Jamie Merrill and Emily Dugan Independent. 14 April 2015
Evangelical critics of gay marriage and women bishops meet in London to plot schism – Independent
3 thoughts on “Evangelical critics of gay marriage and women bishops meet in London to plot schism – Independent”
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A sensationalistic article and a happy-talk press release– which does one believe?
Schism is practical polytheism, a message to the world from estranged zealots that the Holy Spirit cannot keep the peace of Christ which has passed thelr power-mad understanding. As Alan points out, after Wesley, rival understandings of Paul and his critics did not result in rival communities. The historic movements in the Church of England emphasised different tendencies in the English Reformation itself, remained in communion with each other, and find themselves today on more common ground than ever. On the other hand, the Methodist schism has persisted down to the present day for no discernible theological reason except the reluctance of the proud. Schism that divides the Body of Christ is a sin against the Holy Spirit, and schismatic communities are most often still-born.
Is this schism? A foreign missionary society teaching and practising an organically traditional Anglicanism under the ordinary authority of the local bishop is not even close to schism. When, in my part of the world, some relative outsiders sought to build an Anglo-Catholic church just a mile from the seminary of the most evangelical Diocese of Virginia, this was decidedly against the mainstream of the 1920s. The Bishops of Virginia did not then hesitate to prefer charges of heresy in defense of Edward VI Anglicanism. But common ground was found. The bishop allowed it as a retrieval of early Protestant orthodoxy in the high tradition (eg the reformed Lancelot Andrewes). Aumbry, yes; benedictions, no.
Similarly, if the new mission negotiates the terms of its presence with the canonical Bishop of Salisbury, and is under his general oversight, then it is clearly not in schism. Even a liberal bishop can value the missionary presence of an organic traditionalism in her diocese, provided that it is not polarised against the diocese as a whole. There is no reason for either party to assume the worst, and no excuse for the divisions that will result if they do. Their duty to the Body is not to import the power politics of global Anglicanism into Salisbury, but in Salisbury to recover the common ground that the polarised have obscured elsewhere. The Holy Spirit rules where unity is being restored.
There is no threat of schism:
“We are not leaving the Anglican Communion. The members of our churches stand at the heart of the Communion, which is why we are committed to its renewal. We belong to the mainstream, and we are moving forward.
GAFCON embodies an inclusive and confessionally grounded orthodoxy in continuity with the Scriptures, apostolic tradition, and ethos of the Book of Common Prayer. There is much room for variety within the boundaries of Christian orthodoxy, but when the Gospel is at stake there can never be a middle way. As followers of Jesus we know that it is the narrow way that leads to life.”
There is however oppressive and unchristian action by English bishops:
“We support Bishop John Ellison in resisting the unjust and uncharitable charges brought against him by the Bishop of Salisbury, and in view of the Great Commission, we note the sad irony that this former missionary bishop to South America now finds it necessary to defend himself for supporting missionary activity in his own country. We continue to encourage and support the efforts of those working to restore the Church of England’s commitment to Biblical truth. Equally, we authenticate and support the work of those Anglicans who are boldly spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and whose circumstances require operating outside the old, institutional structures.”
There is also a blurring of the line between Christianity and other faiths which does not go down well in Africa:
“We are particularly concerned about the Church of England and the drift of many from the Biblical faith. We do not regard the recent use of a Church of England building for a Muslim service as a minor aberration. These actions betray the gospel and discourage Christians who live among Muslims, especially those experiencing persecution.”
Read it all here before we have more of the ill informed comments which have come from West Yorkshire
http://gafcon.org/news/gafcon-primates-communique
As John Wesley rightly noted – in Scripture schism is a division in the Church not from the Church. Corinth was still addressed as a single Church despite the factions claiming allegiance to Paul, Cephas, Apollos, or even Christ. In this sense we already have factions in the august and venerable CofE – we just call them parties or movements. Whether some schism/party creates itself a separate civil charity or not won’t create a schism, though it might formalise it. The Universal/Catholic church will still be the sum of all these factions/schisms/parties.