Bishop Boyce Urges Anglican Province of America (APA) to Join Common Cause (CCP)

Bishop Richard Boyce oversees the Diocese of the West within the Anglican Province in America (APA), a continuing Anglican church of which Blessed Trinity Alpine (Fr. Keith Acker) is a part. Not long ago, APA leadership announced that APA would be pulling back from it's original approach to Common Cause Partners, apparently due to clamoring from below (clergy & lay) and ostensibly due to the particular issue of women's ordination.

Today, local Anglican blogger, The Beadle, has posted an anticipated letter from Bishop Boyce urging APA to sign on for now with Common Cause. The brief message is a fairly concise outline addressing each of the various concerns dissenters among APA faithful may have. I found it to be the kind of helpful, plain speak we don't hear enough of from Anglican bishops these days.

Indeed, women's ordination is a huge stumbling block for many of us who have yet gone ahead and joined Common Cause. I myself am frustrated with the clear minority within CCP who continue to ordain women at such a sensitive time as this. They are not helping anyone. That said, I don't believe women's ordination (priesthood, not diaconate) will survive the theological review of the matter coming shortly after CCP is recognized as a legitimate ecclesial structure within the Global Anglican Communion. However, that review comes second to existing at all. There are more important battles to be fought right now. For APA to stay back while others of us are on the front lines of this historic contest is, in my humble opinion, equally as hurtful to the whole as those dioceses so intent at this inopportune time on ordaining women. I believe that is what Bp. Boyce is saying in his message, but read it for yourself.

Bravo, Bishop Boyce, and well said. Our prayers are with you.

From:
http://web.mac.com/thebeadle/BeadleBlog/Blog/Entries/2008/2/24_Message_f...
Emphases mine.

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3) What Are We Joining?: CCP is not a jurisdiction nor church. It is a voluntary association of orthodox Anglicans. I know some of our people are still traumatized by the big boot of ECUSA leadership back when they left the Episcopal Church. But this is not the same. We can quit as easily as we can join. To be sure, the clear purpose of CCP is to shape the formation of a new province. That is what Jesus wants (see point #1 above). Surely we don't need to spell out that it should therefore be what we want. Further, the opportunity to sit at the table and help shape the new province is a wonderful way to do mission for classic Anglicanism. Our input as the "elder brother" of American orthodox Anglicanism is invaluable and could reawaken the traditional sense in people who have had to live with pressure from the other direction for a long time. My impression is that Bp. Duncan in particular has gone out of his way to invite our participation in this and it is unthinkable that we would pass it up. Even if our input is not accepted to the point where we could become an integral part of a new province, at least we have had a chance to shape the future of Anglicanism. To withdraw from these discussions, as is now proposed, and then sit back and criticize the outcome when instead we could have shaped the outcome is totally irresponsible. It will have a negative impact not only on the new province but also on us, as we become a marginalized sect of soreheads with nothing Anglican to offer.

4) Polity We talk of the congregationalist mindset and bewail it. But if we leave CCP, we have confirmed it as our real polity. Anglicans, as all catholics, see the basic unit as the diocese not the congregation. We have the right to expect the integrity (sorry about the word, but it is a good one even if the wrong people sometimes claim it) of our dioceses and hopefully the decency to respect the rights of others. But we need to be where the Anglican bishops are.