Journeys can take many twists and turns and often can take much longer than we expect. A journey involving over 77 million people and 450 years of unity is bound to be somewhat slow moving. So where are we at on the journey?
In February, 2005, in Northern Ireland, the Primates of the Anglican Communion met to discuss the crisis in the Communion precipitated by the actions of ECUSA and the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada. At that time, the Primates affirmed a few very crucial components necessary for the journey.
Firstly, they affirmed the historic teaching of the Anglican Church on issues of sexuality - we are called to celibacy or marriage between one man and one woman for life. Homosexual acts cannot be affirmed or blessed though love, grace and support must be extended to all that struggle with any aspect of sexuality. Over and over since then we have heard it stated that "the teaching of the Anglican Communion has not changed."
The second very important message communicated by the Primates is their broken-heartedness at the disunity currently experienced in the Communion. Many Anglican Christians around the world cannot understand brothers and sisters at odds with one another. It is with real pain that the Primates put ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada "on notice", asking for a time of soul-searching and repentance.
The third message from the Primates is a call on Anglicans who affirm the historic teaching of the Communion to be united. The word that has been communicated over and over again is "get it together together." We must be interdependent. We are required to submit to one another in mutual love, respect and humility.
Fourthly, and finally, the Primates seeking to support those who wish to remain within the Anglican Communion have requested that there be one unified group of Anglicans in Canada expressing faithfulness to the Communion. We need to be united in order to reflect unity in the Spirit. We cannot do this if we are not communicating with each other in a meaningful fashion. As well, if we are not united in some way it will make it virtually impossible for the Primates to communicate, support and guide us. The Primates have asked us to be recognisably united.
These four things offer compass points for our next step. The Primates have been working closely together with Anglican Essentials Canada, as it is a body that stretches across this vast country. As you will be aware, Essentials has established the Essentials Federation and the Essentials Network. Both of these groups are working in mutual submission to one another fulfilling the two halves of the necessary work, that is, one group working within the structures to promote faithfulness and another group of "scouts" spying out the land to search for all the options for faithfulness. This model has been commended by the Primates as a way of "getting it together together."
In Ottawa, as in many places in Canada, those concerned with the erosion of biblical authority have sought a way forward. Using the Primates language and request, what will "getting it together together" look like in Ottawa? We have people in the area that would feel most like a member of the Essentials Federation and also those that would feel most affiliated with the Essentials Network. How can we be in meaningful unity? Is our next necessary step to draw both of these elements together intentionally? Is one possible way to become affiliated in some way with Essentials representing both Federation and Network members? And how can we be part of the recognised faithful as the Primates look towards Canada seeking to support their brothers and sisters in crisis? These are questions to ponder for the Anglican Gathering of Ottawa.
Rev Jennifer Wickham,
Anglican Essentials Canada Federation Representative
xrevjw.stgeorge@cyberus.ca (remove leading "x")