Or to put the question more ecclesiastically, would it be willing and able to arrange for the consecration of Reformed Anglican bishops to provide pastoral oversight for conservative evangelicals?
That is the question raised by the refreshingly positive pastoral letter from 12 Anglo-Catholic bishops responding to the ordinariate defections. SWSH kindly sent Cranmer's Curate the press release.
In cricketing terms Provision to Remain is good front-foot stuff.
The bishops, including Blackburn, Gibraltar, Chichester, Beverley, Burnley, Plymouth and Pontefract, wish the defectors Godspeed as they follow their consciences across the Tiber but declare that
even at this late hour we are seeking a way forward that would enable us with integrity to retain membership of the Church of England.
They affirm the new Society of St Wilfred and St Hilda as one of the ways of achieving 'a settlement through which we would be free to play our part (in the mission of the Church of England) to the fullest measure':
We believe this could be done by the formation of a society within the Church of England, overseen by bishops committed to our viewpoint. Such bishops would need, of course, the necessary ordinary jurisdiction that would enable them to be the true pastors of their people and to be guarantors of the sacramental assurance on which we all depend for our authentic sharing within the Body of Christ. Given that our parishes are also constituent parts of local dioceses we also understand that some way would have to be identified for sharing jurisdiction with the diocesan bishop.
They added:
We understand it to be something of this nature that our archbishops were trying to achieve in their ill-fated amendment at the July meeting of the General Synod. That amendment, though narrowly defeated in the House of Clergy, was widely supported elsewhere in the Synod and, indeed, a majority of members supported it. It might well be that a revisiting of the archbishops’ proposals, with some further development of them, could still help our Church to find a way forward that enabled us all to remain faithful members of it.
The bishops say they are
continuing to meet regularly and to listen to the views of many different people as they add substance to a draft constitution for The Society.
So, to change the metaphor, would there be room on this bus for conservative evangelicals?
And would conservative evangelicals wanting to continue to serve Christ in the Church of England be willing to hop on and on what terms?
I've joined, partly because there is nothing to join yet regarding the Saint Augustine Society alternative.
ReplyDeleteI think there is also some willingness amongst Anglo-Catholics who are not joining the Ordinariate to assert that Rome has, in fact, got it wrong on certain vital points. That being the case, now may be a good time for them to assess the 'Reformed' position more positively.
It remains to be seen ...