Ecumenical initiatives

In 1996, Bishop Richard Boyce and a small group of churches on the west coast expressed interest in becoming part of the new emerging Province. They became the Missionary District of the West under the APA and later grew into the Diocese of the West. In the later part of the 1990's and early into 2000, the Bishops Herbert Groce and Larry Shaver of the Anglican Rite Synod of the Americas (ARSA) and the APA began negotiating to become part of the APA.

Following a period as intercommunion partners, the ARSA voted to become part of the APA and our Bishops gathered at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Merrillville, Indiana to sign that agreement. They became the non-geographical Diocese of St. Augustine in May of 2003. In 2001, at the 25th anniversary of the Congress of St. Louis, in St. Louis, I met with the Rt. Rev. Robert Loiselle of the Anglican Independent Communion. A friendship began and discussions about how we could work and come together. The AIC had several churches at that time, most notable being St. Paul's Anglican Church, Crownsville, MD, where we held our DEUS Synod in early June of this year. After a short period of engagement, St. Paul's and Mt. Calvary Church, Lothian, MD of the AIC voted to become part of the APA/DEUS.

In 1998, another monumental event took place when I along with Canon Rufus Kite-Powell visited the Missions in India. After having visited with Bp Lawrence Jeedi in South India, we journeyed to North India and for the first time meet Bishop Saraj Masih in Lucknow. We are pleased to welcome in our presence today for this Synod Bishop Masih and his son Fr. Ron Massey, who is a non-parochial priest in the APA Diocese of the East. Before I go farther I want to thank Dr. Mary Bennett Williams for coordinating this Provincial Synod. This is the first time we have had a Synod in a location where we had no local parish support. So to Mary and all those who assisted her, we extend a huge thank you.

I want to welcome all new clergy who have joined the Province since our last Synod in June 2006. I would like to ask each of them to stand and be recognized at this time. I want to welcome our newest Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Frederick Fick, his clergy and laity who have joined the APA, Diocese of St. Augustine, in April 2008. I would like them to stand and be recognized. I would also like to introduce the Rt. Rev. Richard Lipka of the Communion of Christ the Redeemer, his fellow bishops, clergy and laity who are now intercommunion partners with APA and are seeking to become a part of the APA. I would like to ask them to stand and be recognized. I will make an announcement later regarding how we will proceed with this relationship.

State of the Province

It is my privilege and honor as your Presiding Bishop to address you concerning the state of the Province and to issue a challenge on this occasion as we move into our new Triennium. There are a number of concerns that I will address as I issue my charge to this Synod.

During this 10 year period, the APA has had an intercommunion agreement with the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC). We shared a Synod in 2005 that was very well attended and was a highlight of what could ultimately be possible as Anglican Churches that share a common theological perspective working together to build the kingdom of God. The REC and APA have been sharing and transferring clergy over this 10 year period which has helped fill the clergy shortage gap to mutual advantage. We also share a Clergy/Church worker Pension Plan that all participate in. Part of the work we have done with the REC has been to help form the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas (FACA).

This effort has brought six (6) jurisdictions into a Federated Union and has created interest in other Anglican jurisdictions to find the way forward in coming together. Most notable have been the Missionary Society of St. John the Evangelist under the Episcopal authority of Bishop Frederick Fick and the Communion of Christ the Redeemer (CCR) under the Episcopal authority of Bishop Richard Lipka. Bishop Fick and his churches have been received into the Diocese of St Augustine under Bishop Shaver and Bishop Lipka and the churches in the CCR have begun the process of being integrated into the APA. Bishop Lipka has been elected as the President or Presiding Bishop of the CCR for the next 4 years and we will work on the assimilation process during that period of time. Although coming from a different liturgical tradition than the APA, we share a common catholic faith and order.

Our Statistics for the Province since 2006 are as follows:

Parishes and Missions: 67 in 2006//
81 in 2008 Bishops: 10 in 2006//
11 in 2008 Priests: 85 in 2006//
122 in 2008 Deacons: 21 in 2006//
18 in 2008 Total Clergy: 116 in 2006// 151 in 2008
Deaconess: 4 in 2006// 6 in 2008

Common Cause Partnership

As I address this subject, I am reminded of a quotation of a wise man, "Be careful not to sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate." At no time in my ten years as bishop of this Province has anything created more discussion and controversy as the Common Cause Partnership. So much of what the CCP stands for, we of the APA enthusiastically support.

A return to Biblical standards of faith and practice and the Anglican Way are what we would like to see re-established in this country and the world. Areas of great concern to those of us who left the Episcopal Church 30-40 years ago and upon which we have stood firm has been theological opposition to the ordination of women to the sacred ministry which in turn affects the validity of the sacraments and the theological weakening of the Book of Common Prayer. We have witnessed a steady decline in the witness of the Episcopal Church over these years which culminated in their consecrating an actively gay man as Bishop of New Hampshire. Nothing seemed to disturb the Episcopal Church as much as this, although their course and direction pointed this way for many years. It has all been part of the incrementalism that has infected the church in the 20th and 21st centuries.

We have always prayed that others who in conscience disagreed with the direction of The Episcopal Church (TEC) would leave and join those of us who left earlier. That time has come; the problem is the incremental changes that have taken place in TEC has created an entire generational gap.

Those of the APA and others who left in the 70's over the ordination of women and Prayer Book are theologically and culturally different from those who are now leaving. Aside from the homosexual concerns, our issues and their issues seem so different and what we see as of primary importance are of only secondary importance to the new exiles.

We must now ask ourselves as Bishop John Broadhurst, head of Forward in Faith, U.K. has asked recently, "Are we prepared to give up what we have worked so hard to maintain and what we believe is essential to being a Classical Anglican to be part of CCP?" Although the seductive nature of GAFCON has appealed to a number of our people, having read the Jerusalem Declaration coming from GAFCON, I find little encouragement for those of us who call ourselves "catholics." It is not so much what the Declaration says, but what it does not say. We must ask ourselves, are we prepared to break communion with our APA brethren to join something of which we are not sure ultimately what it will be?

"Be careful not to sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate."

There are differing opinions about what the level of participation in the CCP we should have, particularly as it is now rapidly moving to become "the New North American Province." My statement in January 2008 that the APA not join the CCP at this time was supported by the majority of the House of Bishops, the Provincial Council, and many of the Christian media. The positive effect of this seems to have been that it has raised the issue of women's ordination (WO) to a new level of consciousness.

It appears that our not joining the CCP has caused more interest in addressing the problem. Bishop John Rodgers of the Anglican Mission in America noted at GAFCON the "serious degree of impaired communion...around this matter." Bishop Hewett, who attended GAFCON representing FACA, stated that FACA and Forward in Faith, N.A. (FIF/NA) and therefore the APA, will introduce a resolution to the CCP to begin a study of the women's ordination issue. There are forces and personalities in CCP equally intent on maintaining the status quo of allowing the ordination of women. Until a resolution is reached on this vital issue, there can be no inter-communion with other members of CCP who accept the practice.

It has been argued that the APA will have no voice at the table to defend our theological position as Classical Anglicans. This is not true. In October 2007, the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas, which we of the APA helped to create a couple of years ago, voted to become a member of the CCP. At the April 2008 meeting, the Rt. Rev. Paul Hewett was elected to serve as the new Moderator of FACA. Although his jurisdiction, the Diocese of the Holy Cross, like the APA, are not voting members of the CCP, through the FACA we do have a voice and a vote on the direction of the New Province. Some will argue that we need to join now because the train is leaving the station. It has been stated that if the direction or the leadership changes we can always get off. Getting off a moving train can be very dangerous and we would no doubt have numerous casualties. I will state also, that not joining now does not mean this is irrevocable. I would like to quote one of our members who had served as a lay representative to CCP, Mr. D. J. Fulton of St. Barnabas' Church. "I am actually cautiously optimistic on this matter (WO) although I cannot tell if a resolution will be reached in 20 days or 200 years.

My guess is that whenever the resolution comes it will resemble the fall of the Soviet Union - it will come unexpectedly and quickly. The APA, by being in the unique role of collaborative initiator and principled non-joiner with respect to CCP will have played an important role in the resolution."

"Be careful not to sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate."

With all that is happening in the Anglican world in and around us, it is tempting to spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer, reading and writing opinions. It can consume the time of the clergyman who is called primarily to be the shepherd of his flock. Is this good and wise use of the time that God has given you? We must ask ourselves is the time we spend on the computer trying to read and understand all that comes to us on a daily basis concerning the latest information on Anglicanism really caring for the parish and its needs.

One of my sons asked me some time ago after observing my being mesmerized by the cable news cycle, 'Dad, you saw that same story three times already, how many times are you going to watch it?' That was a real wake up call.

There is work to be done and if we are going to make any eternal difference in this world by our ministry it is better to focus our attention on caring for our flock and bringing people to Christ.

I want to thank all of you for taking the time to be here for this important time in the life of the Anglican Province of America. The Lord has blessed us over the past years since we last met and increased our numbers and ministries. We have much to do in this brief time together. When this Synod was first planned we did not have the amount of business that is now before us. We will of necessity move with dispatch to accomplish this rather ambitious agenda before us. We do not have time for long speeches or delays so please return on time after break periods and lunch.

I will stay with the times given on the schedule of events for this day and our time keeper will help us do so. I look forward to a positive and productive time together. I am well aware that we are not all going to have the same opinion on the direction of the church over the coming years; however it is critical to demonstrate to the Anglican world that we are loyal to our catholic profession to remain part of the family to which God has called us.

We have a wonderful banquet prepared for tonight with excellent food, entertainment and fellowship before we depart tomorrow. God bless you for being here at this Synod.

+Walter H. Grundorf, D.D.