Father Jones on Anglican Realignment

After fighting hard for a vision of a unified Episcopal Church and a unified Episcopal Church, Father Greg Jones offers this sad and pessimistic note:

It seems rather clear that the realignment is well under way - and that within a year or two at the most -- there will effectively be two communions which define themselves as Anglican. One will be focused on a basic shared proclamation of faith, the Prayer Book tradition, common mission, and a living eucharistic and historical communion with the ancient See of Canterbury.

The other will share a more neatly defined framework for 'orthodox' theology -- a specifically defined range of acceptable formulations of the Prayer Book -- a precisely articulated confessional constitution with great power vested in bishops and primates especially -- a more than likely lack of ordained women clergy in leadership -- and a certainty that gay people will not be welcomed into any leadership within the church unless they are celibate. The center of the new communion will be in the Global South -- mostly Africa -- but a great many of its leading theologians and funding sources will be in North America and perhaps England and Australia.

I am sad by all this.

But, finally, I am ready to move on -- and I believe it will be better for all parties if such a separation occurs amicably and forthwith.

But -- I believe it will be a terrible blow to all of us that yet again Christians will have failed to remain as one.

Read it all.

I share Father Jones' sadness and pessimism.

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