US Anglicans look to the world

From theage.com.au:

by Archbishop Peter Jensen
July 4, 2008

Some Western Christians have lost the plot and need a steadying hand.

THERE is a saying in financial circles that when Wall Street sneezes, Australia catches a cold. Such is the global dominance of North America that whatever happens within its shores reaches ours eventually. This is true as much of cultural and ideological matters as it is of finance. What's more, much of this influence is imperceptible until you look back and see how far the ground has shifted.

I can understand why many people have read about the outcome of the Global Anglican Future Conference and have the reaction: "Crisis, what crisis?" I made the point to reporters in Jerusalem that in Australia, we have been remarkably conservative on the matters that have deeply torn the fabric of the church globally. But we should not be naive about the slow and steady influence of revisionist

teaching and why the seven men who lead some of the largest Anglican churches in the world have decided to stand up and be counted.

Some will claim it is about homosexuality. It is true that is one of the issues. Even those with no interest in the church see it as more than a little strange that an Anglican bishop, once married with teenage children, should declare he wants to be "a June bride". But that is only a symptom of the problem. It's wider and deeper than that.

At the moment, the problems are centred in North America. The Episcopal church — the Anglican church in the US — is not large by American standards. What's more, it has been in steady decline and churches are closing for lack of numbers. Some would say the revisionist teaching espoused by its leaders has only hastened that decline. Some Episcopal churches that have remained faithful to the historic Christian message have chosen to seek the oversight of Christian leaders in other parts of the Anglican world. Thus we have the spectacle of African provinces ordaining clergy for ministry in the US. One bishop is an American, working as a missionary bishop in the US, under the church of Kenya.

Add to this that the largest Anglican church in Canada is run by an Australian whose congregation has just voted to align with a province in South America. For this, his former bishop has now stripped him of his licence and warned he will be trespassing if he comes back to the church. All this while the number of Anglicans in Canada is so low that it is estimated there will be none left by 2050.

This can fairly be described as chaos. So far, the help and order needed in this matter is coming from the southern hemisphere. Ironically, the very churches established by colonial Anglican missionaries have provided clarity and leadership. They understand that our present structures are unable to cope and that taking rose-coloured glasses to have tea with the Archbishop of Canterbury will not help either. Those who have stepped forward are primates, senior leaders of our denomination, with huge responsibilities in their own churches. They don't need to do it, but they are prepared to do it for Western Christians who have lost the plot.

I can understand some in Australia will say, what has this to do with me? That has never been the way of the Anglican communion. We rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn and seek to restore those who have strayed. Our "broad" church should never encompass those who deny basic Christian teaching. I don't expect any Australian church-goer to notice changes here because of Gafcon. These events are being played out on the world stage. But we too have our part to play in this Anglican renewal and the first step is to recognise the crisis and that Gafcon is part of the solution. The past two weeks have been among the most spiritually invigorating of my life. I have seen great generosity of spirit.

Americans, from a proud nation with a proud history, have been willing to genuinely reach out to their African, Asian and South American brothers and sisters and say: "Help." No hint of paternalistic or racist attitudes. The "Church of England" has come full circle.

Peter Jensen is the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney.