From Musings of a Hard-Lining Moderate (blog)

Anglican Schismatics

01/13/2011

by Carson T. Clark

In recent weeks a significant number of Episcopalians have been calling me a “schismatic,” which is a terribly offensive accusation within the Anglican sphere. The spirit behind the word is clearly one of anger, bitterness, and contempt. Part of me finds that’s laughable since I wasn’t an Anglican till well after the split. Yet there’s another sense to which it’s true. I have aligned myself within one of the new groups after all. No doubt this reflects my newness to the Anglican tradition as much as it does my personality, but I feel no need to defend myself. I’ll tell Episcopalians exactly what they want to hear: I openly acknowledge being a schismatic, although I’d nuance that by insisting we’re all schismatics. Just to be clear, I don’t say that with the vitriol that so dominates the Anglo-blogosphere. I’ve been truly blessed to attend a Communion Partners TEC parish and I understand why they’ve opted to stay. Meanwhile, I’m helping plant an AMiA church and have a great affinity for the ACNA. Nevertheless, I truly do think that all three groups are schismatics of one sort or another:

• The Episcopal Church – Although it has maintained ecclesiastical unity/tradition, it’s guilty of doctrinal schism. Even setting aside the contentious issue of homosexuality, that body has no less than appointed bishops who deny the exclusivity of Christ, His virgin birth and bodily resurrection, and so forth–all of which clearly conflicts with the Church’s historic teachings. When you no longer teach those things long ago deemed essential tenants of Christianity, how can the thing still rightly be said to be an expression of the christian faith?
• The Anglican Church in North America – Although it has maintained doctrinal purity and ecclesiastical tradition, it’s guilty of ecclesiastical schism. As the Church of England broke from Rome, so the ACNA broke from TEC. Yes, there’s a great many heated arguments over who recognizes what, but the fact of the matter is that ecclesiastical ties were severed.
• The Anglican Mission in the Americas – Although it has maintained doctrinal purity and ecclesiastical unity, it’s guilty of tradition schism. This is seen most clearly in Rwanda’s encroachment into other bishops’ geographical dioceses, which is a precedent dating back to the second century if not earlier. Even as one pursuing ordination through/under AMiA, I won’t deny the significance of this development.

And, if you want to back the story up, Catholics say we’re all schismatics… as do the Orthodox of all Western Christendom. These issues are vastly more complicated than can be articulated in a brief treatment, and I’m well aware that this post won’t endear me to Anglicans of any stripe. In being completely intellectually honest with myself, however, I must confess that we’re all guilty of tragic schism within the Body of Christ. Welcome to life in the Already/Not Yet chapter of God’s redemptive narrative.