One of the central theses of my three previous posts has been to encourage a complex--rather than a merely binary--understanding of goings-on among Anglican Christians in the central third of California, known lately as the Diocese of San Joaquin--to wit: Aside from the Coneheads (no slight intended; I just couldn't resist) and those who identify with Remain Episcopal (the local franchise for Via Media), there is a third group that we may yet find are the actual "players" in any coming reconfiguration of the Episcopal Church's presence in that region. They are as orthodox as the day is long and every bit as "conservative" as those who have flown south, so they are likely to be as much of a thorn in the side of the "National Church" establishment as was the diocese in its prior incarnation. This cannot come as good news to said establishment, but it may not be a reality they will be able to avoid without conspicuously abrogating the sort of canonical due process that underlies [here all genuflect] "our polity." Their own shibboleth may yet become unpronounceable to them.
I am pleased to see an emerging awareness of this complex reality in the blogsphere. Reinforcing my point is this pointed but insightful essay by Father Rob Eaton on San Joaquin's official blog. May those who have ears to hear, hear.
5 comments:
You would probably consider me someone who is deep in the revisionist camp, but I rejoice that not the entire diocese has left for Southern parts and I especially hope that they will continue to be a thorn and a witness to their faith. I fear what we will become without a loyal opposition. I can no more say "I have no need of you." than they can say it of me.
Yet, I remain concerned that many of these same people may have voted for the move to SC. They were apparently popular enough to get elected tot he Standing Committee. Why did they not use that influence to argue against the move or, at least, a postponement of it?
I remain concerned that this Standing Committee is a rear guard action merely intended to interfere with the orderly reorganization of the Diocese. I hope to have my worst fears proven wrong.
You have moved outside of the Diocese of San Joaquin and you continue to undermine every effort to rebuild. That is difficult for me to understand.
I am a 66 year old woman, a mother, a grandmother, a retired teacher and I have been an Episcopalian in the Diocese for more than 40 years, longer than you were there. There is a great deal of my heart and soul in this diocese. And I must say, it is hard for me to understand how I get painted into the radical, revisionist camp that will be unable to appreciate those godly conservatives who YOU think should be called in to run the Diocese of San Joaquin. Some of us are just darned sick of the angry rhetoric and the divisive statements that have been made for years and continue to be made.
I want something new for our Episcopal Church in the Diocese of San Joaquin, and that won't happen if we continue to look for every misstep and mistake the "other" side is making, (and here I refer to the "insightful" treatise by Fr. Eaten.)
Does everyone really want to continue to battle?? What is the point? There is no need to declare the winners here, and we are all the losers if we are unable to begin to pick up the pieces and look for ways where we can begin to work together.
What can you do, Father Dan Martins, to help this situation in San Joaquin?
Fr. Dan,
As I have talked to many of these people who are putting on this gathering and the majority of those who will be attending are not "conservative" but are the liberal remenant of the DSJ and are of the Remain Episcopal Via Media left. Those "conservatives" who might be in attendance are only going to hear the other side to stay informed and do not ascribe to it.
Dear Fr. Martins,
I have repeatedly read your sarcasm toward the Remain Episcopal group. I quite frankly do not understand what your challenge is with those of us who want to remain in TEC. I am tired of the unkind things being said about a group of people who simply want to be inclusive and do the Lord's work.
Love Thy Neighbor...
Dan,
I eagerly await your comments about the Presiding Bishop's news today that she "does not recognize" the duly elected members of the Standing Committee who did not join the Southern Cone. It seems to me she is trying to put out a fire with gasoline.
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