Thursday 11 February 2010

ACNA not 'recognised' - merely continuing

I have had people contacting me because, "Synod has recognised the ACNA (the Anglican Church  in North America)." I have to offer some correction here as this is a misreading of the situation as I understand it (and of course, I could be wrong!).
  
What has been recognised and affirmed is the fact that the ACNA are already part of 'the Anglican family' and this motion acknowledges their intention and desire to remain so. If you don't believe me let us look at the motion itself (which has two obvious clauses):
  
“That this Synod aware of the distress caused by recent divisions within the Anglican churches of the United States of America,
     
Recognise and affirm the desire of those who have formed the Anglican church in North America (ACNA) to remain within the Anglican family;
     
Acknowledge that this aspiration, in respect both of relations with the Church of England and membership of the Anglican Communion, raises issues which the relevant authorities of each need to explore further; and invite the Archbishops to report further to the Synod in 2011.”
     
The first clause clearly states that the ACNA are already within the Anglican family, otherwise the wording would have been concerned with 'admitting' rather than acknowledging a 'desire to remain'. The inference and reality is clear and unequivocal - how any could misunderstand or misinterpret this is beyond me, must be the excitement.
     
The second clause acknowledges that issues need to be resolved with regard to the situation concerning United States Anglicanism. There are both TEC, who have consistently failed to show any restraint in their support and ordination of those who are openly and actively engaged in homosexual lifestyles, and ACNA, an orthodox expression of Anglicanism, present in the same place and bearing the same label!
     
The reality is of course that whilst both may exist, one of these will have primacy over the other in terms of relationship and place within a tiered Anglican Communion and the logical (as an orthodox believer) reality is that this should (and please God will) be ACNA as the orthodox and 'right' Anglican presence.
     
So we look towards 2011 assured that the first step to the logical (and theologically sound) outcome has been taken. Not only that but any portrayal of ACNA as being less that legitimate has been removed and the cold wind of reality must be blowing up the cassocks of some Americans (and others closer to home) tonight!
     
Praise God for some right thinking - seems that there might be some hope for orthodoxy (but there's still a long and action-packed adventure ahead of us all).

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