PLANO RECTOR SAYS ECUSA GOT WAKE UP CALL

by David H. Roseberry

October 18, 2004

My Dear Friends in Christ,

I have just finished reading over the Windsor report which was released today in London. I am in London and while I was not able to attend the press briefing because of limited space, I was able to secure a spot in a BBC satellite truck.

The report is the culmination and lengthy (121 pages) work of a commission set up last year at this time by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The mandate to the commission was to find ways in which we could live together as a communion around the world, especially at this time when the American and Canadian branches of the Anglican Communion are revising their theology and practice concerning human sexuality.

In this report (sent from my London hotel room) I will outline what the document says and what I believe it means for us (at Christ Church) and for the Anglican Communion.


The Blessings and Benefits of Being an Anglican.

First of all, the report outlines the basic theological benefits and purposes of our Communion together. As you may know, there are over 77 million Anglicans in the world who enjoy fellowship, commonality, and mission together. Our own close relationship with Bishop Bill Godfrey and the people of the Diocese of Peru is an example of the joy and benefit we receive from being in communion with other members of the Anglican Church around the world.

The report also outlines some of the inherent challenges of being in communion with people all across the globe and from different nations, ethnicities, and languages. In addition, the report reminds us that there are four instruments (councils, collegial bodies, conferences, etc.) of unity that bind these churches together. This is important to realize because we are not ‘Roman Catholic’ where a person has headship over the whole church (as in a pope). And we are not ‘Independent’ where a local pastor and board exercise sole leadership. We are, rather, Anglican. That is to say, we have a much more ‘collegial’ and ‘family’ way of governing and administering the canons of our church. The “Instruments of Unity” are collegial sessions of bishops that meet and debate and discuss certain aspects of core doctrine, common life, and aspects of our mission.

Six Ways Forward

While affirming our ‘interdependence’ on each other, the Windsor report details that the American Church has breeched this core unity in consecrating a gay man as a bishop in the church and providing for the blessing of same sex unions. The report proclaims regret for these decisions and asks the Episcopal Church to respond to their instigation of the crisis in six ways:

• First, to express regret in breaching the bonds of the world wide Anglican family.
• Second, to ask each bishop who had a role in the public ceremony of V. Gene Robinson to withdraw themselves from further involvement in Anglican Communion organizations.
• Third, to declare a moratorium on any other elections of gay or lesbian clergy.
• Fourthly, asks the bishops in American dioceses to cease any further development of any rites or permissions to bless same sex union.
• Fifthly, the report asks bishops to essentially NOT cross geographic boundaries with the Anglican Communion for any reason.
• Lastly, to ask each diocese to work out their pastoral and theological differences without the help or interference of bishops from other dioceses.

In addition, the Windsor report confirms the stated teaching of the Anglican Communion concerning human sexuality: upholding faithful marriage and abstinence as the only two expressions of personal sexuality; listening to the voices of the homosexual members of the church; rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture.

The most creative recommendation the Windsor report makes is the formation of a set of ‘core covenants’ that all members of the Anglican family would agree on. The report outlines what the covenant could look like, but provides no real substantive content for the covenant to address the issues of human sexuality.

These are important recommendations and they correctly assume the obvious truth that the American Church is responsible for the schismatic tensions in our world-wide family. The report is clear that the ordination of gays/lesbians and the blessing of same-sex unions is NOT Anglican in any way. The Episcopal Church overstepped itself. It is also clear that the Anglican Communion is at a crossroad. If the American Church does not back away from its course, the Anglican Communion will break apart. The Communion is ‘ours’ to break.

But More is Needed

Personally, I am in agreement with the observations of the Windsor report. It is successful in clarifying the serious issues. But frankly, more is needed. It has told us what we already knew: that the Episcopal Church violated the bonds of our Communion in their recent decisions. It has added a call for ECUSA to express regret for their action, but it has not called upon it to repent of its error. Regret is an emotional sorrow…repentance is a substantial change!

Furthermore, the Windsor Report asks the leaders of ECUSA to ‘check themselves’ with regard to their actions and decisions. The House of Bishops has not been able to exercise discipline in almost four decades. Sadly, the report offers no discipline, no relief for churches in liberal dioceses, and no specific consequences for renegade provinces and leaders.

Sadly, our Presiding Bishop, in a prepared statement just released, accepts the report, but states that he is not prepared to agree to any kind of moratorium. The House of Bishops is due to meet in January to take up the contents of the report. Nevertheless, it is not expected to really sway the American church at all.

Christ Church and the Report

At Christ Church we are blessed to be in a diocese with an orthodox and moral leader in our bishop. Christ Church also has had steady leadership for nearly 20 years. The immediate impact of the Windsor report will take time to digest and respond to. Its recommendations are directed at committees and gatherings that typically move very, very slowly. But I am convinced that Christ Church, Plano must emphasize our local mission and our partnership and connection with the wider Anglican Communion and remain firm in our stand against the innovations of the American Church. We are able to do this because of the affiliation that the Diocese of Dallas has now with a new entity called: Anglican Communion Network. While still functioning within the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, the Network is strongly connected to global Anglicanism. We will continue to stand against the relativism of our modern culture and liberal church hierarchy, and continue to build and strengthen our church and the ministry and mission we have.

The story is not over. There is a very important meeting in Lagos, Nigeria in two weeks. The vast majority of the Anglican bishops from Africa will issue a response to the Windsor report. I don’t believe it will show any latitude in its reaction to the report. But the most important meeting will be the next House of Bishops meeting in January of 2005. They will receive the report formally and will be forced to take up its serious recommendations.

But let us not be dismayed or distracted by these events. Perhaps it is no accident that this report coincides with these important days at Christ Church, our 40 Days of Purpose. The Episcopal Church needs a wake-up call…and they just got one in the Windsor Report. I covet your prayers for our Episcopal Church and our leaders, that they may be strong in the defense of the faith, and loving in the application of God’s will. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Respectfully submitted,

David H. Roseberry

The Rev. Canon David H. Roseberry is the rector of Christ Church, PLano, Texas.