Can we still avoid Anglicanism falling apart?

At the end of last year, the Prayers of Love and Faith entered Church of England ‘currency’. In short, a library of prayers has been commended by the House of Bishops that will enable clergy to conduct prayers of blessing for couples in a parish church who are in a sexually active relationship outside of heterosexual marriage.

There is an imminent prospect of so-called ‘standalone’ services seemingly being brought in on an experimental basis, and some of the bishops have also indicated their desire to make it possible for clergy to marry same-sex partners.

For evangelicals holding onto the inherited and Biblical position of the Church of England, all of this leads to a simple but crucial question: What now – and can I remain in the Church of England?

The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) is of the view that the answer to this question for the moment is a resounding ‘yes’. The reason for this encouragement to stay is based on the commitment of CEEC to pursue permanent structural differentiation and offer temporary provisions in the meantime that will enable evangelicals to continue to minister in good conscience.

The first of the two provisions (launched immediately after the November General Synod) is the Ephesian Fund. This fund makes it possible for individuals to give to their local church (or other ministries) in such a way that their donations are ‘ring-fenced’ for orthodox ministry only. The fund also allows PCCs to pay their voluntary parish share (also called quota or common fund in some dioceses) to their diocese, with the Ephesian Fund ensuring that all such donations are only allocated to orthodox parishes (defined by whether their vicar and/ or PCC can sign the CEEC Basis of Faith).

Early indications are that the assurance this provides to orthodox evangelicals will be important – and the principle it establishes of parishes being able to insist that their parish share only supports orthodox parishes is an important marker in the ground for however the future pans out.

CEEC has also announced the provision of informal alternative spiritual oversight. Clergy (and PCCs) the length and breadth of the dioceses are indicating a substantial loss of spiritual confidence in their bishops and find themselves asking who they can look to for counsel, prayerful support and accountability.

CEEC is working with a number of honorary assistant bishops and intends to commission further ‘overseers’ to provide this spiritual oversight. These overseers will not be able to offer the episcopal functions of confirmation services and ordinations, but their presence and ministry will be a positive support to orthodox clergy feeling isolated and shepherd-less. It sends a clear signal to bishops in the majority of dioceses that episcopal support for the Prayers of Love and Faith is eroding clerical confidence in their leadership.

Neither of the provisions above will be sufficient in the long term to secure the presence of orthodox evangelicals in the Church of England. So CEEC is committed, alongside these provisions, to pursuing with vigour a permanent structural rearrangement of the Church of England. This structural differentiation will need to provide orthodox Ordinary oversight (i.e. diocesan bishop), pipelines for ordinands, curates and parochial appointments built on a commitment to orthodoxy, deanery and diocesan partnerships and engagement that allow orthodox evangelicals to differentiate from those who have departed from the Biblical and historic Church of England understanding, securing of historic assets (including buildings and funds) for orthodox ministry, and a clear statement of Biblical doctrine that allows unbiblical teaching to be called out as error.

In Guarding the Deposit (see CEEC website/ library) CEEC identified a number of possible ‘models’ of provision without ever indicating a preference. At the same time, it is clear that to remain truly Anglican, any ‘solution’ must provide orthodox archepiscopal oversight – a fact which suggests that an Ebbsfleet ‘model’ will be insufficient (N.B. – CEEC thanks God for the ministry of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet and works closely with him and those who receive his ministry).

In the event of the author of this article being invited to make a ‘proposal’ to the House of Bishops, it would be for the creation of ‘new ecclesial space’ for those wishing to depart from the Church of England’s historic and Biblical doctrine. Whilst the revisionists might throw up their hands in horror at this suggestion (they assume they are on course to take over the whole Cof E) it is more likely to get evangelical and traditional Catholic support at General Synod than any proposal offering only delegated episcopal oversight, and it might just enable the Anglican Communion to avoid falling apart.