He really doesn’t get it – why would we want reconciliation with a group whose leaders have abandoned the faith once delivered to the saints?
Right on Kate!
This guy wants us to affirm the AcoC’s sinful behaviour so that we can be “partners”.
Like hell.
(Thanks to Amp and Vincent for the lower case c)
What stuck out for me was him saying ‘repentance goes both ways. In an interpersonal situation that can be true, but not always. I honestly think that the only thing we need to repent of is not having gotten our act together sooner.
The term “liberal” is applied to this so-called bishop but the correct description is “apostate” – the same title that should be given to most so-called bishops, including the primate, in the ACoC. These so-called bishops need to learn they are required to obey the vows made both at their ordination and again at their consecration and failure to do so should result in their removal from ANY clerical position.
The title of the article is “Why ACNA isn’t an ecumenical partner—yet”. Why would this guy ever think that ACNA and AcoC would ever be ecumenical partners??? Oh he sites several examples from history of divisions and later efforts to get along. But he completely misses that these splits still exist. Ecumenical partner or not, the Lutherans and Roman Catholics are still two separate denominations!
I think David is right on the mark when he says that this guy’s real problem is that the ACNA split from the AcoC has made things very public and visible. That a large (and growing) group of people have openly expressed opposition to the things that he wants, and he is trying to find some way to say “relax, don’t worry, these people will eventually come around, and so everything is still ok”. This guy is living in a fantasy world.
A good one David. To drive a wedge into the heart of the Communion and then ask others to repent? Ah, such fraud, such chutzpah! The Arch does sanctimonius hypocrisy well.
When I first saw the typo in the headline I thought it was about Paul Anka. 🙂
You are the first one (including me) to spot that!
I have changed it (ANCA->ACNA).
A huge gap in this analysis is the relationship between ACoC and the global Anglican communion. Where is the ecumenical fervour to re-establish that broken fellowship? The very thought of such an initiative highlights the main ACoC problem: they are not willing to even consider changing their core values on gay marriage, Lordship of Jesus, etc.
Thus when he says: To be an ecumenical partner means to … manifest this desire in prayer, dialogue and action. it means “we’ll do the prayer and dialogue, but we will not take any action that moves us one jot or tittle away from our core apostate values.”
There is reconcilation happening among the Anglican communion. As noted in an earlier blog post, some of the African dioceses have re-established communion with the TEC and ACoC.
My opinion is that both the ACoC and ACNA are full of pride and need to humbly repent of their words, thoughts and actions. We both have “planks” in our own eyes so to speak.
We should all be hoping and praying for reconciliation.
In Libspeak, reconciliation means total capitulation. The issue isn’t pride, but rather the Gospel: ACoC preached another one, while ACNA is trying to come back to the real one. You’re dealing with two church bodies preaching two different and incompatible religions.
You are absolutely correct. The ACoC has abandoned the gospel and any reconciliation must first be met with the ACoC repenting and turning back to the Gospel with the proof of that action being the return of properties legally stolen from orthodox believers. Currently the ACoC is apostate and you cannot weld apostasy with orthodoxy.
Frank and Kirk. You are entitled to your hardline opinion but it does leave you open to accusations of being pharisaic.
The fact of the matter is that many Anglicans in Africa are finding ways to reconcile with the TEC/ACoC despite some significant differences. I’m sure that it is not an easy process for them. While you obviously disagree with their efforts, it seems extreme to suggest that these African churches have simply capitulated.
Using the same logic, what do you make of ANIC churches that partner with ACoC churches at the local level? It happens all the time. Have these ANIC churches totally capitulated as well? Differences exist among the two denominations but collaborations certainly occur.
Once again, I state the both denominations need to repent of pride and arrogance. Thankfully, some within both groups have and are doing so already. Hopefully it continues to trickle up.
Edit:
After re-reading the linked article, it appears that Myers thinks the same. Read the last paragraph of his op-ed:
“And humility. Repentance walks both sides of the street. For any kind of reconciliation to begin, both the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Church in North America will need to acknowledge that we have both in our own ways contributed to the creation
and perpetuation of this sad division, one that compromises the credibility of our witness to
the gospel and our fulfilment of God’s mission. “
How very strange. What Ed sees as being “hard-line” I see as being “integrity”.
Are ANIC churches that partner with ACoC churches at a local level lacking integrity then?
You keep mentioning a partnering thing. Perhaps you would be kind enough to provide a specific example? Are you talking about joint worship services? Or are you talking about both supporting a local charity (i.e. a food bank)?
From what I have been told, ANIC and ACoC churches across the country do a variety of things together. I heard that this occurs in Montreal and in Manitoba but I can confirm that this does occur in Alberta… on things like summer church camps, men’s breakfasts, Bible studies, etc.
One such example can be found here from the Aug 5 ANIC newsletter:
Christ the King (Edmonton, AB) partnered with St Paul’s (Anglican Church of Canada) to put on a highly successful children’s day camp program, July 7-11, with the assistance of three well-trained youth from Crosstalk Ministries in Montreal. You can read more on Christ the King’s website.
I’m pretty sure that an ANIC church also does a partnership with an ACoC church in Dechambault, SK.
So while you are entitled to your hard “black and white” approach, be informed that ANIC churches (at least at the grassroots level) do partner with ACoC churches. I think that this is a great thing personally.