Schismatic propeganda and the Washington Times

A piece of "journalistic" propaganda appeared in the Tuesday, 18 November Washington Times. Julia Duin, reported what she was told, (filtered though her particular brand of "Christian belief") and conducted no research whatsoever. Even cursory research would uncover the factual errors.

Leaders of 100,000 disaffected former Episcopalians will unveil a proposed constitution for a new 39th province of the Anglican Communion at a Dec. 3 ceremony at the evangelical Wheaton College in west Chicago.

The new province, which will contain significant portions of four breakaway Episcopal dioceses plus about two dozen churches in Northern Virginia, will be launched in early 2009.

"This is a huge step," said Anglican Bishop Martyn Minns, one of the leaders who will sign the constitution as the head of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America.

"The constitution will create a new Anglican church in North America that will have all the necessary features to be recognized as a province," said Robert Lundy, a spokesman for the American Anglican Council, one of the constitution's signatory groups. "Then it'll be out of our hands."

The reporter does not understand what makes something "Anglican." It is not vestments an prayerbook, no women or gays, thank you very much. It takes official recognition from the See of Canterbury. That is not going to happen unless ++Williams has gone completely insane.

It will not be the 39th province of the Anglican Communion. It will be a schismatic faith community, not Anglican except in the imagination of their hearts.

Also, Minns is is not and Anglican bishop. He is a self-styled Anglican bishop. He has no recognition from the See of Canterbury and therefore, is not Anglican. There is a world of difference between Anglican and self-styled Anglican.

"The constitution will create a new Anglican church in North America that will have all the necessary features to be recognized as a province," said Robert Lundy, a spokesman for the American Anglican Council, one of the constitution's signatory groups. "Then it'll be out of our hands."

At least seven Anglican bishops - mainly Africans - are expected to recognize the new province immediately as having equal standing with the U.S. Episcopal Church, currently the only Anglican body in North America recognized by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

But conservatives declared at a Global Anglican Future conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem in June that the recognition of a new province may be irrelevant.

"We do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury," the conservatives' statement said.

Again, there will be no new Anglican Church. There has never been an Anglican Church nor will there ever be an Anglican Church except in England.

They are the only people in the world who don't accept what it takes to be Anglican. These schismatics are constantly talking about "the faith once delivered" and breaking the tradition and yet they have decided not to accept the tradition of that same church.

Recognition by significant numbers of the world's 38 Anglican primates or archbishops could happen as early as February, when the primates will have their annual meeting in Alexandria, Egypt.

Seven GAFCON primates, representing more than half of the 77-million-member Anglican Communion, indicated in June they will recognize the new province. Another five have joined them since then, Bishop Minns said.

This remains to be seen, of course. We are certain the Calvinist Roundhead bishops will recognize the non existent community, but I'm not sure a "significant" number of Primates will do so.

I believe the primates will be cautious. They have seen the tactics of the schismatics -- that they will do anything to obtain their lust for power -- and I think that is going to be the reason "most of" the primates will not give recognition. If the schismatics will and can do what they've done in the United States, why should anyone think their own province is safe? Today the United States, tomorrow the whole Anglican Communion. That is the ultimate goal of these fundamentalists. I cannot see the primates aiding and abetting something they wish would just go away.

Also, simply because a Primate recognizes something doesn't mean the province does. We keep hearing about the "vast majority of Anglicans" this, and that, but what these people really mean is, "some of the primates representing provinces where the vast majority of the Anglicans are."

Copies of the constitution will be handed out at the Chicago meeting. Bishop Minns said the member groups have reached a tentative agreement on ordaining women as priests, which some of the member groups oppose.

"We are working within the integrity of both views and respecting them and saying that's where the church is right now," he said.

The province likely will be headed by Bishop Duncan, head of Common Cause Partnership, the current name of the conservative network. He met Oct. 15 with Archbishop Williams, who instructed the Pittsburgh bishop to submit an application for the new province.

I really had to laugh when I read the word "integrity" used in a statement by Minns. That is really, really funny.

I agree that Mr. Duncan will be the leader of this schismatic community. He's plotted and planned for this moment for years like a soprano plans, plots, back stabs, and claws her way to the top.

The Canterbury archbishop is in a tough spot no matter what he does, Bishop Minns said.

"If he recognizes us, he will incur the wrath of [the Episcopal Church] and if he does not, he will incur the wrath of other people," he said.

Notice the insult Minny delivers to ++Rowan. He is not "The Archbishop of Canterbury" but "The Canterbury archbishop." Minns knows the title and its correct usage, yet he chose not to use it. This is the same guy who constantly refers to The Most Rev'd Katharine Jefferts Schori as "Mrs. Schori." But what should we expected from someone "low." Mr. Minnie Mouse, look that word up in a really good British English dictionary.

One would think that to rise to a reporter position with the Washington Times, one should have successfully passed Journalism 101 where they teach, "Avoid being manipulated by your source." But, she is a self-described born-again evangelical and they are notorious for propaganda. Just look at the Prop 8 campaign in California. The article just proves again that truth, facts and evangelicals (of any brand) are mutually exclusive of one another.

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We have an update from Fran regarding Tim's illness.