General Convention Notes

I've been ill the last few days and simultaneously need to put both research projects back on the railroad tracks. Fortunately, there are two meetings scheduled tomorrow for that purpose. But it's no fun to work fairly hard for nearly a year and then realize you know nothing except that there is still a problem which requires solving. But I like to think I'm making some sort of progress.

When I've not been analyzing my research to date, learning similarity theory, or trying to understand exciting new paradigms in fisheries science, I've been reading General Convention blogs. CaNN has a helpful list on their General Convention blog, which is sorted ideologically (but slightly imperfectly) for your convenience. Father Jake has been giving very useful coverage and sane commentary. Mark Harris is getting worried. Fathers Kniseley and Kirkley have been waxing eloquently on sexuality and more important matters. The lay deputies have equally interesting things to say. The sheer volume of blog is amazing. Even my parish has a blog , where you can read about the video I mentioned earlier and the exciting lobbying activities of clergy and laity. It almost makes me wish that I were in Columbus. But I'm fairly sure that God means me to be here. He possibly wanted me in Minneapolis in 2003, but I turned Him down. Lutheranchik calls the Lord, "the CEO." I should be called, "the oblivious intern." But I should write a little about interesting topics.

Gossip

"God willing and the people consenting, the Most Reverend Peter Jasper Akinola will consecrate the Reverend Canon Martyn Minns a Bishop in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church at the Church of XYZ in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, June 18. Clergy wear red."

Yes, I've been reading gossip of this type. The casus schismae shall be the election of ++Jefferts-Schori as Presiding Bishop and Primate after the conservatives realize they won't win the PB and throw votes to Jefferts-Schori, because she's a girl, and there ain't no girls in the College of Primates Supersecret Treehouse. The gossip on the other side is that the liberals are planning a global communion of their own by emphasizing relations with Latin American dioceses (some actually part of the Episcopal Church.) I was tempted very briefly this evening to send an inquiry to Canon Popoola about ++PJA's travel plans, but I thought better of it. Frankly, if I want gossip, I'll go over to the Daily Mail and hear that Prince William is secretly engaged to Kate Middleton or something. Schism isn't juicy. It's unspeakably painful. If I had been at Constantinople or Rome on a certain day in 1054 (it was a major feast, right?), I would have cried.

Digamy: Ontological or Prudential?

My chief objection to consent to +VGR was digamy. I still get those thoughts in my mind sometimes. It occurred to me today that 1 Timothy 3 is not quite as plain as I thought, since there are two possibilities that arise of how a potential bishop could not be "a husband of one wife", (1) he divorced and remarried; (2) he is a widower and remarried. In the first case, one wonders how he could be a potential candidate for bishop at all, since if the community in question would be rebuking him for living in adultery by a strict interpretation of Matthew 19 etc. Is it possible that Matthew 19 was not regarded so strictly in this context? (Or the oral teaching on which Matthew 19 was based for all you NT scholars). As for the case of the widower, is Paul trying to advise against anyone who can't control their urges enough to be satisfied with one wife? I'm not so sure. People could be widowed/widowered in the Roman world at 16 or 17 quite commonly, and yet all of the Fathers mention anxieties about baptism at that age because of concerns about the risk of fornication.

No, I think Paul's advice is prudential rather than ontological. He is not speaking of someone living in deep sin. He is looking for someone who organizes his household affairs as the household of the Lord should be organized. For he writes, "for if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take charge of a congregation of God's people?" Paul is looking for bishops who are stable and faithful and maintain intimate relationships even in times of great difficulty. A bishop is wedded to those in his charge much like a husband to his wife (or vice versa ), a possible source of the ancient prejudice against translation, his fidelity must be above reproach.

In our less stringent times, we sometimes forget that this prudential standard is no less important than the ontological one. The latter condemns the candidate as a sinner in mortal peril, more worthy of the church's care than to take care of the church. The former is a qualification, like a bachelor's degree. The failure to be acceptable under either criterion is a reason to withhold consent. But at the same time, the qualification is more flexible.

These issues now arise again with Rev. Canon Beisner's election in Northern California, where the Committee (according to Brad Drell) wants to hear about Beisner's second divorce. What I want to know is why they don't want to hear about his first one. If one thinks ontologically, such limits seem reasonable. We live in more flexible and forgiving times, after all. It used to be one divorce and you're out. Now, it's two divorces and you're out. We must uphold the Scriptures somewhere. But that's not the right idea of it at all. What turned me about concerning +VGR were two things. First, it was clear to me that both parties entered his first marriage fully conscious of certain matters that could arise in the future and both tried to maintain that relationship as best as they could. But there is a difference between friendship and intimacy after all, the gulf between the present and the eschaton. Second, +VGR worked to make sure the physical and emotional needs of his wife and his family were met before he sought any form of romantic relationship with another man. In the first example, I saw a man who was truthful, honest, and willing to struggle. In the second example, I saw a man who put the needs of his household before his own emotional fulfillment. His wife, after all, needed a husband who was ontologically capable of being an intimate. To some extent, I have seen these traits as marks of his episcopate. At other points, I have been disappointed. But looking at other episcopates, I have seen patterns of infidelity that have had little to do with marriage (meaningful cough...).

Thus, in examining Beisner, I would urge the Committee to consider the holistic aspects of Beisner as a household manager rather than focusing on some legalistic definition of fitness. If his divorces suggest he possesses qualities that might make him a poor bishop, consent certainly should be refused, but if this becomes some sort of test case to uphold the authority of Scripture, the authority of Scripture will be compromised by it.

Clarity

As you probably know, it is Amish Fudge that is being sold at Convention and not Anglican Fudge. Amish Fudge, of course, explains why some Anabaptist sects allow adherents to operate riding lawnmowers. But the great fear of the reasserter side is that the Anglican variety will reappear soon in the form of the SCECAC resolutions. Mysteriously today, there appeared a piece by +N.T. Wright, Bishop Palatine of Durham (he's no longer Palatine, but humor me...), in which the SCECAC resolutions were deemed insufficient by his Lordship and not in compliance with paras. 135 (or was it 136) of the Windsor Report. Well, Bishop Wright, I'll give it to you straight. I would prefer there be strong compliance with Windsor or no compliance. But at this point, we reassessors have no assurances that border-crossing will be punished, nor that the parts of Lambeth I.10 we like will be enforced. Thus, if you're going to quote committee documents or Lambeth resolutions (you only do so implicitly) as law to us, you must simultaneously give assurances that the whole of the law is enforceable in some settled tribunal. And the thing is, my Lord, it's not.

At this point, the desire for clarity from Minns et al. is half-earnest and half a desire for an excuse for schism. (See Gossip). Even if GC complied with the Windsor Report, I am fairly certain little would change. Initially, the Federal Conservatives (see Thinking Anglicans) would run around like decapitated chickens, but I very much doubt the powers and dominions set against TEC here and abroad would be appeased by such concessions. Because at the end of the day, it would still be the same House of Bishops and same House of Deputies. If you refuse to commune with a body before they do things you dislike, you are unlikely to commune with them when they have failed to do so. And, of course, even TEC complies, Bishop Iker still is compelled by Canon to ordain women. This is a horrible ordeal to him. He will want it to stop soon. And his allies will do likewise. Over the last few decades, TEC has revealed its true self. For me, it is a ground ready for re-planting. For them, it is too choked with weeds to continue. I really hope I'm wrong. I hope they'll stay. But I also know there are those in Ft. Worth and Pittsburgh who have been gravely injured by some of these. I count one as a good friend. If they do stay, there must be some exchange of pastoral oversight between each side. Perfect love must take away all fear.

Budget Priorities

I'm disappointed that Children, Youth, and Young Adults was defeated as the top budget priority. We are in such dreadful shape when it comes to evangelization and catechesis of my generation and the generation after me. And frankly, looking at the numerical trends in infant baptisms in many dioceses of the church, this is worrisome. The infant baptism rate is 5-7% of ASA in some dioceses. If we could keep these infants as ASA, we would do much good to souls and help the rest of the world. I do believe that a well-catechized and faithful Episcopalian can be a great force for good. I'm not much of one, of course. But I have friends who clearly are and see how much their faith is at the root of it. I also have seen in the Episcopal Church and in other denominations what the effects of bad catechesis and poor flexibility with regards to youth are. People talk about how going to Bard College or Europe is a way of getting their Christian faith attacked. You know where I felt most despised as a Christian. Texas. People my age have been burned by the church there.

Prayer Continues

Of course, our attitude here at the monastery is that anything wrong with the world can be fixed by prayer, study, hard work, and four-square. So since I'm back nearly to 100%, I'll continue to say the Office with my friends in the Anglosphere and the work of General Convention in my prayers.

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ out Lord. Amen.