Carey, Griswold Deplore Proposed AMiA Consecrations
Episcopal News Service. June 19, 2001 [2001-153]
Jan Nunley
(ENS) Both Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold of the Episcopal Church have responded in strongly worded letters to the announcement that four American priests are scheduled to be consecrated as "missionary bishops" for the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA).
The four priests are the Revs. Thaddeus Rockwell Barnum of All Saints, Pawleys Island, South Carolina; Alexander "Sandy" Maury Greene, former rector of Christ Church, Denver; Thomas William "TJ" Johnston of St. Andrew's, Little Rock, Arkansas; and Douglas Brooks Weiss, rector of Christ the King Church in Campbell, California.
Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and Datuk Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia have announced their intention to consecrate the men in Denver on June 24. The four will serve within the territorial boundaries of the Episcopal Church, although they will be bishops in the Church of Rwanda and South East Asia. Kolini and Yong's predecessor, Moses Tay, consecrated the first two AMiA bishops, Charles Murphy and John Rodgers, in January 2000.
"I have the greatest concern to see that all we who are called to Primacy in this historic Communion do everything in our power to strengthen our communion with one another," said Carey in a letter to the two archbishops, dated June 18. "What is proposed cannot strengthen, but can only undermine, that communion."
Consequences perilous, says Carey
Carey reaffirmed the position he took on the consecrations of Rodgers and Murphy, describing them as "at best irregular and at worst schismatic." At the time, Carey said he will only recognize them as bishops in communion with him if they are "fully reconciled" to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. His position was later endorsed by the Primates' Meeting, held in Oporto in 2000.
Carey called on Kolini and Yong to reconsider the planned consecrations, but said that, should the consecrations go ahead, they should be in no doubt about the consequences. "Are you and your Province aware that action of this kind takes you perilously close to creating a new group of churches at odds with the See of Canterbury and the rest of the Communion?" the letter asked. "I personally would regret this so very much as I have had the closest of dealings with Rwanda through all the troubles and the church there is still very much close to my heart! South East Asia, also, is a Province that I greatly love."
Counter to distortion
In a letter to the primates of the Anglican Communion dated June 19, Griswold repeated his statement from their March Kanuga gathering that "the Episcopal Church is flourishing with a renewed sense of mission" and is "grounded" in baptism, the Eucharist, Scripture and the tradition of the Church, "as a counter to the distortions about our church that from time to time are put forth in some quarters."
He reassured the primates about his commitment to "sustained pastoral care" for discontented Episcopalians. "I can report that very few congregations have asked for episcopal ministry other than that of their own bishop," he said, citing successful examples of "extended episcopal ministry." But he also addressed the recent disputes in the Diocese of Washington between Bishop Jane Dixon and the Rev. Sam Edwards. Edwards was called as rector of Christ Church in Accokeek, Maryland, but Dixon has refused to accept the call.
"I have been in contact with the several parties and am seeking a resolution which honors the concerns of all. This may or may not be in the offing," Griswold reported. "As many of you are aware, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has no metropolitical authority. I can strongly urge, encourage dialogue, and recommend, but I cannot compel."
Violation of communion
Addressing the proposed consecrations, Griswold said that "[n]ot only are the proposed ordinations a further invitation to schism, but they also involve two fellow primates who, without informing me and certainly without my permission, are planning to enter this province with the express purpose of acting contrary to a basic principle of the Communion that no bishop is to perform episcopal acts in the diocese of another bishop without obtaining the bishop's permission."
He concluded, "Predicated upon what I consider to be a deeply flawed and highly biased judgement of ECUSA, the proposed action by our two brothers is a profound violation of what it means to live in communion and could have drastic and negative effects within our Anglican fellowship."
In a separate communication notifying fellow American bishops of his letter to the primates, Griswold added, "Let me note here my sense of how important it is always to keep ourselves rooted and grounded in Christ...It is so easy for us in the midst of complex and difficult situations to allow a disproportionate amount of our energies to be caught up in the problem at hand when in fact there are other, larger and counter-balancing dimensions of reality that need to be kept in mind."
'Bold reversal' of missionary direction
In a statement released June 15, Harry Griffith, executive officer of the AMiA, said: "In a bold reversal of the missionary actions of the last 500 years, the churches in Africa and Asia are undertaking a labor of love and courage--consecrating bishops to American soil to answer the church's deep hunger for unity in faith and to renew the Anglican faith coast-to-coast."
Griffith added that the mission of the new bishops is to "serve established parishes and new churches which celebrate the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the centrality of Scripture and Tradition as essential to their faith and mission." He denied that sexuality was a "primary concern" for the AMiA congregations, although many of their leaders--lay and ordained--have publicly linked their departure from the Episcopal Church to concerns over the ordination and blessing of non-celibate gays and lesbians.
Griffith said the additional bishops are necessary for "increased leadership to handle growth pastorally and effectively." Now claiming some 5,000 members in 37 congregations--less than one-half of 1% of the Episcopal Church--with the addition of four new bishops, the Anglican Mission in America would have one bishop for every 6 parishes and 833 parishioners. The Episcopal Church has one bishop for every 50 congregations and 15,625 Episcopalians.