Archbishop of Canterbury's website. 16 September 2015
2 thoughts on “Archbishop of Canterbury calls for Primates’ Gathering”
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Archbishop of Canterbury's website. 16 September 2015
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“Really, The Church of England has the same relationship to The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church,” said the conservative Wesleyan. “And the United Methodist Church has that relationship to the Holiness churches; the Holiness folks have that same relationship to the Pentecostals.”
Oh?
“Protestant churches follow scripture, but through time scripture has been a moving target. Protestants face the inevitability that new wine will yet again ferment and burst the skins.”
Inevitability?
“Sure. The Methodists and Episcopalians began as Anglicans, but Americanized in un-Anglican ways. The Holiness churches began as Methodists, but the old Methodist Episcopal Church could not contain their passion for sanctification and the poor. The Pentecostals began as a Spirit movement among the Holiness churches, but the buttoned-down Holiness folks could not tolerate speaking in tongues.”
Not many have compared Episcopalians to Pentecostals.
“No, but it’s absurd to compare Anglicans to Catholics, which is what people keep doing. You see, Catholics do not have this because they follow a Pope sitting on a throne that is stuck in Rome, not scriptures that flow on and on like a living stream. Following a throne is easy; it does not move. But if you are going to follow the scriptures, you are going to have to run hard to catch up to them. And none of us can run the whole distance.”
So, you think that the Episcopalians’ votes about sex are plausibly scriptural?
“To them they are. Just as Perfect Love was to Wesley, presbyteral ordination was to the Holiness folks, and the non-cessation of gifts was to the Pentecostals.”
So what should Anglicans do about this? Minds are not changing.
“Anglicans should do whatever they wish they had done when it was obvious that they could not keep the Methodists.”
Block the door?
“Let them go in peace. Throw them a party. Ask them to come home occasionally.”
(Pause)
So what are you going to do about the votes in the UMC?
“I’m looking at the ACNA.”
In the most missional future that I can imagine, some old ties are maintained, and some good works are done, but the main body of Anglicans will have reorganized to unify the Protestant churches of the global south. The best use of Anglican identity and tradition is surely not finding the best way for north and south to disagree about sex. The consequential question is this– what we will contribute in this century to the C22 Christianity of Catholics, Orthodox, and Pentecostals? Personally, I think that if we do not offer a catholic evangelicalism to unaffiliated and rootless churches throughout the southern hemisphere, we do not know who we are.