Reflection: G3 to G1?

In response to these innovations, a group called the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen sponsored what is called the Congress of St. Louis, a gathering of nearly 2,000 Anglicans from September 14-16, 1977. The result of this conference was a formal split from TEC and the a document called the Affirmation of St. Louis. The Affirmation of St. Louis commits those who broke from TEC “to continue in the Catholic Faith, Apostolic Order, Orthodox Worship and Evangelical Witness of the tradition Anglican Church, doing all things necessary for the continuance of the same.” It emphasizes the need for Anglicans to submit to Holy Scripture, the Nicene, Apostles’ and Athanasian Creeds, the Tradition of the Church “especially as defined by the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church”, and the seven Sacraments—Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Penance, and Unction of the Sick. In the Solemn Declaration of the Anglican Province of America, our Bishops pledge to uphold the Affirmation of St. Louis.

Sadly, whenever there is a split in the Church, even a warranted one, it seems to lend itself to further fracturing. The group that left TEC in 1977 did not stay together. The first things this group did was consecrate four bishops—Charles Doren, James Orin Mote, Robert Morse, and Francis Watterson. Unfortunately, due to personalities, politics, and jurisdiction, this unified movement divided into three different bodies: The Anglican Catholic Church, the United Episcopal Church of North America, and the Diocese of Christ the King. These bodies underwent their own jurisdictional evolutions and splits so that, by the 2000s, the major players were the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC), Anglican Church in America (ACA), and Anglican Province of America (APA), and the Diocese of the Holy Cross.

Happily, the story does not end in disrepair and conflict. In 2017, Abp. Mark Haverland (ACC), Bp. Brian Marsh (ACA), Bp. Walter Grundorf (APA), and Bp. Paul Hewett came together at a Joint Synod in Atlanta, Georgia to sign an intercommunion agreement. The text of that agreement is as follows:

We acknowledge each other to be orthodox and catholic Anglicans in virtue of our common adherence to the authorities accepted by and summarized in the Affirmation of St. Louis in the faith of the Holy Tradition of the undivided Catholic Church and of the seven Ecumenical Councils.

We recognize in each other in all essentials the same faith; the same sacraments; the same moral teaching; and the same worship; likewise, we recognize in each other the same Holy Orders of bishops, priests, and deacons in the same Apostolic Succession, insofar as we all share the episcopate conveyed to the Continuing Churches in Denver in January 1978 in response to the call of the Congress of Saint Louis; therefore,

We welcome members of all of our Churches to Holy Communion and parochial life in any and all of the congregations of our Churches; and,

We pledge to pursue full, institutional, and organic union with each other, in a manner that respects tender consciences, builds consensus and harmony, and fulfills increasingly our Lord’s will that His Church be united; and,

We pledge also to seek unity with other Christians, including those who understand themselves to be Anglican, insofar as such unity is consistent with the essentials of Catholic faith, order, and moral teaching.

For those who know, former St. Paul’s parishioner Jack Wyatt, who served our parish as Senior Warden, was one of the organizers of that Joint Synod at which this agreement was signed. At the time, these four churches were referred to as the G-4. In 2021, the G-4 became the G-3 as the Diocese of the Holy Cross joined the Anglican Catholic Church.

Today, there are three main representatives of Anglicanism in America. The G3 represents Continuing Anglicanism as defined by the Affirmation of St. Louis. The Episcopal Church can be described as “Canterbury Anglicanism” because they are still in communion with the Church of England. They ordain women to the diaconate, priesthood, and episcopate and perform or bless same-sex unions. The final variation of Anglicanism in the United States is embodied by the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) which was formed in 2009 after the consecration of the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay, non-celibate Bishop V. Gene Robinson. They tend to be Evangelical in their outlook, blending much that can be found in the non-liturgical traditions with contemporary liturgy. While generally conservative on social issues, they also have a varying acceptance of women’s ordination by diocese. Some dioceses ordain women priests, other dioceses will ordain women deacons, but not priests, while still others do not ordain women at all. So there’s Continuing Anglicanism (G3), Canterbury Anglicanism (TEC), and  Evangelical Anglicanism (ACNA).[1]

All this brings us to the topic of our retreat next week where the topic is G1. The 2017 Intercommunion Agreement was an awesome first step in bringing our disparate jurisdictions back into unity. What we will be discussing next week, presumably, is what that unity might look like moving forward. These kinds of developments happen slowly and organically so nothing is impending. But it is an exciting time to be a Continuing Anglican! So much of the Christian landscape is being torn apart by disunity, but since 2017, we have been on a trajectory towards unity! So if you think about it, please pray that our bishops would have the wisdom to implement Christ’s prayer for his Church, “That they all may be one” (John 17:21).

The Prayer for the Unity of God’s People (BCP 37-38)

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace; Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions. Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly union and concord: that as there is but one Body and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[1] These categories, while not identical, are based on Canon Robert Bader’s categorization in “Canterbury Anglicanism, GAFCON Anglicanism, and Scranton Anglicanism,” Philorthodox, September 24, 2018, https://philorthodox.blogspot.com/2018/09/scranton-anglicanism.html.