You are here
Canterbury-the See of, and Anglican Unity
By Peter Toon
Never before has the See of Canterbury been under such criticism, even rejection, as in Advent 2007-especially in North America and parts of Africa. And this hostility seems bound to continue into 2008. It has come out in December 2007 as a response to the Advent Letter of the present incumbent of the See, Rowan Williams.
The "old Continuing Anglicans", who trace their beginnings to the secession from TEC, followed by the signing of The Affirmation of St Louis, in 1977, and the "new Continuing Anglicans", who have seceded in the last few years and generally look to Africa for succor, are different in many ways; but they both either reject in theory or in practice the role of the See of Canterbury as the center of unity of the Anglican Family.
Neither group began this way. The "old Continuers" actually stated in their Affirmation their loyalty to the See of Canterbury; but, they seemed to have dropped this when the Church of England decided to allow the ordination of women. The "new Continuers" also began well disposed to the See; but, when the See refused to endorse or approve (a) the entry by African provinces into the USA with missions, and (b) the ordination of missionary bishops for the USA by African provinces, then talk began in these circles of a Communion of Churches without Canterbury.
Let us recall the situation in England. The Church is ancient and was known until the middle of the sixteenth century as Ecclesia Anglicana. The modern equivalent of this is "The Church of England." This Church has two provinces, Canterbury and York, and of these Canterbury is first in order. So the See of Canterbury has over the centuries been the "mouthpiece" of the Church, but usually after it has first met in Convocation.
When the requests began to arrive in England in the 1860s for an international meeting of Bishops, it was the Convocation that asked the Archbishop to convene what became known as The Lambeth Conference in 1867. And since then it has been accepted globally that the incumbent of the See of Canterbury has this duty each decade to call the Conference and issue the invitations. Further, the meeting was said to be from the beginning of "the Anglican Communion of Churches'-in 1867 of the British Churches, the colonial Churches and missions, and the USA Church and missions.
It is reasonably obvious that not only does the word "Anglican" come from the name of the Church of, and in, England; but also that there can only be in truth and justice an "Anglican Church" anywhere else in the world, if that Church is in communion with the Church of England, which in practice means with the See of Canterbury, as the "entrance" into this ancient Church.
The "old Continuing Churches" from 1977, having stated that they have nothing to do with the See of Canterbury now, should, I suggest, not any longer use the name of "Anglican." For some of them to use the expression, "Traditional Anglican Communion," is like one company stealing the logo of another! Why are they not true to their convictions and go ahead and adopt a new name for their denomination(s)? Such action has been taken often in the U.S.A. by new groups.
Much the same needs to be said about the "new Continuing Churches", linked to Africa, but they have not yet fully and finally broken from Canterbury (although to listen to Archbishop Akinola of Nigeria, it sounds that way!). If the missions in the U.S.A., as extensions of Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda, intend to set up a new kind of federation of former Anglicans, then they also need to call it by a different name than "Anglican." I personally hope and pray that they will stay within and negotiate their differences over missionary bishops and the like before and at the forthcoming Lambeth Conference in July 2008.
Let us not confuse the laity and the busy Ministers. Let us state what we are and be honest about it. If not Anglicans, really and truly, let us say so!
Again let me emphasize that there are centuries of history in terms of the relation of "Anglicana" to the See of Canterbury, and there is no reason to break and or abandon it in 2007-8, simply because for a few decades some members of the Anglican Communion of Churches are experiencing severe trauma and crisis.
The Anglican Way, the global Anglican Communion, can only be a family of Churches in fellowship with the Ecclesia Anglicana and the See of Canterbury. Outside this family there are, and can be, godly and biblical Families but they should have names distinct from "Anglican."
(We had a similar situation of names when in 1979 the General Convention of TEC refused to call its new liturgical creation, "A Book of Alternative Services", and chose instead to call it by the ancient name, "The Book of Common Prayer," which always referred to a specific type of text, established in shape in 1549.)
---The Rev. Dr. Peter Toon is president of the Prayer Book Society USA. He lives with his wife in Seattle, Washington. He can be reached by e-mail at: petertoon@msn.com
