ACNA: Trouble in Paradise?

UPDATE:  It would appear from certain communications I have received today that this post has caused quite a stir in ACNA and REC circles.  Good.  Soon it will be time for the charismatic/neo-evangelical/egalitarian/"Reformation Christian"/TEC Lite wing of ACNA to go its own way, and for ACNA/REC traditionalists to seek communion with those of us who represent classical, orthodox Anglicanism. Those on the fence need to poop or get off the potty, if you'll excuse the mixing of metaphors.  Let the true Realignment begin.

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The ACNA College of Bishops meeting was held last week, and word is they received the final results of the ACNA Task Force on Holy Orders,  which is centered on the question of women's ordination.  Chatter on ACNA and ACNA-related Facebook pages reveals a strong sense of despair among conservatives that the ACNA will do nothing, nothing whatsoever, about the practice of women's ordination in certain of its dioceses.  I was able to capture most of one such Facebook discussion before pressure was apparently brought to bear on the original poster from somewhere inside of the the ACNA to delete his original post and hence the ensuing discussion.  Here is the link to what I saved.  Note especially the highlighted comments.  The gist of it is that ACNA's irrational "dual integrities" arrangment, as it was written into the ACNA's Constitution, can only be done away with by a revision to the Constitution, which apparently will be almost impossible to effect.  What this may mean is that the Task Force's study was all smoke and mirrors designed to create the impression that the traditionalists' concerns were being taken seriously.  A task force full of sound and fury, signifying nothing, in other words.

Now, I say "may" mean, because this is all still very hypothetical at this point.  The speculations above and below might turn out to be unwarranted. We obviously won't know what the upshot of it all  is until something official is made public.  When this happens, the question is what the traditional dioceses will do if the dual integrities policy is retained.

I have information from sources inside ACNA who have said that their understooding was that the ACNA would meet, with integrity, to study the issue of WO, and that there was no pre-determined answer, and that those bishops who ordain women have shown bad faith in ordaining women not only when the issue was being determined but also when there was supposed to be a moratorium on new ordinations. If the ACNA decides to keep the dual integrities, these sources opine, it will institutionalize itself as an anti-catholic group and prevent it from ever achieving a true communion, remaining, at best, a loose federation.  Some dioceses like Fort Worth, and other churches, will likely withdraw.  If the ACNA decides to normalize dual integrities, they believe it will make it even more imperative that Fort Worth, the REC, and the Continuum seek and achieve unity, for the good of the Anglican way of being a Christian in North America.  These sentiments are beginning to be aired more publicly now that some believe the fix is in, or perhaps was in from the get-go.

Meanwhile, these bishops in REC and the Anglo-Catholic dioceses of ACNA are seen rubbing shoulders and having long discussions with bishops in the Continuum at FIFNA meetings and elsewhere. So pass the popcorn, ladies and gentlemen.  It's bound to get interesting in the days ahead. 

Comments

[KSD]

I have felt for awhile that some REC churches would leave ACNA over this , mainly in the south. I don't think they may necessarily join up with what some people think. I think they may end up in the UECNA orbit. I find it interesting that BP. Robinson moved to the east coast. Maybe he knew something was going on - and he moved so he could be closer to build relationships ?

[Embryo Parson]

Interesting speculation, KSD. It does make some sense.