AnglicanThought.com

Lacks the Celtic Tradition…But Very Powerful!

Mike Spreng — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:33:18 +0000

We need to create an Anglican video like this!

Losing our Religion

Mike Spreng — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:05:06 +0000

England is forcasting bleak days for her Church. It seems that one of the hindrances of growth for the Church of England is the fact that the Muslims implement an actual heritage within their belief, whereas Christianity’s heritage is now so shallow that it is laughable. David Voas, a professor of population studies at the Institute for Social Change at the University of Manchester, said:

“The difficulty is in retaining the children who have churchgoing parents. So long as churchgoing is something that gets you laughed at, so long as there is a social stigma attached to being a churchgoing young person, it will be difficult to reverse the trend.” He said that young Muslims operated in a different environment. “Being religious is a way that you show you are different, that you are proud of your heritage. One of the ways young Muslims assert their identity is by being more observant than their parents.“

In order to grow the kingdom to the extent of finally overcoming Islam, it is clear that we must begin to emphasis the visible Church and her call to take dominion over all spiritual realms, as the book of Genesis clearly commands. Enough with the Gnostic notions of piety and doctrinal prestige! We need the faith of our fathers that once proclaimed a realistic “religion.” Here is an example of our current downward spiral within the realm of spiritual dominion and religion as well our leanings toward Evangelicalism (site):

“People who don’t go to church may be turned off by a recent trend toward more utilitarian church buildings. By a nearly 2-to-1 ratio over any other option, unchurched Americans prefer churches that look more like a medieval cathedral than what most think of as a more contemporary church building.”

The first article I quoted moves on to state that Evangelicalism is obsorbing much of the Church growth. This explains much of the loss of cultural identity within England (America, likewise). Christians that adhere to the more Evangelical worldview can not be dignified in the culture, because they simply do not have one. To them, the Christian faith is about the invisible but not the visible, which in turn brings us to a Gnostic faith that is not true to the Lord’s Prayer of having God’s “kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven.” God wills for us to take action in every area of our faith and life. There is no neutrality! There is no aspect of life that is off limits to God’s will; be it liturgy, architecture, music, art, or overall vocation.

To build a Christian heritage, and pass this heritage down to children that can be dignified through it, means embracing a faith that actually makes itself known here on earth. The early Church helps us to understand just what this looks like, and the medieval Church helps us understand what has developed from the early Church. But the modern Church is no longer drinking from this well, and insists on creating new traditions of multiculturalism and relativism. No longer is the Anglo-Catholic culture meaningful to today’s Christian; the very tradition that founded America itself.

This reluctance to administrate the Anglican culture may very well be due to the fear of it being rejected by more third-world types of culture. But countries such as Africa and Mexico are completely eager to embrace the Anglican culture. Neutral Evangelicalism seeks to be the answer to this pre-fabricated fear of man! But not only is Evangelicalism fighting its own arson, but the deterrent they are using is also a phoney - it is not nearly as neutral as they think! They are not neutral but rather they are modernists, embracing nearly every post-Christendom culture that they possible can in order to supposedly be “all things to all people.” When St. Paul made this statement, he was not referring to our faith at large, but rather his apologetic (theological tactics to persuade) as well as his overall demeanor.

O Gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen

On Baptism

Mike Spreng — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:20:20 +0000

Rome Calling Anglicanism Out

Mike Spreng — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:54:45 +0000

Rome is now pressing the Anglican Church to “make a decision.” It seems that they are saying that we can no longer serve two masters:

“Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -Catholic and Orthodox - or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century? At the moment it is somewhere in between, but it must clarify its identity now and that will not be possible without certain difficult decisions.”

What Some May Call “Catholicity”

Mike Spreng — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:36:01 +0000

This should be an interesting conference! I would love to hear back from anyone that attends.

123 Reasons to be in Church

Mike Spreng — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:34:07 +0000

Notice the correlation of each…

Genesis 29:35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
Genesis 49:8 Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you.
Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
Leviticus 19:24 ‘But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD.
Deuteronomy 10:21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.
Deuteronomy 26:19 And that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the LORD your God, just as He has spoken.
Joshua 7:19 Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
Judges 5:3 Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
1 Chronicles 16:4 And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel: And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.”
1 Chronicles 23:5 Four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with musical instruments, “which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”
³⁰ to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening;
1 Chronicles 29:13 Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.
2 Chronicles 5:13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,
2 Chronicles 7:3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”
⁶And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the LORD, which King David had made to praise the LORD, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.
2 Chronicles 8:14 And, according to the order of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded.
2 Chronicles 20:19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
2 Chronicles 23:13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!”
2 Chronicles 31:2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD.
Ezra 3:10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.
Nehemiah 9:5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: “Stand up and bless the LORD your God Forever and ever! “Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
Nehemiah 12:24 And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to praise and give thanks, group alternating with group, according to the command of David the man of God.
⁴⁶For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Psalm 7:17 I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power.
Psalm 22:22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
²³ You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁵ My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
²⁶ The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!
Psalm 30:4 Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
⁹ “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?
¹² To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Psalm 34:1 A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 35:18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
²⁸ And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.
Psalm 40:3 He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.
¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.
⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 48:10 According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.
Psalm 49:18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
Psalm 51:15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
Psalm 56:4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
¹⁰ In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word),
Psalm 61:8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows.
Psalm 63:3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.
Psalm 65:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed.
Psalm 66:2 Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.
⁸ Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
Psalm 67:3 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.
⁵ Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.
Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them.
Psalm 71:6 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You.
⁸ Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day.
¹⁴ But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.
²² Also with the lute I will praise you — And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
Psalm 74:21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
Psalm 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
Psalm 79:13 So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.
Psalm 88:10 Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah
Psalm 89:5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
Psalm 99:3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name — He is holy.
Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Psalm 102:18 This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
²¹ To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem,
Psalm 104:33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
³⁵ May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 105:45 That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 106:1 Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
² Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can declare all His praise?
¹² Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.
⁴⁷ Save us, O LORD our God, And gather us from among the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.
⁴⁸ Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD!
Psalm 107:32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders.
Psalm 109:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Do not keep silent, O God of my praise!
³⁰ I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
Psalm 111:1 Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
Psalm 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
Psalm 113:1 Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, Praise the name of the LORD!
⁹ He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 115:17 The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor any who go down into silence.
¹⁸ But we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 116:19In the courts of the LORD’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!
² For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 119:164 Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.
¹⁷¹ My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes.
¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me.
Psalm 135:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
³ Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
²¹ Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 145:1 I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
² Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
⁴ One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.
Psalm 146:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
² While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
¹⁰ The LORD shall reign forever — Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 147:1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
¹² Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
²⁰ He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 148:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!
² Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!
³ Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!
⁴ Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!
⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.
⁷ Praise the LORD from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths;
¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.
¹⁴ And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints — Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 149:1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.
³ Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
⁹ To execute on them the written judgment — This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 150:1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
² Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
³ Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!
⁴ Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
⁵ Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

Which Book of Common Prayer?

Mike Spreng — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:57:09 +0000

I choose the 1928 Book of Common Prayer for my authority of worship. I do this for a number of reasons, some of which support the use of the 1662:

1. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer represents the Anglican Church in America as it was in its orthodox state; the last official Prayer Book to be received by the entire American Anglican union prior to the modern division of the church. It was also a revision that was authorized by both the American bishops as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury (1789). The 1928 is also more ecumenical to the East, which, to me, is an important part of the future of Christendom.

2. Because of the statement above, the 1928, to me, represents the unity of the Anglican church of America. I think that the new revised Prayer Book put out by Rev. Toon, is a bold attempt for a new type of unified Prayer Book (as was the REC Prayer Book), but only time will tell if it will be able to sustain. If it was to become the leading Prayer Book, I would likely use it, but with some reluctance.

3. The 1928 has maintained the Elizabethan language, which is important for a number of reasons: It prevents the standard of worship from drifting into “ghetto” formats of language, as time within America has proven itself to drag various liturgies into; it brings the Christian to the linguistic roots of the Prayer Book, which in turn opens the door for great appreciation for the Reformation; and finally the Elizabethan language is a very “poetic” language, and so enables the Christian to separate themselves from the loose language of everyday life and take up a language that is rich in meaning and melody, exemplifying ones worship experience.

4. The 1928 contains the Apocrypha within the liturgical calendar. This is important for a variety of reasons, one being that Article 6 states that the Apocrypha is to continue as a part of the Church, as opposed to what the Anabaptist believed. The Article states: “the Church doth read [the Apocrypha] for example of life and instruction of manners…”

5. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, in the Holy Communion, begins with the Our Father. This, to me, is a very “biblical” way of beginning a service. Also the latter part of the Holy Communion is placed nearer to the end of the service, with a greater anticipation and building up to the distribution. In the 1662, it seems as though the distribution is done a bit too prematurely, with the Our Father and Oblation done after, rather than before. Although there is a short type of Oblation and Invocation within the Prayer of Consecration, it does not seem to make the impact that the extended version of the 1928 makes.

The differences between the 1928 and the 1979 are far too many to list in this page. Overall, the 1928 is more Reformed in character/doctrine, confronting the Christian with their sin and depravity, whereas the 79 is much softer on sin and depravity. Many Anglicans believe the 1979 Prayer Book to be unorthodox.

Capitalism out of Control

Mike Spreng — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:36:30 +0000

This article shows how restaurants are now losing money due to more women doing what women have traditionally done in pre-liberal times: manage their homes!

According to the article, more women are staying at home and cooking for their families, which has in turn caused restaurants to lose revenue. No offense to anyone that works within the restaurant industry, but let’s face it, this industry, along with many other modern industries (see industrial revolution) has created a narcissistic culture and ethic in America (in particular) that leads to nothing but schism within the family and the Church.

Not only is the American economy based on this “capitalistic” framework, but much of the Christian ministry - especially within Evangelicalism - is built on this same framework. The essence of this model includes the basic tendency and motive to capitalize on the overall desires and weaknesses of the people! Yet the ethic of Christ involves selfless and sacrificial love for one another, as Christ clearly demonstrated to us in His lifetime. This means that one may actually need to repent and serve those that Christ calls us to serve, rather than fleeing from the difficult service in order to build our own, more monetarily gainful, business or ministry.

Western economics and ministry is simply out of control! Take, for instance, much of the American youth ministry. Because parents are too wrapped up in hedonism, insisting on living a life of materialism and social acceptance, thus fleeing from the traditional model/ethic of the family, they ignore training their children in the Lord properly. The child is then given over to the youth ministry in hopes of spiritual conversion. If the Church would simply instruct the parents on proper Christian ethics of the family, the child would not need or even want to be a part of ministries outside the home and the Church (the youth pastor is not an office of the Church according to the Scriptures). Ministries such as the youth ministry should be for the children that have no parents or whom have non-Christian parents - the legal, as well as spiritual orphans. To capitalize on the sins of the parents is very sinful; ”growing” the ministry to accommodate the children that are not orphans, thus ultimately stealing them from their God-given mentors - their parents, all the while neglecting the true orphans.

The overcorrection to modern capitalism would be the pursuit of idealistic notions (idealism - the creation and belief of ideals that are impossible to manage). The Puritans fell into this shortly after they settled in America. Imposing laws and theologies that had never been fully embraced in all of history, the Puritans believed that God had called them to be the new Jerusalem. They were wrong! God does not want an overnight make-shift Jerusalem erected. God simply wants us to do what is right and just within our own lives, and teach those same principles to our pupils. If our pupils do not want to learn and live the ways of Christ, then they have chosen to live as peasants (there is nothing sinful about a society with poor people. When Christ says to give to the poor, He is certainly not commanding us to instantly make them wealthy). Typically, the idealist would want both classes of peasant and elitist to become abolished, and this is generally called liberalism. Liberalism is not the answer to capitalism! The answer to secular capitalism is… well, I am not sure there is a proper “ism” to place here, at least not one that would be understood by most Christians. Though, I can say this: The “biblical” model of Christian economy is not found in one particular frame of history, but likely, a combination of historical frames, coupled with a combination of historical theologies.

Should America Have Her Own Archbishop?

Mike Spreng — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 05:26:35 +0000

It’s great to see many of the conservative bodies breaking away from ECUSA to find another Bishop to align under. But my question is: What is so wrong with the Continuing Anglican movement that these break-offs cannot seem to submit to a Continuing Bishop? Wasn’t it the continuing Anglicans that first recognized the error of the ECUSA church, back in the 60s and even as far back (concerning the REC) as the late 1800s? The Continuing churches such as the REC, APA, ACA, etc., already have bishops with apostolic succession, that are more than capable of being an Archbishop of a unified Anglican church in America.

It appears that we are beginning to align with Bishop Akinola, of Africa, which is great news. But what does this convey to others about the Continuing movement, as well as America as the Christian country that it was supposedly destined to be? Will the Continuing churches eventually dissolve and become absorbed by the Third World movement? And, will America itself be swallowed up by one of the Third World countries after we align with a Third World Bishop? Do not underestimate the influence of the Church!

God may indeed use one of the more liberal, future presidents like Clinton or McCain to continue to merge us with other countries through trade and military, and maybe even immigration. Meanwhile, we are aligning ourselves with a Bishop in another country.

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the direction we are headed is in some way disastrous. I’m just attempting to sort the confusion out. If the Continuing Anglican church needs a Bishop outside America, then that’s what she needs. And if America needs to be absorbed by another country to remain conservative, then that is what she needs. But if we are to remain an independent country, we will eventually need a Bishop that resides in our country. Otherwise, we will be looking at some of the same problems that the Anglican settlers had in the 1700s with the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Growing Irrelevance of Canterbury for Anglicanism

Albert Mcllhenny — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:20:34 +0000

At first glance, the title of this post should seem oxymoronic. After all, Anglicanism is by definition the shape the Church of England took after the Reformation (and later its sister churches in the British Colonies) and the primate of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury. Hence, how could something even be considered “Anglican” without Canterbury? My answer to this question is that Anglicanism is not a bureaucracy, but a tradition. It had its roots in the experience of the English Church throughout history and was expressed most definitively in the period after the Reformation in the development of the Book of Common Prayer. If the current elite at Canterbury wishes to overthrow the developed tradition of the Church of England in the matter of a few decades, that does not mean Anglicanism has changed, but that they are no longer truly Anglican at all.The problem we see with Canterbury is that the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, the current occupant of the office of Archbishop of Canterbury, does not see defending the faith once delivered to the saints as his primary function, but rather the preservation of union within the Anglican Communion. That is, it is not the beliefs of the Church that matter, but the institution. His ultimate goal is simply the preservation of unity at all costs.

It is fairly clear from his writings that ++Rowan would like to side with the revisionists but thinks their powerplay tactics are ill advised. He does not object to the apostasy of the Episcopal Church because it is wrong, but rather that it is against the will of the communion. With the will of God not being part of his decision making equation, it seems the Archbishop hopes to bide time until his views become the received view of the Communion as a whole.

From the way things are moving, he may not have long to wait. The Anglican Churches in the Global South have had far their fill of Western apostasy and now have called their own conference - the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) - shortly before the Lambeth Conference where Anglican leadership traditionally meets. Many bishops from the Global South are choosing GAFCON over Lambeth and it is likely the bishops attending will represent a far greater percentage of the communion than those attending Lambeth. Many see this not only as a rejection of the apostate teachings of Western Anglican leadership, but also of the leadership of Canterbury during the current crisis.

With such an obvious slap in the face of the Archbishop imminent, a future split in the Anglican Communion seems likely. The departure of so many churches would only leave Anglicanism with a group of dying Western apostates and others who have not the courage to take a firm stand. Eventually, the obvious decline of vitality within the remnants of the Anglican Communion would cause many fence sitters to depart as well. Canterbury would then be relegated to the leadership of apostate caretakers of architecturally interesting but increasingly empty buildings.

For the vibrant Churches of the Global South, they have little to fear. They will continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and continue to make converts. As they also grow in strongholds of Islam, they will also give up martyrs for the cause of Christ. It is they, and not their decadent Western peers, who are the true Anglicans and the true Christians. As the Rt. Rev. Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria (the largest church in the communion) has stated, “You do not need to go through Canterbury to get to Jesus.”

Nor do you need to go through Canterbury to be an Anglican. We have a rich tradition that expresses the Holy Scriptures through the collected wisdom of the Church through her history. This tradition certainly has always had Canterbury at its theological center, but when this center veers from the revealed Word of God we must choose Scripture over geography no matter how sentimental our feelings may be for that location.