The Question of Unity

We have been praying, hoping, and striving for unity in the Continuing Anglican world for some time now. We saw in 2017 the beginning of the fruition of these prayers with the joint synods movement, when the Anglican Catholic Church, Anglican Church in America, Anglican Province of America, and Diocese of the Holy Cross declared mutual communio in sacris. These joint synod churches, dubbed the “G-4,” lived into that vision of unity for four years, until one of them, the Diocese of the Holy Cross, gave flesh to their hope and petitioned the Anglican Catholic Church to admit them as a non-geographic diocese.

Four more years have passed since that brave step, and their experience has lighted the way for the rest of us. There have been, and probably always will continue to be those who would prefer to be separate and even hold up separateness as if it were some sort of virtue, a flag to wave defiantly from our bunkers. But that is not what Christians are called to do. Is it more comfortable? Perhaps. But our Lord didn’t pray that we be comfortable; he prayed that we be one.

Some have suggested that there are different cultures in the “G-3.” I may have a unique perspective on this question, as I was ordained in the ACC, served most of my pastoral life in the ACA, and as a retiree worship in an APA parish. I am canonically resident in the ACA and am licensed in both ACC and APA. I can assure you that there is more difference within these provinces than there is between them.

So let me offer a prayerful suggestion. The Constitution of the ACC has a provision (Article V, Section 5) for a “Church or Province or jurisdictions” to petition to be established as a province of the Anglican Catholic Church. All it takes is a little humility. The separations have gone on long enough.