A Wide Umbrella

The Anglican Church is estimated to have a membership of over 60 million, represented around the world in 27 national groupings. Anglicans world-wide have representation on the Anglican Consultative Council. The Archbishop of Canterbury is Primate of the Church of England and spiritual leader of Anglicans universally.

Canon D.W. Grundy recently wrote: "The attractive ethos of the Church of England allows a variety of interpretations to its adherents, uniting them all around the Lord's table." How great that variety is a well known fact of religious history. The wide umbrella of the Anglican communion has accommodated elements as diverse as the Anglo-Catholic "high church" ritualists and the "low church" evangelicals.

How much "variety of interpretation" is tolerable? This question lies at the heart of the controversy which surrounded the consecration of Professor David Jenkins as Bishop of Durham in July 1984. Professor Jenkins had been featured in the media as holding views which affronted many Bible-believing Anglicans -doubting the virgin birth of Christ, questioning His miracles, discounting the importance of His literal resurrection and ascension. An appeal to the Archbishop of York, signed by over 12,000 people, called on the Archbishop to ask Professor Jenkins publicly to affirm his faith in the Creeds of the Church, and if he did not comply, seriously to reconsider the appointment. Certain members of the Anglican Synod asked for the appointment to be postponed until it could be discussed by the full Synod. In spite of these representations the consecration of Professor Jenkins went forward.

The ceremony took place before a congregation of more than 2000 in York Minister. As the function proceeded there were interruptions in protest. Declaring that the service was "to the degradation of Jesus Christ" the first protester denounced Professor Jenkins' beliefs. The congregation had hardly settled down again, and the royal mandate of the bishop's appointment was being read, when a clergyman appeared at the lectern and began reading from a tract which had been distributed outside the cathedral before the service. The leaflet stressed that it was a very grave matter for anyone not to believe in the virgin birth and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and particularly so for a bishop. Whatever may be thought of this form of protest, it reflects how deeply many Anglicans feel about the official endorsement of views directly in conflict with the Creeds to which the Anglican church subscribes.

Professor D. Nineham gave the address at the York Minster consecr4ion

service. He had previously commented that the views of Professor Jenkins "would hardly raise an eyebrow in theological circles... The majority of New Testament scholars, certainly within the Church of England, would agree with him, and even those who do not would, I am sure, agree that what he's said is widely held, perfectly reliable, and something for which perfectly good, sensible arguments can be put forward." How clearly this illustrates the trend among many scholastic leaders under the wide umbrella of the Anglican communion!

The similar trend among diocesan bishops is reported in connection with a popular London TV programme:

"A poll of the views of 31 diocesan bishops, taken for the programme, found that 18 took the traditional view of the virgin birth, while 10 favoured a more modern or liberal interpretation. They were equally divided on the miracles, but 20 favoured a traditional view of the resurrection against 9 who thought it was more likely to have arisen from a series of experiences in line with Professor Jenkins' opinions."

"Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus," wrote Paul to Timothy. No pattern of sound words can be maintained when "interpretations" of Scripture so diverse as those involved in the controversy are allowed. Disciples of Christ in apostolic times were bound together by ties of love to Christ and loyalty to His truth. The churches of God in which they locally served were seen in world-wide unity as

"the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." This remains God's purpose for His children. Unitedly subscribing to the same teachings, they are to be "perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgement" (1 Cor. 1:10). This scriptural concept of Christian unity stands in stark contrast to the wide umbrella of the Anglican communion. How can it be scripturally justified to include within the same church communion some leaders who believe the facts stated in Scripture about Christ's birth, life and resurrection and others who reject those facts?

As these issues are brought into such bold relief through the recent consecration of the Bishop of Durham, many world-wide may well feel the relevance of the apostle Paul's trenchant challenge:

"Tryyour own selves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Cor. 13:5).

unknown | Nov 1984
Focus