A schism of one's own

Writing in the Church Times, Giles Fraser raises an objection to the appointment of border crossing bishops:

In reality [breakway parishes] declared their independence from the national Church years ago. They are effectively independent city-states that have pulled up the drawbridge and will not be told what to do by anyone. Priests of big churches in the US often act like mini prince-bishops — hence the convenience of a faraway seat of authority.

To come under Nigeria is effectively to do as they please. It allows them to put “Anglican” on the board, though they are basically congregationalists by a posher-sounding name. When they fall out with their new best friends in Nigeria — the history of schism suggests they will — another bishop will be found.

Meanwhile, Simon Sarmiento tries to cut through the hype surrounding the various African initiatives in the Unites States and find out how many congregations truly exist.

Posted by Jim Naughton on September 24, 2007 12:00 PM | |
Comments (1)

Since you've linked to my article, it may be worth noting that it was written and printed before the latest CANA announcement of more bishops and more congregations (by transfer from Southern Cone).

Posted by Simon Sarmiento [TypeKey Profile Page] | September 24, 2007 12:20 PM

Add your comments

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

Reminder: At Episcopal Café, we hope to establish an ethic of transparency by requiring all contributors and commentators to make submissions under their real names. For more details see our Feedback Policy.

Advertising Space