Paul affirms that he spoke clearly and forthrightly to the Corinthians, just as Jesus spoke to the disciples. And he spoke decisively, just as Jesus spoke decisively, for he was simply passing on the word of truth that Jesus had committed to the Church. Indeed, Paul was passing on the truth of Jesus himself, in whom God has spoken decisively to all men for all time. In Jesus, God says Yes to his creation. God fulfils his promises and completes his plan for the redemption of those who love him. In grateful response, we and the whole Church "utter the Amen." We give glory to God by accepting and affirming his plan for our lives.

In our day, we are called to speak with equal clarity and forthrightness. We are called to make our choice and to stand by it. Because, if we are to continue in Christ's mission, then we must follow him both in word and in deed. Our Yes must be Yes, not Yes and No at the same time, not Yes with our lips but No with our lives. Rather than saying one thing and doing another, we are to send a consistent message, bearing faithful witness to Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, many leaders in the Episcopal Church are sending mixed and even contradictory messages. They say Yes to the authority of scripture but No to what the scripture actually says. They say Yes to the Creed but No to the substance of the Creed. They say Yes to the Church but No to the teaching of the Church. They say Yes to membership in the Anglican Communion but No to the responsibilities of membership. In sum, too many people are saying one thing while meaning and doing another. Too many want to have it both ways, and so their word is both Yes and No at the same time, not Yes or No, as faithfulness to the Lord requires.

No wonder the crisis in the Episcopal Church is confusing! Church leaders do not always give straight answers. It is all the more important, therefore, that the laity learn the facts of the matter for themselves. It is imperative that the laity understand the present situation so that they may answer for themselves. Perhaps a brief review of events will help to frame a straightforward understanding of the situation.

After the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 2003, the Primates of the Anglican Communion, including ECUSA's Presiding Bishop, Frank Griswold, met in emergency session and issued an agreed statement.

If [Gene Robinson's] consecration proceeds, we recognise that we have reached a crucial and critical point in the life of the Anglican Communion and we have had to conclude that the future of the Communion itself will be put in jeopardy. In this case, the ministry of this one bishop will not be recognised by most of the Anglican world, and many provinces are likely to consider themselves to be out of communion with the Episcopal Church. This will tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level.... (October 2003)

In other words, the Primates warned that if the Episcopal Church continued on its course of action, then the entire Church would suffer. Within days Bishop Griswold officiated at the consecration of Gene Robinson despite his own signature on the Primates' Statement. He was willing to "tear the fabric" of the entire Anglican Communion and to put the Episcopal Church out of communion for the sake of promoting this one person to a position of leadership.

In response to this action, thirteen Primates of the Communion, including Archbishops Peter Akinola of Nigeria and Henry Orombi of Uganda, who lead the largest provinces within the Communion, issued this statement.

The actions of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America (ECUSA) in the election, confirmation, and consecration of Canon Gene Robinson have created a situation of grave concern for the entire Anglican Communion and beyond. Their actions are a direct repudiation of the clear teaching of the Holy Scriptures, historic faith and order of the church. They also constitute a clear defiance of the Primates of the Communion....The world needs to know that the rebellious and erroneous actions of ECUSA are contrary to the teaching of the Anglican Communion and represent a departure from five thousand years of Judeo-Christian teaching and practice. By their actions, ECUSA has separated itself from the remainder of the Anglican Communion and the wider Christian family. We call upon Anglicans across the communion to engage in loyal witness to the risen Christ and to resist and confront the false teaching undergirding these actions and which is leading people away from the redeeming love of Jesus into error and danger. (February 2004)

The last sentence is of particular importance. The Primates note that "undergirding" the consecration of Gene Robinson is a false teaching that is "leading people away from the redeeming love of Jesus." The laity of the church needs to understand that this consecration is only one symptom of a deeper and more pervasive disease that has infected the Episcopal Church. The consecration was possible only because the core teaching of the Church has already been attacked and compromised to such a degree.

After a year of study by a committee appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Windsor Report was released in order to address the crisis within the Church. Its findings and recommendations are now before the Episcopal Church and are to be answered at General Convention this June. The Report describes our situation in unequivocal terms.

The Episcopal Church (USA) has given its consent to, and proceeded with the consecration of, the person elected as Bishop of New Hampshire, a divorced man openly acknowledged to be living in a sexually active and committed same sex relationship, despite the primates describing that forthcoming consecration as one which might "tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level." The same General Convention which gave consent to this election also decided to allow experimentation with public Rites of Blessing for same sex unions....The overwhelming response from other Christians both inside and outside the Anglican family has been to regard these developments as departures from genuine, apostolic Christian faith. ( 28)

This is a straightforward recognition of the fact that in the eyes of the majority of Christians world-wide, the Episcopal Church has departed from the Christian faith. This June, the Episcopal Church has one final opportunity to change direction.

If, however, the Episcopal Church does not change direction, then all of us will be forced to answer for ourselves. The Anglican Communion has asked if we will walk together with them in "genuine, apostolic Christian faith." Is our answer Yes or No? Each of us needs to wrestle with this question now, remembering that, ultimately, Jesus himself is asking the question. God has already said Yes to us in Jesus Christ. Will we say Yes to him, that we might "utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God"?

--The Rev. Oliver R. Vietor is associate rector of Christ Church of the Ascension in Paradise Valley, Arizona