Presiding Bishop-Elect Allin Visits Europe
Diocesan Press Service. April 26, 1974 [74122]
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- As part of his preparation for service as 23rd Presiding 13ishop of the Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, Bishop of Mississippi, recently completed a whirlwind one-week visit to London, Rome, and Geneva.
Bishop Allin will be installed as Presiding Bishop of the Church on June 10-11 at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Washington, D.C.
In London, April 17-18, Bishop Allin had a lengthy conference with the Rt. Rev. John W.A. Howe, Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, on present and future partnerships in mission of the Anglican Communion. Acting on recommendations of the Dublin meeting of Anglicanism's coordinating body last year, the Episcopal Church has already agreed to work closely with six other Anglican Churches in the spirit of mutual responsibility and interdependence (MRI), adapted to the demands of a fast-changing world.
At tea in Lambeth Palace, the Presiding Bishop-elect discussed with the Archbishop of Canterbury the widespread revival of concern with the spiritual dimension of life and its relation to the movement for Christian unity.
At Church House, the Bishop met with Mr. Derek Pattinson, General Secretary of the Synod of the Church of England. This new (1970) organ of church life represents a significant step in the direction of Anglican self-government, but the major overseas missionary agencies continue to be voluntary societies. They cooperate with the General Synod through the Board for Mission and Unity, of which the Rev. J. R. Arnold is secretary.
Mr. Arnold explained that this board is responsible not only for relations with the missionary societies but for the whole spectrum of interchurch relations of the Church of England -- domestically, with the other churches in England and with the British Council of Churches; overseas, with the World Council of Churches and with England's important share in the international dialogues -- Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran -- conducted through Bishop Howe's office on behalf of the Anglican Communion as a whole.
The special skills and long-term relationships provided by the former "Church of England Council on Foreign Relations, " a body of personal advisers to the Archbishop of Canterbury, have been put at the service of Bishop Howe, with the new name of "Archbishop of Canterbury's Counselors on Foreign Relations," since nowadays the name, "Church of England," tends to be limited to bodies related to the Synod. In it, bishops, presbyters, and laity are represented and each order votes separately on important issues, as in the Episcopal Church's General Convention.
Mr. Pattinson explained to Bishop Allin that extensive process involved in the nomination of a new Archbishop of Canterbury to succeed Dr. Ramsey upon his retirement next November. It begins with a committee of the diocese of Canterbury and proceeds through consultations involving almost every individual or group with advice to give about the nature of the task or the suitability of particular persons.
Bishop Allin was astonished to find himself to be among those whose opinions were sought, and was closeted for an hour at No. 10 Downing Street, with the Prime Minister's "appointments secretary," Mr. Colin Peterson. Concerned exclusively with Church appointments, this position is essentially non-political; though appointed by a conservative government, Mr. Peterson has been continued under the present Labor regime. His data-gathering is related not only to archbishops and diocesan bishops, but also to the choice of hundreds of local vicars in parishes under royal patronage.
The process of choosing an Archbishop of Canterbury culminates with narrowing down the list to four or five names, one of which the Prime Minister submits to the queen. Under the present British system, this "nomination" is in fact the appointment itself.
While in London, Bishop Allin and Mr. Peter Day, ecumenical officer, who accompanied him on his journey, found an hour to visit a model railroader's exhibition conveniently located between their hotel and Westminster Abbey. Complex layouts operated by local clubs, plus tempting displays of hobby merchandise, were enough to captivate any railroad buff.
Proceeding to Rome, April 19-21, Bishop Allin combined participation in the annual convocation of American Churches in Europe with important ecumenical contacts. A dinner on the evening of April 19th was graced by the presence of Cardinal Willebrands, head of the Vatican Secretariate for Promoting Christian Unity; Pastor Martin Niemoeller, famous for his resistance to Hitler in the Nazi period, accompanied by his Episcopalian wife; as well as Bishop Allin and the Rt. Rev. Edmond Browning, Bishop in charge of churches in Europe. Special honor was paid to the Rev. Sturgis Lee Riddle, retiring dean of the Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Paris.
Bishop Allin, Cardinal Willebrands, and Bishop Browning were fitted out with large aprons inscribed "They also serve, " and all three promptly put them to use by going from table to table and filling the guests' wine glasses -- a sight probably not seen in Rome in the past thousand years.
Other Americans present included Oscar C. Carr, Jr., vice president for development, and Mrs. Jeannie Willis.
Dr. Harry Smythe, head of the Anglican Center in Rome, had arranged for an audience with Pope Paul VI, but His Holiness' health did not permit. Accompanied by Dr. Smythe and Mr. Day, Bishop Allin visited the Secretariate for Christian Unity for an extensive and useful discussion of Anglican-Roman relationships with Cardinal Willebrands and his specialist in Anglican affairs, the Rev. William Purdy.
The Presiding Bishop-elect also visited the Anglican Center and discussed with Dr. Smythe ways in which the center and the Episcopal Church could be mutually helpful.
At Bishop Allin's request, Bishop Browning is relinquishing his post in Europe to become Deputy for Jurisdictional Relations of the Executive Council. Noting the affection of his flock and their sense of loss at his departure, Bishop Allin told them that their new bishop, the Rt. Rev. A. Ervine Swift, would also be an experienced and loving chief pastor who would seek to maintain the family spirit that was so much in evidence at the meeting. Bishop Allin's third stop, April 22-23, was Geneva, Switzerland, home of the Calvinist Reformation and of the contemporary World Council of Churches.
Dr. Philip Potter, General Secretary, in conversation with the Bishop, commented on the changes in the theological balance of the WCC in recent years. Once dominated by Anglican and Reformed Churches of the West it had been enriched by full participation of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox since the New Delhi Assembly, and was now increasingly hearing the voices of former missionary churches, speaking independently from their own culture and Christian experience. As a result of these changes, the coming World Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 21 - August 9, 1975, with a score of Roman Catholic delegated observers also taking part, might provide the ingredients for a new Babel or a new Pentecost.
According to David Gill of the WCC staff, there will be about 2,500 persons at the Assembly, of whom some 800 will be delegates. Almost as many again will be participants in other categories and about 1,000 will be representatives of the press, visitors and others from the general public (including husbands).
At lunch on April 22nd, Bishop Allin was surprised by a singing of "Happy Birthday " by WCC executives and a toast in his honor to mark his entry upon age 53 that day. Later, at dinner in the rectory of Emmanuel Church with the Rev. Donald Stauffer and his family, he was presented a birthday cake, complete with candles.
In other interviews at the WCC office, there was a discussion with Drs. Lukas Vischer and Gerald Moede of the Faith and Order staff on both the theological and the ecclesiastical aspects of their work. Though some unity efforts have become stalled for various reasons (including lawsuits by opponents of union), as of today 34 union discussions are going on and in recent years 63 unions have been consummated. Many of the latter have been among churches of similar theological background, but lately there has been a strong trend toward "interconfessional " unions.
Episcopalians on the Geneva staff include Mr. James McGilvray of the Christian Medical Commission and his associate the Rev. Charles Gill. Their work places major emphasis on medical practice within the resources of the country concerned. In some nations, the latest elaborate techniques and equipment appear to be a luxury for the few at the cost of the health of the many. The United States itself faces a serious problem of delivery of health services in areas and among groups where poverty prevails.
Other offices visited by Bishop Allin and discussed with staff included: World Mission and Evangelism; Communication; International Affairs; Interchurch Aid, Refugees, and World Service; and Development.
Summing up his rapid journey through these examples of the Episcopal Church's international commitments and relationships, Bishop Allin said:
"One gains greater appreciation of the potential of the Episcopal Church in the United States after viewing it from abroad. Our fellow members of the Anglican Communion, as well as our partners in the World Council of Churches have great respect for what we have been in the past and they believe we have an even more important role to play in the future.
"To visit the Vatican and sense the seriousness of the Church of Rome in our common search for peace and unity according to Christ's will is also a challenge to live up to our own potential.
" In spite of problems and difficulties it was inspiring and reassuring to meet dedicated Christian people committed to the Church's mission and the welfare of mankind -- and not least among these, the clergy and laity of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe. "