American Episcopal Convocation to Continue Separate Status
Episcopal News Service. November 30, 1976 [76369]
LONDON, England -- The Convocation of American Churches in Europe, a jurisdiction of the Episcopal Church in the U. S., will not be included in the unified European Anglican diocese which was approved at the fall meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England.
The action brings together the Church of England's Jurisdiction of Northern and Central Europe and the Diocese of Gibralter under the Province of Canterbury. The new diocese will be represented both in the Convocation and in the General Synod.
The Jurisdiction of Northern and Central Europe embraces many countries under the Bishop of London, The Rt. Rev. Gerald Ellison. The Diocese of Gibraltar, which embraces many countries in southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and extending to Communist East Europe, is under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Fulham, the Rt. Rev. John Satterthwaite.
The Convocation of American Churches in Europe, under the direction of the Rt. Rev. Ervine Swift, includes churches in Brussels, Paris, Nice, Frankfurt-amMain, Munich, Wiesbaden, Florence, Rome, and Geneva.
Some members of the General Synod deplored the continuation of the parallel jurisdiction situation in Europe for the Church of England and the Episcopal Church. Some speakers urged that the two churches should integrate their efforts as soon as possible, but Bishop Ellison, who has been closely involved in discussions on the subject and is episcopal visitor of the area, said the Synod should not try to dictate what U. S. Episcopalians should do.
"It is not for us to question their desire," he said, "or in any way dictate what they should wish to do."
Bishop Ellison went on: "Though we may deplore parallel jurisdictions and wish to see them removed, it became clear to me that the ethos of the English and American Churches is very different, and that the way forward at the present time should be by way of closer and increasing cooperation between bishops, chaplaincies and congregations, rather than by constitutional integration. That might well come later. But I am sure that the time is not yet right for it."
Archbishop Donald Coggan of Canterbury, spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, told the Synod he had spoken to Presiding Bishop John M. Allin of the Episcopal Church and he was fully aware of the feelings of the Church of England about the parallel jurisdictions.
The report to the Synod indicated that "it has been estimated that Americans constitute something like 40 per cent of the total membership of Anglican congregations in Europe."