The fractured state of North American Anglicanism is a barrier to faithfully witnessing the faith once delivered in our increasingly ungodly continent. The continent is gradually repaganizing and following the old gods, who are no gods at all. Perhaps it is odd to quote Ben Franklin. Still, his words apply to the state of affairs in North American Anglicanism and beyond: “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
This pithy quote applies equally to realignment Anglicans, continuing Anglicans, and all those who left the old Protestant Episcopal (now TEC) Church of the United States before the creation of the original Anglican Church in North America in the late 1970’s. Subjectively, I have experienced and seen the tremendous need we have for one another across the divides of our own making. Objectively, our disunity does us a disservice as it contributes to our failing to evangelize and re-evangelize North America. Such is our humble duty as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Before proceeding any further, I understand that unity is a pipe dream to many and simply Pollyanna wishful thinking to others. After all, while writing, yet another fracture has occurred with the Diocese of the Central and Western States leaving the Anglican Province of America (APA) to form yet another micro-jurisdiction. Since originally writing this piece, the Anglican Catholic Church has inexplicably broken communion with the United Episcopal Church of North America because (checks notes) they insist on centering Anglicanism on Anglican formularies. Despite these recent setbacks to unity, the reality is that as English-speaking Christians, we should be united in our common heritage, common tongue, common prayer, and common doctrine to march forward in the Gospel. Anglicans have a calling to be evangelical catholics and catholic evangelicals. Our calling is to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments. Whether we like it or not, those of us who are of the tribe Anglican are bound together, but the question is, will we work together? The harder question is how?
First, we must admit our failings and repent. We must learn to trust. We must follow the old paths that once bound us together. If Bishop J.C. Ryle and the Rev. Edmund Pusey could remain united under the same church, then so can we. Both men celebrated with the same prayer book, assented to the same Articles of Religion, and knew the two Books of Homilies all the while preaching from the Authorized Version. Such a unity could exist again, alongside provision for using a slightly modernized classic prayer book, like the REC Modern Language Book of Common Prayer, and the New King James Version or English Standard Version. Yes, the common tongue used for common prayer (shockingly) is possible, despite one APA priest characterizing it as “Religion for retards.” Such triumphalism and 1928-onlyism forgets the 1662 Book of Common Prayer’s Preface, where those saints of yore explained their minor edits:
Our general aim therefore in this undertaking was, not to gratify this or that party in any their unreasonable demands; but to do that, which to our best understandings we conceived might most tend to the preservation of Peace and Unity in the Church; the procuring of Reverence, and exciting of Piety and Devotion in the publick Worship of God; and the cutting off occasion from them that seek occasion of cavil or quarrel against the Liturgy of the Church. And as to the several variations from the former Book, whether by Alteration, Addition, or otherwise, it shall suffice to give this general account. That most of the Alterations were made, either first, for the better direction of them that are to officiate in any part of Divine Service; which is chiefly done in the Calendars and Rubricks: Or secondly, for the more proper expressing of some words or phrases of ancient usage in terms more suitable to the language of the present times, and the clearer explanation of some other words and phrases, that were either of doubtful signification, or otherwise liable to misconstruction.
This is not the time for Anglicans of either stripe – realignment or continuing – to scoff at each other. The problems which separate us are akin to a quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw: “England and America are two countries separated by the same language.” Anglicans produced the Book of Common Prayer, and yet we are separated by it. We have no common life because we lack common prayer. Realignment Anglicanism and Continuing Anglicanism face the same problem, and the first step towards remedying our separation is common prayer. This means abandoning post-Vatican II and Tridentine liturgies, namely the 1979 prayer book philosophy, Anglican Missal, and praying together – even if at first as separate jurisdictions – in the classic prayer book tradition. Let’s abandon the “Spirit of Vatican II” modernist reductionism and the “Spirit of St. Louis Affirmation” Roman-maxxing and give me that old prayer book religion, it’s good enough for me.
This is the time to repent from errors that divide us – nonconformity to the formularies, namely, forsaking the classic Ordinal regarding holy orders, lax ecclesial discipline – noted as a mark of the Church in the Books of Homilies, resurrecting medieval Roman practices against the Articles and patristic witness of the first five centuries, etc. – and unite under the Gospel of Christ. We must be on the offensive – not against each other nor by ignoring one another – but against the zeitgeist of this age. Western Christianity is weak, tepid, vapid, eroding, and needs holy discipline through a rule of life. North American Anglicans, and all Christians, need regular fasting, feasting, daily prayer, daily Scripture reading, preaching, teaching, catechesis, and celebrating holy communion. We Anglicans have the workout plan to strengthen Western Christianity so that the next generation may arise and flex its muscles. How dare we bicker amongst ourselves instead of living the prayer book life and making better disciples within our ranks and new disciples among the lost nations of North America? Anglicans share more than a common heritage; we have a common life through the ancient common prayer of the historic Books of Common Prayer. The rule of life packaged in the classic prayer book tradition is the solution that other Christians are seeking after being malnourished on spiritual milk or simply starved in the pews while gazing upon a worship band instead of receiving the preached Word and delivered Word in the body and blood of the sacrament. Many North American Christians know something is lacking in their lax prayer life, worship services that are poor imitations of the depraved culture, illiteracy as to God’s Word, and they want to go deeper into their faith and walk with Christ. The success of the 1662 International Edition of the Book of Common Prayer demonstrates the spiritual hunger that Christians within ACNA, Continuing churches, and in non-Anglican denominations have for the evangelical and catholic way we have been gifted. Yet sadly, these brothers and sisters in Christ will never know we even exist unless we unite, not merely institutionally, but more importantly, through common prayer and doctrine. For what we pray is what we believe and is how we must live (lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi).
The goal is not unity at any cost, for then we shall find it costs too much, as seen in much of Realignment Anglicanism that unites for institutional purposes but turns a blind eye towards doctrine despite the clear witness of Scripture and tradition. Yet unity shall come at a cost, for it will result in sacred cows being slaughtered, something Continuing Anglicanism resists under the banner of the 1928 prayer book, but in reality turns into larping Old Catholicism or an eccentric amalgamation of Eastern practices foreign to classic Anglicanism. By no means does this broad brush represent every layman or clergyman in Realignment or Continuing Anglicanism. After all, I am a child of the Continuing Church and currently serving in the Realigning Church. There are godly men and women in parishes across this divide of our own making who know the truth – we can and we should unite in common prayer. It’s necessary in order to revangelize the West and evangelize our own children and grandchildren. It is imperative because souls are at stake and we need other bound together, united in common prayer and a common life, taking the Gospel throughout North America.
Although there are naysayers who desire to depart from the formularies, deny the ancient catholic order, or desire to mold their parish to meet their pet theological peeves, in reality, the average Anglican clergy is serving a parish seeking the simple prayer book service, a sermon faithful to the Holy Scriptures, and regular holy communion. Such beautiful simplicity is more robust than seeking the zeitgeist, aping Rome’s pre- or post-Vatican II liturgies, or poorly mimicking the non-denominational church next door. The faithful desire authenticity and not bickering. An authentic Anglicanism bound together by the classic prayer book tradition, Articles of Religion, and historic Ordinal can unite the Church to focus on addressing the tremendous challenges and issues the Church faces today, namely Artificial Intelligence, human sexuality, trans-humanism, and fundamentally making disciples of all nations. – not simply shifting “non-denom bapticostals” into our ranks.
There is a need for a catholic center with an evangelical heart in North American Anglicanism. Twenty-four years ago, the Anglican Province in America and the Reformed Episcopal Church in North America entered into a joint statement on Anglican Belief and Practice. Several years later, the REC and APA found themselves at the founding of the Anglican Church in North America, with REC as a founding member and the APA as a ministry partner. Alas, the APA left as a ministry partner but perhaps the path forward is the path backwards. Traditional Anglicans should revisit the work in their Anglican Belief and Practice joint statement, and begin by agreeing to the prudent words of paragraph II, “It is recognized that the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal establish the limits of Anglican faith and practice.” After all, is not our common goal to realign and continue classic Anglicanism? Let us stop realigning with the zeitgeist and continuing medieval Romanism and set our anchor down upon the ancient faith distilled through the formularies that roots itself upon the Holy Scripture of God as understood by the saints of the first few centuries?
This simple statement from a generation ago, “It is recognized that the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal establish the limits of Anglican faith and practice,” deserves an “Amen” from all Anglicans, but saying “Amen” is not enough. The Thirty-nine Articles, the classic prayer book, and the Ordinal attached are our three forms of unity. Without uniformity, there cannot be conformity in faith and practice. Are we Anglicans or are we not? Our history is known for unity in our conformity, much to the chagrin of our non-conformist brethren. After all, Anglicanism was established by the Acts of Uniformity. We cannot look to a monarch to get our act together, we need to look to our Lord and conform to His will – may it be done on earth as it is in heaven. With the Anglican formularies as our united center, let us build a united Anglican Church so to raise up during this digital dark age a godly Christian generation never “ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner, against sin, the world, and the devil.” (Public Baptism of Infants, 1662 Book of Common Prayer). Let us not bequeath to our children an alphabet soup of fiefdoms, but a united Church that bickers not internally on things in common but instead unites and fights under the banner of Christ against our common enemy: Satan and his blinding deceptions in an ever-repaganizing West. Let us put our hand to the plough in building such a united Church in Christ so our grandchildren will inherit a re-evangelized West as they emerge from the present dark age. We cannot afford to fail our children and grandchildren by neglecting to raise them in the faith and equipping them with a united Church that withstands the fiery darts of Satan while taking the battle against hell’s gates. We shall be held accountable for neglecting the lost neighbor who is scandalized by our divisiveness and disavows Christ, or the neighbor who never knew Christ because we were too busy patting ourselves on the back about our fiefdom as the West burns.
The path towards reunion requires repentance. Repentance from pride, arrogance, and hubris that one fiefdom is greater than the other. Each of us has our problems and needs each other’s witness to turn, change, and be held accountable to the standards of our common heritage: the Anglican formularies. Therefore, the Baal idols must be shattered and the Asherah poles burned. In addition to ridding ourselves of sacred cows, we must return to common doctrine, where the catholic tension exists on adiaphora beyond our formularies but everyone subjects (not merely in word) in practice to the common center of the prayer book, Articles of Religion, and classic Ordinal.
Common prayer requires praying together in the prayer book tradition. If we do not pray together, can we truly walk together? Create-your-own worship and eucharistic practices condemned by the Articles of Religion should cease. Ordination necessitates obeying Holy Scripture, the catholic tradition, and the classic Ordinal. If we do what Scripture and tradition contradict, then how can we be one in Christ? The Fundamental Declarations of the ACNA, and canons of several continuing and pre-continuing bodies profess the formularies. Lip service is not enough; now is the time to apply them so that we may be bound together and therefore build together. Let us chew on the meat and spit out the fat, for our Lord wishes us to be warm or cold but not lukewarm.
Clergy and laity alike across the Anglican alphabet soup: UEC, APA, REC, APCK, AOC, OAC, ACC, EMC, AMiA, and ACNA know this. There are already bonds of affection that cross jurisdictions. We see each other locally at lunch. We pray for each other and share news about each other’s local parishes. We celebrate in joy and we mourn together locally – why not across North America as one body? It is absurd when one must explain what “that parish” within the same town is in a different jurisdiction altogether. No, it is more than absurd, it is scandalous, and we need to repent and plan on next steps towards fellowship and, Lord willing, union. After all, many of us see each other at conferences and share a cigar or bourbon together. Let us also break bread in communion and co-labor in ministry together. They say blood is thicker than water, let us remember the common blood that flows through our veins was shed by Christ Jesus. Further, let us remember the common prayer bestowed upon us in the English tongue through martyred Cranmer’s reforms. Together, may we take up what binds us and lay a firm foundation built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, instead of boasting and triumphing in our small jurisdictions on sinking sand. Before we build, let us count the cost, sacrifice our pride, and walk after Christ Jesus, bound together in the evangelical prayer book life, the fenceposts of the reformed catholic Articles, and the rails of the catholic Ordinal.
We can have a common life, common doctrine, and a common witness of Christ crucified for the sins of the world through common prayer. If we follow the same Christ under the same formularies we proclaim, then we are bound together. The question is, will we walk together?
Our children await our lead, and our lost neighbors await our answer.
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
John 17:21-23, KJV
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