Jordan Hylden: Rowan Williams and the Anglican Future

Posted by Kendall Harmon

What, after all of this, is the future for ordinary faithful Anglicans in the United States, whether in the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) or the Episcopal Church? The strong implication of Williams’s argument is that for both groups, the best and brightest future is with the Anglican Covenant. Both ACNA itself and the Communion Partners within the Episcopal Church have expressed their desire to sign on to the covenant, and while difficulties no doubt exist in both situations there is no reason to think that forward progress cannot be made by both parties. Where more serious difficulty exists, at present, is with those elements within ACNA that do not share an interest in the proposed covenant, as well as those places within the Episcopal Church that do not have the oversight of a Communion Partners bishop. Those who do have one or the other, however, can and should be confident in their ability to work from where they are for the good future of the covenanted Anglican Communion.

In my recent article, “Brave New Church,” I expressed a lack of confidence in the direction of the Episcopal Church’s leadership. But I do have confidence in the Communion Partners dioceses, both in where we stand and in where we're going. In my case, that means the diocese of Dallas, where I'm just now finishing up a summer internship, and my home diocese of North Dakota, where I'm a candidate for holy orders. I have good friends in ACNA too, many of whom recognize just as I do the need to work for the common covenanted future of the Anglican Communion.

We recognize that now is not the time for animosity and division; now is the time to work for the good of the entire Communion, wherever we may stand on the issues. That, I think, is where Rowan Williams is pointing us, and it’s my hope and belief that he’ll be in our corner as we work together for the Anglican future.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Archbishop of Canterbury • Episcopal Church (TEC) • General Convention

5 Comments
Posted July 28, 2009 at 12:00 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Matthew25 wrote:

I guess the good Archbishop is trying the make the communion sort of like a no sex marriage or perhaps an open marriage or better yet: roommates sharing the same house but having little to do with one another.  How civilized!

July 28, 3:27 pm | [comment link]
2. Dan Crawford wrote:

“It’s my hope and belief that he’ll be in our corner as we work together for the Anglican future.”

Archbishop Williams had the bishops of the ACN convinced he was in their corner and undercut them at every step as he led them down the primrose path. If the “conservative” TEC bishops hope for help from him, they might do better consulting with the GAFCON primates.

July 28, 3:53 pm | [comment link]
3. robroy wrote:

Rowan had surprisingly frank words for homosexuality. But the reality is that he personally is responsibly for disassembling any means of response, including the Covenant.

I know that George Conger said the Rowan was “upset” after the vote at the aCC meeting. But he wasn’t “upset” enough to not deliver the Covenant up to the hands of the revisionists.

The reality is that the Covenant will end up saying “Everyone pledges to be nice.” All will sign it (after deliberating it for a few more years) and the two “track” model will have everyone in the first track. Rowan will have all at the table. It seems that Rowan is duping Charlie Brown again because Jordan is gearing to take another run at the football.

Words are words. Actions are actions. Rowan’s actions have always undermined any consequence of the TEClub’s unilateralism. It is foolish to expect differently.

July 28, 5:46 pm | [comment link]
4. Fr. Jack wrote:

Robroy, I agree. The covenant is a nice idea, but with no real authority to adjudicate anything. Interpretation will remain the paradigm of the day, even with an agreed upon covenant. Thus, TEC will create meaning to reflect its’ own ideology, regardless of the intention of the words present.

The way forward for the Anglican communion is a covenant that has ability to set boundaries and to enforce them. In order for this to be the case, we must have some kind of central authority. In the spirit of Anglican comprehensiveness, I would advocate a council of bishops, or archbishops, appointed to adjudicate when churches adopt their own agenda at the expense of all.

July 28, 6:47 pm | [comment link]
5. pendennis88 wrote:

Regarding the CP and the ACNA signing the covenant, “while difficulties no doubt exist in both situations there is no reason to think that forward progress cannot be made by both parties”.

I don’t see what is so hopeful in the ABC’s letter.  He doesn’t mention the ACNA, but I assume the ACNA is not looking for permission to sign it - it will do so or not, and the primates who recognize it will do so.

The CP seems to have been told pretty clear no to signing on, at least for a long time.  Sure, he says they need a clear answer, but he says that they cannot sign on if TEC has not rejected it (and what if they do nothing?), and even if they do, the CP cannot violate the TEC canons, and so cannot do so without the approval of TEC, which isn’t going to happen.  By the way, I think by this he pretty well signals how section 4 is going to turn out.

At least the GAFCON primates have the freedom of not waiting for permission from Williams to act.  They are on the good track.

July 29, 11:36 am | [comment link]
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