Back during the war of Anglican independence here in the United States, the Episcopal organization tried to keep the orthodox from leaving by offering "Alternative Episcopal Oversight". By this process, a congregation that did not approve of their bishop's position on same sex marriage or blessings could have a bishop from another diocese come in and "oversee" certain functions. History shows how well that worked... it didn't. Tens of thousands of Bible believing Christians eventually left and many formed the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
Now the "Church" of England (referred to here as "That Organization in England" or TOiE) is witnessing the same thing as they creep towards same-sex blessings and weddings. A group called the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) is offering "Alternative Spiritual Oversight" to those who wave the Bible at revisionist bishops.
"Many clergy and/or PCCs now feel in impaired fellowship with their bishops as a result of their bishop’s support for the Prayers of Love and Faith.
While they recognise the ongoing formal and legal role of their bishops, the reality is that many people (both lay and clergy) are feeling isolated, and long for support and spiritual oversight from people continuing to hold the biblical and Anglican view of marriage.
CEEC is therefore facilitating the provision of such support in order to help clergy and parishes receive spiritual oversight without having to look outside of the Church of England. This is a temporary provision which will support evangelicals until a settlement based on structural provision is made available.
We are pleased that a group of Honorary Assistant bishops have agreed to initiate this ministry and we will be discerning who God might be calling to join them in making this provision as non-consecrated overseers. We have appointed a diverse panel of experienced leaders from across the evangelical constituency (spanning charismatics and conservatives, egalitarians and complementarians) to discern whom God might be calling to such an role. This panel will be chaired by CEEC President Julian Henderson (the previous Bishop of Blackburn) and includes two other Honorary Assistant bishops. CEEC is inviting suggestions of people who might be called to an overseer ministry.
Clergy and/or parishes, seeking alternative spiritual oversight, must continue to be accountable for safeguarding to their diocesan bishop and safeguarding officers.
This provision is both informal and temporary and will serve as a stepping-stone to the formal and permanent provision which we hope and pray will be agreed as part of a new structural arrangement and settlement."
"Temporary" is right if things go as they did in the U.S.
The definition of insanity is....
Posts
You're right; it didn't work here, and it won't work there. Only a return to biblical Christianity will work, and the English mother church doesn't look likely to do that.
ReplyDelete