CSM: Difficult Future for pecusa

Of the articles I've posted today the one from the Christian Science Monitor below gives the best perspective on the Anglican crisis that was initiated by pecusa. The Archbishop of Canterbury has allowed the Lambeth Conference to be shaped by pecusa so that the meeting will make no decisions on the controversial actions of pecusa and the Anglican Church of Canada. The bishops meet once every ten years, there is a crisis, and the ABC, along with his North American allies, have chosen to stall rather than to act. The Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) has made it clear that the leaders of the majority of the Anglican Communion will not allow this.

The Windsor Report has not been heeded nor has the Dar es Salaam Communique of the primates been heeded. When the ABC Rowan Williams, stepped away from the definite date set by the primates for compliance or discipline it became clearer than ever that the Anglican Communion through the four instruments of unity was incapable of discipline. As the Jerusalem Declaration of GAFCON pointedly put its, "there has been a failure to honour promises of discipline, the authority of the Primates' Meeting has been undermined and the Lambeth Conference has been structured so as to avoid any hard decisions. We can only come to the devastating conclusion that 'we are a global Communion with a colonial structure'."

GAFCON is the direct result of the lack of discipline and more importantly, the lack of adherence to the apostolic and catholic gospel. As the GAFCON Declaration states there is an "acceptance and promotion within the provinces of the Anglican Communion of a different 'gospel' (cf. Galatians 1:6-8) which is contrary to the apostolic gospel."

A realignment has started with North American parishes and dioceses leaving pecusa and uniting with foreign provinces that hold to the apostolic and catholic gospel. Despite what secular and liberal Christian sources have repeatedly said, GAFCON was not about schism. GAFCON is about continuing the realignment of worldwide Anglicanism. A key sentence in the Jerusalem Declaration is this one:

"While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury."

The GAFCON pilgrims have said that if the ABC shirks the responsibility of his office, his office is diminished and worldwide Anglicanism will necessarily have to be reconfigured. The ABC has shirked his responsibility and GAFCON is part of the restructuring of Anglicanism. A Primates' Council will be set up to take responsibility in the wake of the current leadership vacuum.

Another key sentence of the GAFCON Declaration states,

"We recognise the desirability of territorial jurisdiction for provinces and dioceses of the Anglican Communion, except in those areas where churches and leaders are denying the orthodox faith or are preventing its spread, and in a few areas for which overlapping jurisdictions are beneficial for historical or cultural reasons."

This is certainly the case in North America. The Anglican Church of Canada and pecusa are suing orthodox parishes and promoting a false gospel. The ABC would not act to correct this scandal to the Church; GAFCON has filled that leadership vacuum.

Praise be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit!