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Concerning The AAC Memo & Bishop Johnson
From The Rev. Don Armstrong
Rector, Grace & St. Stephen's
Colorado Springs, CO
Much is being made of a leaked American Anglican Council strategy memo and a
Pastoral Letter from the Bishop of Western Tennessee. I would say that this
is all much to do about not much. Bishop Johnson is simply over reacting.
Remember, it is the revisionists who have misbehaved, those of associated
with the AAC and our own ACI are simply and obediently maintaining the
historical faith and order of the Anglican Communion--something I consider a
creedal necessity. The revisionists will try to spin this memo to turn the
tables--and I for one don't want to empower that parlor trick by paying it
too much attention.
There was nothing particularly startling in the AAC memo--the revisionists
broke communion by disobedience to the expressed position of the Church's
instruments of unity, which then caused ECUSA to be in violation to its own
constitution and canons. This has resulted in more than half of the Anglican
Communion severing ties with our province. The AAC memo simply states that
it is serious business to reorder the church--and that we are prepared to
take the necessary steps to which faithfulness calls us.
The statement's contents have been vocalized in many ways and are not
illogical if compared to the Global South's Disciplinary statements that can
be found on the ACI web site.
I think the important thing to remember is that this is not a one size fits
all response that the AAC has articulated. There are dioceses that will
respond as a whole, there are parishes that will leave for a new structure
which we are currently developing, there are parishes that will just hide
out (which for them might be the only option given the givens) and there are
congregations who will stay in ECUSA, but with a strong and networked
presence of commitment to the truth (certainly this is where Grace Church,
Colo Spgs will be).
On January 19 and 20 I am participating as a regional (Mississippi to Rocky
Mountains) representative to the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and
Parishes official organizational meeting in Plano at the personal invitation
of Bishop Duncan. We will be developing ways to address, articulate and
support all four of the above possible responses to the oppressive posture
of the revisionist Episcopal Church and its leadership. I can report more
fully and knowledgeably when I return.
I do believe it will be our combined witness and resistance from our various
circumstances that will in the end reestablish faith and order to a broken
and dysfunctional Anglican presence in the United States. Certainly that is
my hope and prayer.
