Is SCHISM THE WORST OF ALL HERESIES?

by the Rev. Dr. Peter Toon

Schism & Heresy - of the Anglican Vintage

In 1990 I arrived in the U.S.A. as an immigrant to live in Wisconsin.

Previously I had visited the country many times as a visiting speaker,
mostly at evangelical and interdenominational colleges and institutions.
At these varied places, most of which were growing, there was not any sense
that the Christian group in charge was in any kind of schism. In fact, the basic idea was and remains that the unity of the true believers is invisible and spiritual and that visible unity, though desirable perhaps, is not necessary for each of the competitive local groups, each to be the "genuine" church of God.

SCHISM VERY BAD

In contrast, what I heard from various anglo-catholic bishops, priests and
laymen, on the large governing body of Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary in
Wisconsin, was this sentence which I have never forgotten: SCHISM IS THE
WORST OF ALL HERESIES. And it was said in such a way as to make you aware
that you MUST avoid it at all costs. You were not to argue or be unreceptive: you were to take it to heart!

All strong positions have a background and history, and I guess that this
assertion comes out of the Anglo-Catholic doctrine that the Anglican Church
(therefore PECUSA/ECUSA as part of it) is a branch of the one, holy,
catholic and apostolic Church of God, and a jurisdiction in the same.
Further, I think it looks back to the 1970s when not a few of the leading
Anglo-Catholic priest and congregations departed from PECUSA/ECUSA (over
Ordination and BCP issues) to form "The Continuing Anglican Church."
Regrettably this "Church" itself soon split into various parts and so the initial schism from PECUSA was compounded by division within the ranks of the seceders and this division remains to the present day.

In 1990-91 enthusiasts=94 like me were warned against schism, and the warning was so
grave as to tell us/me that there is no heresy worse than deliberately dividing or splitting or forcing apart the people of God.

Let us now jump from 1990-91 to 2008-9 but remain in the orbit of the
PECUSA/ECUSA/TEC.

There remain within TEC in 2008 those who claim to be fully orthodox, who
acknowledge that TEC has introduced many (bad) doctrinal, moral and liturgical innovations, and yet intend to stay. To them schism is a very bad thing and to be avoided. (This grouping is intellectually energized by The Anglican Communion Institute and includes some of the largest congregations in TEC.)

SCHISM CAN BE A GOOD THING

In contrast, there have seceded recently from TEC four dioceses that have
joined the Province of the Southern Cone.=A0 They see this as a kind of
temporary provincial home, for dioceses to make sense must belong to a
province. In the U.S.A. itself, the same dioceses are united with Anglicans
of like-mind within what is known as =93Common Cause.

This is composed of various groups from Canada and the U.S.A., all of which
have the common aim of protesting against the revisionism of TEC and Anglican Church of Canada and together forming a new Anglican Province in North America to replace the two old ones-- a province that they hope will be accepted by at least the African Provinces of Nigeria, Rwanda and others. (This province is due to be created Dec 3rd or 4th 2008 in Wheaton, Illinois.)

This mixed grouping of Anglicans sees schism as a necessity and, in fact, as
a kind of virtue, for to them it is the only way to escape the apostasy of
TEC and be united to orthodox, Anglican Provinces.

Regrettably, some may feel, the seceders of the 1970s, the ones whose exit
did much to cause the use of the slogan, "schism is the worst kind of
heresy," in TEC are not included in the Common Cause and will not be in
this proposed, new province when it is created in December 08.

CONCLUSION

It is impossible to imagine the present, massive supermarket of religions in
the U.S.A. without recognizing that, at least in America, schism is the
means by which many of the groups in the supermarket came into being, and
also the means whereby their name and principles are perpetuated, even if
under different management!

According to the Christian Hope, after the resurrection of the dead and the
judgment of the peoples at the end of the age, the elect, who are taken with
Jesus the Lord, King and Priest into the great mansions of heaven, will go
there as One People, wholly united by grace in the fellowship of the Holy
Ghost, in order to enjoy the beatific vision from glory unto glory as one
sanctified society!

The End

Advent Sunday 2008 The Revd Dr Peter Toon
drpetertoon@yahoo.com


The Revd Dr Peter Toon
petertoon@msn.com
drpetertoon@yahoo.com