I wanted to comment real quick on "church shopping".... We tend to assume that when looking at the many initials of Continuing Anglicanism here in the USA that they must all be in existence because they hate each other, but I would say you might be surprised when digging a bit deeper to find the number of us who are in communion with each other. This isn't to downplay the seriousness of disunity, which does exist, but we tend to notice what's wrong instead of looking for what's actually good in the current situation. As to hopping around looking to "pick a church," I for one and many others have never had that kind of experience - too often it's "What's within an hour's drive of my home?" and then there's only one. It's hardly a choice. We are placed where we are.
Church shopping in the States mainly happens in the larger denominations like the Roman Catholic, Baptist and Methodist Churches. They will follow a pastor or if the pastor is not to their liking, for any reason maybe he preached on a sin they are committing and do not want to stop to personalities. A friend, Roman, had a new pastor transferred in. When the old one left a few families followed him to his new parish. And families followed the new one from their old parish. In Anglicanism, not so much. Not very many parishes in a city to choose from. Bishops, for the most part, will accept priests from other jurisdictions willingly as they also have a shortage of priests. I have served as deacon and priest in the Anglican Catholic Church, UECNA, REC, ACNA and very briefly AMiA. I am now REC, but my Bishop is letting me assist my second UECNA parish. We are talking and I maybe moved to a CANA parish to assist. But a Bishop in the APCK jurisdiction is keen to talk with me about a parish he has without a priest. Anglicanism in the States is very.....fluid. Now the only concern I have is parishes jurisdiction shopping which has happened in the past. For their own reasons. I am seeing and hearing of this less and less as the Bishops are getting themselves in order and talking with each other. So we are seeing REC priests in parishes in the UECNA, APA and ACNA (Fort Worth) for example. Now if the ACNA would just settle that WO issue. Blessings, Fr. Mark
Thanks for sharing that Fr. That's very interesting. I am wondering, with your experience have you encountered or noticed any conflicts with, for example, Anglo-Catholics and the more low church jurisdictions sharing priests? Or jurisdictions sharing communion despite some differences in tradition? If that makes any sense I was just curious.
Thanks for sharing this Jay. Would have loved to meet the older gentlemen you mention - how interesting it must be to talk to him and learn from him.
WO issue? I am still trying to come to terms with all the different Anglican Churches in the US! So very different from England.
Here in England I have quite a lot of choice. Regarding Anglican Churches I have at least 4 Church of England Churches within a 10 minute drive of my village, one of which is Anglo-Catholic. Within an hour's drive - well, I have absolutely no idea how many, too many to count! There will probably be one or two continuing Anglican Churches within an hour's travel - but they are not so well known in England, so not so much choice if you want to leave the C of E, perhaps over the official view of female ordination.
Very knowledgable gentleman. Has studied at several seminaries Anglican,Baptist,EO,RC,etc. I feel honored to just sit and listen to him. Very profound and illuminating.
My reply was posted a couple of comments below. I must have pushed a wrong button somewhere along the line, lol.
You know the WO issue is one of main reasons why the ACNA is not in communion with EO... Traditionally since NT times the three orders of clergy has always been held by men. It only started changing in American Anglicanism by the ECUSA in the 70's. Look at where that slippery slope led to. Scripture and Tradition should be solid guides for Christians.
Most jurisdictions will try to share. The REC as a whole is broad to low Church with a growing Anglo-Catholic wing. My Bishop is low Church, from a Presbyterian Church background. I am Anglo-Catholic. We get along great. Had an hour phone conversation with him yesterday. His Canon to the Ordinary is Anglo-Catholic. The REC and APA share priests. APA is very Anglo-Catholic. For the most part there are not any conflicts I have seen between the Anglo-Catholics and low Church man. But there are some. Speaking only for the REC. The Anglo-Catholics are very accepting and if an Anglo-Catholic priest is in a low church parish, they respect that. Sadly most of the conflicts come from the low Church, newly converted or puritan strain towards Anglo-Catholics. I remember filling in for a REC parish that was low Church. I arrived with my vestments and proceeded to vest in the sacristy. The Deacon came in and said, "ummm, father they don't like anything but cassock, surplice and stole. Anything else is Roman Catholic and considered not Christian." I duly vested as they liked. After Mass, yes I slipped a few times, a gentleman came up and said, "it was good to have a true Anglican minister here, not one of those Catholics trying to be Anglican." I smiled. He kept going on about something or another, when a young mother came up with a sick child. She asked if it was proper to ask for a blessing. I immediately asked has the child be baptized? Yes. (would not have stopped the blessing, but the child was extremely sick and eventually went to the hospital. She is well.) I blessed the baby, sign of the cross, oils etc. Invited the mother to kneel with me at the altar rail. Prayed for the child and her mother and then said, "I am going to ask a mother to pray for your child." She said please do. I began, Hail Mary full of Grace. Added at the end....Mother of God pray for this small child. The Lords will be done. The mother was so grateful. The man who was so glad I was a "true Anglican minister" was angry. We had a very difficult conversation, for him, for the next hour. I was there for 3 more weeks. I am sure there have been Anglo-Catholics that have done so very unbecoming things. I have not witnessed it. I am a minority in my jurisdiction, so my view could be limited. Blessings, Fr. Mark
UECNA United Episcopal Church North America. It is one of the first 3-4 jurisdictions that formed from Episcopalians who left that church due to women's ordination and the changing of the prayer book. Both done outside of Convention and Synod meetings. UECNA is very low church. I know one parish that in its canons forbids anyone from having a rosary and the priest can own no vestments other than a cassock, surplice and stoles. Also, no tabs only the "dog collar" is allowed. They wanted me as a Curate. Great talk on the phone, when I arrived interview was over before it started. I had the tab and a Benedictine Crucifix around my neck. I was glad to leave. Fr. Mark
Thank you for sharing your experience Fr. Mark, I appreciate that. Good to hear that, for the most part at least, there isn't too much conflict.
That's a shame. I always wear a crucifix and carry my prayer beads with me to church. Fortunately they are welcomed in the ACA. In (the mainline) The Episcopal Church I suppose they are just indifferent to such things, as they didn't seem to have a problem with it. Actually the ACNA parish I attended briefly didn't seem to mind either...but in that case I suppose it might depend on the particular congregation's leanings.