They're Not "Prayerfully Considering" Anything at the ACNA Facebook Page
Embryo Parson Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 09:28AM In the combox dicussion under S.M. Hutchens' article, "The Conservative Episcopalian Mess", upon which I commented yesterday, an ACNA priest who happens to be a Facebook friend of mine objected to what he viewed as the article's unfairness:
I wonder if the writer has spoken to other bishops? Well over 70-80% of ACNA bishop are against WO. Right now the College of Bishop are prayerfully seeking the Lord as how to deal with this matter. The author seems to show a level of ignorance of someone who is outside the fight, and complaining about how the boxer is swinging!
Now it is true that the majority of the ACNA's bishops are against WO, but as Hutchens said in his reply,
Alas, though, I have been around long enough not to be even slightly impressed with a bunch of bishops, or anyone else, “prayerfully considering things.” In fact, I am almost at the point where when I am told that things are being considered prayerfully by anybody, I may assume that they wouldn’t change their pre-formed opinion on the article under consideration even if one appeared from the dead. If they manage to do what they should, now that will be impressive. (Emphasis mine.)
Indeed. The ACNA needs to decide whether or not it is truly a branch of the one, holy catholic and apostolic church, as Anglicans have long asserted about the Church of England and her progeny. If it is, then it will end the uncatholic innovation of women's ordination forthwith. If, rather, it agrees with ACNA theologian William Witt that Anglicans are mere "Reformation Christians" and accordingly that it is under no obligation to "prayerfully consider" the admonitions of Rome, Orthodoxy and Anglicans who still believe that their church is a branch of the Catholic Church, then let ACNA say so and go its merry Protestant way.
If the trend over at the ACNA Facebook page is any indication of just how prayerfully its managers are considering the question of women's ordination, well, it is clearly out of sync with the majority of the bishops. Several days ago I posted a link there to an important new work by Geoffrey Kirk entitled Without Precedent: Scripture, Tradition and the Ordination of Women. My post lingered on pending status for awhile and eventually disappeared. Yesterday I posted a link to the Hutchens article along with the quotation I set forth in the blog entry below. It went to pending status, and this morning I found that my post again had disappeared. They clearly aren't having any.
All of which highlights why we can all appreciate the quandary in which the majority of bishops find themselves. Should they "manage to do what they should", ACNA will rupture. And that's precisely why they won't do what they should. Unity trumps Catholic faith and practice.
ACNA, Anglican Follies, Anglican Orders, Anglican Realignment, Church of England, Eastern Orthodoxy, English Reformation, Episcopal Church, Neo-Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, The Problem of Anglican Identity, Traditional Anglicanism, William Witt's Articles on Women's Ordination, Women's Ordination
Reader Comments (12)
Dear EP,
Great article as usual. Thank you for opening my eyes to the book "Unprecedented" -- I just ordered my copy. Not that I need any more convincing, I've never believed in Women's Ordination at any time in my Christian life. But the history fascinates me as to how, like Arianism, such heresy gets so entrenched so easily. Arianism is at least a more honest heresy. This one seems rooted in a sinister rejection of Scripture, Tradition, and Nature.
Whenever liberal clergy talk about "prayerfully considering" what's been established, reach for your wallet. They're selling you a bill of goods.
Keep up the fight, dear EP. Traditional Anglicanism may be small, but we don't have to go down without a fight.
In Pax Christi,
The Haunted Bookman
I wonder if anyone might have some advice for me, as I am "prayerfully considering" Anglicanism and the ACNA is the only game in town (and that almost an hour away and in the Cascadia Diocese where WO is allowed). WO is a no-go for me, but I'm almost as concerned about the perception that many in the ACNA lean towards charismatic extremes.
Here in Washington there are only, as far as I can tell, two continuing Anglican Parishes (other than the ACNA) and neither one is close. The closest would be an REC Parish in Canada (via the ferry). I am also concerned that the REC has imbibed Theonomy, but this may just be my perception due to some neerdowells attacking the REC from without. I know some in the REC have a theonomic bent, but I don't know to what extent it has been accepted throughout the REC. The REC seems like it would be a good fit for me, the theonomic issue notwithstanding.
I'm currently attending a Luther Church Missouri Synod congregation, and perhaps that is the best option for the time.
Many thanks for anyone who can provide some help.
Jereme, is that Washington state? Or DC?
Never mind! Just saw your comment about taking a ferry to Canada!
Isn't some report from some committee in the offing?
That would be Washington State, on the Olympic Peninsula (Sequim, Port Angeles area).
I don't think the REC is theonomic. Bishop Sutton was a theonmist when he was a presby, but my impression is that he's more or less left it behind.
It would be worth the ferry ride if you ask me. My in laws used to live in Sequim btw. Beautiful area.
That's good to know, I hope you are right. Bishop Sutton seems to be an admirable fellow and a good theologian, so perhaps Theonomy is in his rear view mirror. I think I shall contact the REC Priest in Victoria just to touch base with him.
Thanks for the reply.
Blessings,
Jereme
What's theonomy? (I'm almost scared to ask. The worst blatant doctrinal error I ever had to deal with was the courtship fad, so.... Well, OK, that and barking like dogs being a gift of the Holy Spirit during my childhood in Vineyard. And being "slain by the Spirit" as another experiential gift. And.... Oh, never mind.)
One interesting thing about ACNA is that if you look at some old 2014 conversations online between ACNA parishioners, they thought the final decision on WO would be delivered in January 2016. Well, January has come and gone. Summer is here. The can has been kicked down the road. In the meantime, more women are being ordained. But then, Vineyard these days is into WO as well, and the ACNA bishop here is a former Vineyard pastor. No surprise there. At least the charismatic stuff was restrained (dare I say tempered by Anglican tradition) in the ACNA parish I had been attending. They brought the best of Vineyard--the prayer life--with them. But they haven't entirely gotten rid of the worst of Vineyard (social gospel, WO, fad theologians like NT Wright).
I know the ACNA bishops are worried of the split that will inevitably happen should they do the right thing. But who cares? Send these chicks packing, I say. Offer them paid clergy positions for women's ministry (sort of like ye olde widow's order), if they are willing. But do the right thing. Surely ACNA would find more unity than they had before by opening the door to a merger with continuing Anglican churches and to more realistic ecumenical dialogue with the other two Catholic branches.
It's easy for the majority to ignore the problem of WO when it isn't happening in their own diocese. But what about the rest of us who live in these dioceses? Who cares if it's only a minority? Doesn't the minority's suffering count for anything?
Article on theonomy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Reconstructionism
Haunted Bookman, couldn't agree more about the fascinating (but appalling) history of WO. The definitive theological work IMO is Manfred Hauke's magisterial "Women in the Priesthood?: A Systematic Analysis in the Light of the Order of Creation and Redemption".
https://www.amazon.com/Women-Priesthood-Systematic-Analysis-Redemption/dp/0898701651
EP,
Hauke's monograph was the thing that put this question to bed for me when I read the work back in 2002. Comprehensive consideration of the data, unassailable in its logic and rationale, and charitable in its presentation. Absolutely great recommendation. I can't imagine the book by Kirk I ordered "Unprecedented" will advance any theological consideration Hauke's work didn't cover -- I'm just more interested in the history of the Anglican descent into this madness.
Thanks again for reminding me of Hauke's awesome work.