The Age To Come

This is a post that’s been a long time coming, but yet been inevitable, and probably comes as no surprise to any regular reader of this blog.

I’m going to go over some things I’ve talked about previously, but that’s needed to set the context and the background.

In 2003 my family and I were called from the UK to Canada. We were there for 12 years, and in that time were part of the realignment of the Anglican Church in North America.

In Canada, the Anglican Essentials movement was formed in response to the innovations of the day – which was then, as is now, same sex blessings. Although SSB in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACOC) were very much the vanguard 20 years ago, rather than the compromise position now painted within the COE. 

Whilst there was one united diagnosis within Essentials, there were two prognoses – inside and outside. Inside became the Anglican Communion Alliance (ACA), remaining within the Anglican Church of Canada. Outside became the Anglican Network in Canada, eventually taking their place within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Although one could debate which was really inside, and which outside, with the majority of the Anglican Communion cutting ties with the ACOC in favour of ACNA.

The same story has played out in the COE, at least to a point. And it is this point of divergence that is a matter of sorrow and regret for me.

As opposed to what transpired the other side of the pond, in England we appear to have predominantly one diagnosis and one prognosis. This single prognosis can be summarised in one word – stay. 

Prior to the vote in General Synod, for many SSB was determined to be the red line. That line was duly crossed in November 2023. It was as such surprising to see the alacrity of the orthodox leaders’ response to that vote – to state they were remaining in the COE and encouraging others to do likewise.

So why such a matter of sorrow and regret? Well, one only needs to cast eyes across the pond to see how things have played out. Whilst the ACNA continues to grow, the ACA has withered on the vine. This is perhaps no surprise – in choosing to remain in an environment that was so spiritually poisoned, all they could do was partake in the inevitable decline of an ichabod church.

It is on this point I differ from many of my orthodox brothers and sisters, in that I do not view both prognoses as equally valid. I’m not denying that some may be called to remain. But as a path, it leads to nothing good. And those leaders that led their congregations down that path were well-meaning folks – well-meaning but wrong. And not the type of wrong such as choosing the incorrect colour of paint for a room. The kind of catastrophic wrong that leads others into spiritual danger.

Well then, can they not leave later? They can. But often these decisions are a Kairos moment; when you’ve set a course you rarely deviate from it.

So, when I see my brothers and sisters on the COE make the choice to remain – both for themselves and for their congregations, I mourn. I hope, I pray, there will be other moments. I hope and pray that the COE Alliance will grow teeth and realise that the two simply cannot walk together, in any capacity. What fellowship has the Gospel with the world? But yet I fear the love that many have for the institution will in the end eclipse the love they have for the Lord.

And trust me – I have tried, with all my heart, to get people to listen, to no avail. I have said that this is a matter of principalities and powers. The division has to happen, because light has no fellowship with darkness. And indeed, rather than just a tragedy (although it is that) Jesus is bringing something beautiful out of this. For – and this has been my mandate for over 20 years – He is calling His Church to be ready for the times to come. Persecution, and Revival. We will have nothing, but in Him we will have all things. He is the Pearl of great price worth sacrificing everything for.

But, mandate aside, I was nobody in the COE. I don’t say that as an attack of the ‘poor me’s’. But just a statement of reality. A layman, no status, no position, no voice that anybody cared to listen to. I intensely regret that I was able to make no dent, no impact.

The time came, after the COE made their decisions at Synod, that I knew we would have to leave even if our orthodox brothers and sisters chose otherwise. And so when my wife was given a specific vision from somebody during a retreat, making it crystal clear that we were to leave now, we had to bid our goodbyes.

Out last Sunday has just gone. There is a feeling of completeness and peace, though my regret remains. Truth is, I’m not sure we could have remained much longer anyway. I just don’t want to be part of the inevitable battle and loss of focus that contending for the faith in the Church of England will entail. I want to get on with preaching the Gospel, in a place that knows what the Gospel is!

And there are alternatives that we are currently exploring. But we’re in no rush, time to rest and reorientate before the next chapter begins.

So that is my testimony, my story. I hope and pray it may speak to somebody, and grant clarity in the midst of any struggles and decisions you are wrestling with.

For those of you that follow Anglican matters, you’ll be aware that the CoE synod followed up the same sex blessings vote in February this year with a subsequent vote in November to begin implementation.

So what to make of all this?

Firstly, to me this is the red line. The place where I cannot in conscience remain. The church was hopelessly compromised before, it has now made its slide into heresy official.

I’ve written on this before – recently here, here and here. Where we are now is no surprise.

What I have found surprising, and saddening, is the alacrity by which many CoE evangelicals have nailed their colours to the ‘staying’ mast. I expected some, maybe many, to go that way. But what I’ve seen, at least so far, amongst the leadership is disheartening to me.

I read the response of the CEEC and wonder, what is the most important thing here, to contend for orthodoxy, or to remain in the Church of England? Both, I would imagine they would say, though it seems to me that will soon become untenable. One of the two will give way.

Now it seems as if the CoE Bishops are going to offer a more formal vote on Same Sex blessings in 2025. To which I respond: they’re not stupid are they? There was an insightful article written recently here. The byline should really have been The process IS the outcome. And, with a process that led to a defeat by only one vote, dangling another vote someway down the road is a little like Lucy setting down Charlie Brown’s football yet again knowing Charlie is just not going to be able to resist. Let’s keep contending just a little bit longer, just a little bit, one more push. We’re almost there.

As if a vote, even a successful vote, would make any difference at all…

For the division must occur; we are heading in different directions. Focusing on canons, on legal interpretations, on votes – is to miss the point.

What has become clearer to me is the raw power of the institution itself in English Anglican minds of whatever theological persuasion. Now, I’ve got no problem with an institution per se, but I do when it starts to look more than a bit like an idol. I’m familiar with this from my Canadian Anglican experience, but the Anglican Church of Canada is like a small bronze household god compared with the full blown golden calf that the Church of England seems to represent in the minds of many!

One other big difference I’ve seen between the English and Canadian Anglican Church is the CoE is much more parochial with respect to the wider Anglican Communion. In Canada the relationship with the wider Communion was important, in England far as I have seen it is a second order issue at best. I wonder now whether idolatry may play a part in that. After all, what do we have to learn from second class Anglicans?

This leaves me feeling a bit like an orphan. Many of the folks I’ve been walking alongside, assuring me that this was their red line too, appear to be a little less committed to that now it is real.. And that’s those who know what’s going on. So many others appear unaware of the earthquake detonating under our church. They’re just getting on with the day to day business of church. Some days I wish I could join them. The last thing I want to be doing is figuring out how to respond to this.

But yet, to stay is to remain in an an apostate institution that will slowly spiritually poison us. The word I was given in 2004 – Ichabod – still holds true. And here’s where the real story is different. Because God is doing a new thing. He is raising up His Church from the same ground occupied by the dying branch of the Church of England. The institution is now separated from the Vine, and can only wither. It’s not the place to be.

God will Build His Church for the times to come – and we can be part of that – or not. I know where I stand, and if leaving-to-remain-standing is the price to pay, however painful, I will pay it.