The official deed is done.
For a number of years I met with an Anglican minister for encouragement, prayer and accounability. It took me a while to get used to a number of terms that the church uses. There is a strong heirarchy within the church, based on an episcopal model. There is a richness to such structure!
Yesterday that structure was opened for examination by the whole world.
Through a democratic process, a female primate (the head Anglican in a “province” — generally understood as a country) was elected and now installed. That she is female is in itself contentious in the world wide Anglican communion. But further, she believes in same sex blessings.
In case you have missed it, the Anglican Communion worldwide has been struggling. One upfront issue is the matter of same sex blessings. The deeper issue is the place of Scripture. The possibility of a split is there.
So, I was led to an article in the Telegraph newspaper from the UK — the birthplace of Anglicanism (the newspaper is not the birthplace — Britain is!!). A farily short article without a lot of rhetoric. Worth a quick glance.
So sad…now they are slipping away. Check out “All Saints Anglican Beliefs”, simplified version concerning salvation and the authority of the church, esp. Articles #20 & #34, “decisions about ceremonies is limited by the Scriptures and by the principle of what is edifying…It is not lawful for the Church to establish anything that is contrary to God’s Word written…a keeper of Holy Scripture…not to decree anything against the Scriptures.” Romans 1:21,25-27,32 is quite clear.