Greetings, friends. I am new to these forums (fora?), and I’m not quite sure where to post my question…so I’ll trust Providence and try it here.

What are the practical ramifications of the Episcopal Church’s resolutions re: ordaining gay bishops/condoning gay marriage? Can the Episcopal Church be kicked out of the Anglican Union? Will priests and bishops ordained in the Episcopal Church be unrecognized by the wider Anglican Union? Is it a matter of funding?

I ask these questions in innocence and ignorance: I really don’t understand how all of this works.

Peace and all good,

Michael

Welcome, Michael.

The answers to your questions would depend greatly upon who you ask. We are “plowing new ground” with the events of today, so it is hard to predict what the future holds.

Here are some links you might check out: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/visitors_16976_ENG_HTM.htm?menupage=49678

If you go to http://www.forwardmovement.org you will find plenty of good books available. I would especially reccommend the book “Why Choose The Episcopal Church” by the late Bishop John Krumm.

Michael, I guarantee there will be consequences.  But I suspect the “train wreck” analogy is wrong.  I believe the analogy of a crumbling building better represents TEC/Anglican Communion matters as they stand.  It’ll take one heck of a curator/architectural genius to keep the Anglican building standing and functional.  As for me, this bumbling construction guy has shown up for work.

Thank you for your suggestions; I will explore them! Historically speaking, has a church, or a diocese, ever fallen out of ‘full communion’ with the Anglican Union? If so, what was the consequence?

Coming from a Catholic background, all of this is a bit difficult for me to conceptualize. I appreciate your patience.

Michael Reilly - 23 July 2009 09:55 AM

Thank you for your suggestions; I will explore them! Historically speaking, has a church, or a diocese, ever fallen out of ‘full communion’ with the Anglican Union? If so, what was the consequence?

Coming from a Catholic background, all of this is a bit difficult for me to conceptualize. I appreciate your patience.

I think that the Reformed Episcopal Church, the Anglican Province of America, and the Continuing Churches (signatories of the St Louis Affirmation) are all out of full communion with TEC and the rest of the Anglican Communion as a whole, but they didn’t so much fall out as remove themselves at various times in the past. I think it’s particularly confusing to know how to describe the situation of the REC, because they left over 100 years ago, but are now part of ACNA, so that they are in communion with the dioceses that have left TEC, which are in communion with some of the other provinces of the Communion (e.g. Nigeria, Uganda, Southern Cone), which are in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Various of the other provinces of the Anglican Communion have said that their communion with TEC is impaired or broken. As to the consequences, I think in the past the bodies no longer recognized each others’ clergy and so on. The consequence of TEC’s actions at General Convention (if any) remain to be seen. I don’t remember how long it was after GC 2006 until the ABC responded, but I’m pretty sure it has already been longer this time around, and still no word. A commenter on another Anglican blog I read has remarked that the silence of the ABC is one thing, but when added to that is the silence of N.T. Wright (although I think she must have meant the Archbishop of York, because Bishop Wright hasn’t been silent), of the Global South and of those Anglican Primates that are supportive of TEC, it becomes even a bit unnerving. I sure would like to be a fly on the wall at Lambeth Palace about now.

Karen

I read Bishop Wright’s recent article (I think it was in the UK Guardian). He has definitely weighed in. I, truly, hope that all of this works out.