St John the Evangelist
The Vicar Writes
July 2008
Dear People of St John’s
W(h)ither the worldwide Anglican Communion…?
Does the worldwide Anglican family of churches have a future, or is it in a state of ‘meltdown’ and likely to wither on the vine? Given the wild speculation in the media over the last year or so, ordinary Church-going Anglicans may be rather bewildered about what journalists (most of whom never darken a church door) seem to be predicting about our Church.
Speculation is particularly rife at the moment because next month bishops from all the 44 member Churches of our Anglican family across the world have been invited to Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference – a gathering of Anglican bishops held at Canterbury every 10 years.
This year’s conference has attracted much media attention because some of the 800 invited bishops have decided to ‘boycott’ the conference. This vociferous minority are staying away because of a number of controversial issues which have arisen over the last few years, and some bishops feel so strongly about these issues that they are refusing to meet with those with whom they disagree! Yes, to their shame, despite all that the Bible teaches about reconciliation, and despite all that Jesus taught and prayed about Christians being one ‘that the world may believe’, some of our bishops are refusing even to meet with those who have different views on certain matters.
The main issues which are dividing our bishops are:
- the ordination of women as bishops?
- the ordination of an openly homosexual priest as a bishop in the American branch of the Anglican Church in 2003
- whether the Church should offer services of blessing to homosexual couples who have had civil partnerships
- different ways of interpreting certain parts of the Bible
It is surely a tragedy that Christians who disagree with one another will refuse to sit down and discuss their disagreements. It becomes a scandal when bishops, ordained to be leaders, teachers and pastors of the people of God, and a focus of unity for the people of their diocese, refuse to sit down with one another. Some have even
refused to receive Holy Communion from the Archbishop of Canterbury, because they believe he has failed to bring those with whom they disagree ‘into line’.
For bishops of our Church to act in this way is obviously no example to the people of God, and we are right to feel sad and disappointed at their behaviour. We all know what it is like when members of our ‘natural’ families ‘fall out’ with one another. It is even more painful when they refuse to meet to discuss what they feel upset about. When this happens within our Christian family it is a cause of even greater sadness.
The basic issue is the unwillingness to accept and live with difference. All of us have strong views about certain things, but it is the mark of the mature person who, without surrendering their own views, is prepared to discuss them with those with whom they disagree. For Christians this is an inescapable requirement of our faith. Failure to do so is a failure to live up to our baptismal commission.
Is it any wonder that people outside the Church look on in bemusement when Christians refuse to be reconciled? No wonder they charge us with hypocrisy when we dare to preach reconciliation to others, while refusing to be reconciled among ourselves!
So what do those of us ‘inside’ the Church do about this?
- First: we must keep this ‘domestic squabble’ in perspective and proportion. It will not tear our Church apart as some are predicting. Christians have been divided over much more serious issues that the current ones, and the Church still goes on, seeking to be faithful over the really important things – serving and loving God and his world.
- Second: do please pray: for our Archbishop, Rowan Williams; for all the bishops who will be at the Lambeth Conference, that they may give a strong witness to the Spirit of unity that God has given to the Church; and also pray for those who will be staying away, that they may discover the healing power of reconciliation.
May God bless and keep us all
Fr John
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