From the American Anglican Council:
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson
Beloved in Christ,
A great deal of Anglican news has been piling up on all of us lately. Of particular interest to many on both sides of the great theological divide has been the American Episcopal Church's (TEC) consecration of Mary Glasspool as a bishop in Los Angeles, California. Bishop Glasspool is openly lesbian and living with her female partner, and this is almost seen as an additional qualification or bonus by many in TEC. For those on one side of the issue, sexuality is seen as a human rights concern, on a par with race, nationality, gender, etc. For them, sexual preference doesn't matter if certain (and varying) boundaries are observed. For example, most would agree that adult-child sexual relations are wrong - but then, there is a continued push to lower the age of consent, so that adulthood is expanded and childhood is constricted.
The relatively new bishop of Maryland, Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton (who attended the Glasspool consecration), recently stated that the communion is in the midst of a fight and it's a fight worth having. He added, "Whenever the church has tried to limit leadership based on a person's biology, in most cases they have had to admit that was a mistake." Bishop Sutton says this as an African American, and thus is in effect equating biology, such as skin color and race, with moral conduct. One cannot change one's skin color to any significant degree, but one certainly can change one's moral or immoral conduct. Yet he equates the two as if they are equally unchangeable. I believe the bishop has actually insulted many people by insinuating that their gender, or race or basic physical attributes are on the same level as homosexual conduct. That argument doesn't work for me.
For others of us it isn't a human rights issue, though our opponents have been fairly successful at framing the issue in those terms. Others of us would see it as a moral issue, and same-sex relations contravening Biblical standards on sexual relations and marriage. A counter argument sometimes put forward by revisionists is that modern homosexuality didn't exist in ancient times, and relevant Biblical passages were speaking of the evil of temple prostitution which often included same-sex encounters. Although certainly Scripture would proscribe temple prostitution, it is foolish to think that homosexuality as it is known today wasn't also prevalent in ancient times and that Scripture does not include all types of homosexuality in its prohibitions. The desire of most orthodox Christians today isn't to be legalistic, but neither do they agree with a distortion of Scripture that permits libertine behavior. Scripture is clear about sexual morality, and homosexual behavior contravenes that and is immoral, period. Even if society degrades to the point of celebrating homosexuality and granting it all kinds of legal protections, it would still be wrong. God doesn't change his mind because a society reorients itself the wrong way.
The difficulty is that the two opposing viewpoints are based on non-compatible reference systems: one is based on human reasoning and feelings, the other on the revealed Word of God. One is right, the other is not, and you can't compromise and cut the baby in half, so that each belief system has half of what they wanted. The consecration of Mary Glasspool is representative of the determination of TEC to do as it pleases with regard to the faith and morals of the church, and coupled with prior statements by many of the leading bishops of TEC disputing the claims of Jesus to be the only way to the Father, and disputing the claims of authority for Holy Scripture, it is a reconfiguration of what it means to be Christian in the Western world, and an opportunity for an aggressive evangelism of this new gospel to all parts of the world, but especially targeting Africa.
TEC has been using what is sometimes referred to as the "charm offensive" in sending deputations to visit bishops in Africa thought to be persuadable. With a shortage of financial resources, many of the African dioceses have projects and plans for growth and evangelism, but lack funding. In comes a TEC deputation, very interested in the work that is being done, and ready to help with resources. There are usually no overt strings attached, but of course the diocese and province officially is in broken or impaired communion with TEC, and hence with their visitors - but they cannot violate the rules of hospitality, so they share communion together - and the wedge is now in the rock. The group offering help will often be interested in a companion relationship with the orthodox African diocese, or will have had one from prior years, and in seeking to maintain it, will wish to send varied delegations to the African diocese so that the diocese can hear firsthand from gays and lesbians about the sincerity and "holiness" of their love - now the wedge is driven deeper in the rock. Then opportunities for the local bishop or priests to come to America and visit select communities, or even attend scholarshipped Seminary classes at appropriately liberal institutions begin to take place - now the rock begins to crack. These TEC people are so kind and nice, how could they really be so wrong anyway? - and the slide down the slope is nearly complete. For example, the TEC diocese of El Camino Real, and their bishop Mary Gray-Reeves, are linked in a sharing arrangement with the Tanzanian Diocese of Western Tanganyika, and their bishop Gerard Mpango. Part of the price for being in such a relationship is revealed in the statement Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves made: "They have listened to the stories of gay and lesbian couples." This is the sales force driving a wedge between the orthodox, and it is happening in many of the provinces of Africa, to divide the African voice. Most TEC dioceses have a companion relationship with one or more overseas Anglican dioceses, affording them the opportunity to take the false gospel to all who will listen.
The war within the Anglican Communion that Bishop Sutton referred to is being fought in microcosm in the Anglican Consultative Council's (ACC) Standing Committee over the seat occupied by Bishop Ian Douglas. He was elected as a priest, and the ACC Constitution requires that his position be held by either a priest or deacon. Conservatives are saying that he should give up his presbyterial seat in favor of a cleric in diaconal or presbyteral orders, while he is contending that it is his and he has a right to complete his term. TEC has a very heavy influence over the Standing Committee, and even more so with the withdrawal of both Archbishops Orombi (Uganda) and Anis (Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, and President Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East) from the Standing Committee.
Meanwhile, here in North America, the litigation goes on, with the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) and TEC keeping lawyers busy. The diocese in Canada that was one of the first to rush to the courts to sue orthodox congregations and clergy, New Westminster, recently had a resolution presented to them at their 2010 Diocesan Synod, calling for an end to litigation. It was apparently defeated by a substantial majority. In the United States, however, there are at least a few bishops who are resisting the pressure from Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, and are not entering into litigation over property. How refreshing! In standing up to her, will they be crushed, or will they be allowed to depart from the official script? Time will tell, but in the meanwhile we rather hope the numbers of such bishops might increase.
AAC Wall of HonorWall of Honor
The American Anglican Council believes that the lives and ministries of faithful TEC clergy who were deposed either for leaving, or for standing up to theological corruption in TEC, should not be forgotten. Two walls in our office are fast filling up with deposition notices sent in to us. Sometimes there may be as many as 46 names on a single deposition, and at other times numbers in the 20's and 30's. We want all those clergy to know that they have not been forgotten, and these names are placed on the AAC's WALL OF HONOR, one part of which is pictured with this article.
May we all relive the first Pentecost this Sunday, and experience the overfilling of the Holy Spirit, such that we can be effective in presenting the Good News of Jesus Christ and His transforming love to all those who are lost and are seeking.
Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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