August 1, 2015
The Anglican Communion Institute, Inc.
P.O. Box 7544
Beaumont, Texas 77726
Dear Sirs:
I read with interest your recent assessment, "The New Episcopal Church: What Hath General Convention 2015 Wrought." I very much share the concern that the Episcopal Church (TEC) as a national body may, as a result of the actions of the 2015 General Convention (GC), become no longer recognizably "Anglican." I very much doubt that initiatives to lay the groundwork for redefining marriage could be endorsed throughout the wider Communion; the danger is real that TEC is deliberately moving to become an independent and separate theological and ecclesiastical entity.
However, I do note that a few GC resolutions do look in a different direction and emphasize the place of TEC within the Anglican Communion, viz. Ao19, Affirm the Inter-Anglican Secretariat; Ao71, Allow Transfer of Clergy between Anglican Provinces; and Boo7, Participation in the Bible in the Life of the Church Project of the Anglican Communion. These are undoubtedly instances of wanting to have one's cake and eat it too, but at least these resolutions nod in the direction of maintaining ties to the wider Communion.
My point in writing is to endorse your suggestion for a coordinated effort to work with the larger Anglican Communion for a way forward. My sense is that provision should be made for this to be undertaken both corporately and, for those who are in areas not sympathetic to Communion concerns, individually. Many varieties of social media provide mean to interact with Communion partners on a regular and inexpensive basis. Certainly, as you suggest, an initiative by the Archbishop of Canterbury will be crucial but that may not happen immediately and, in my view, the preparations for such an initiative need to be made very prudently. The Archbishop will, I suspect, be reluctant in the immediate future to contemplate actions that would have the effect of burning bridges to the new TEC Presiding Bishop.
The present obsessive interest in same-sex marriages may subside over time. The development of stronger inter-Anglican ties of affection and support could provide stronger sinews for the Body of Christ on earth. I do not think it useful to attempt to rigidly sort out the sheep and goats, but rather we should prepare for the re-birth of a stronger and healthier Communion that may emerge in years to come.
Respectfully,
Richard A. Best, Jr.
