Fr. Dale Matson
* Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which
He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure
savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also
from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away
the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for
three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
(Acts 20:28-31)
+Justin Welby has been
selected as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. I am relieved that I will soon no
longer be praying for ++Rowan Williams as ABC. It has been a long ten years. I have some concerns regarding some of +Justin
Welby’s statements. His central focus in his ministry is reconciliation. Reconciliation is one of the main goals of the
church of Christ but like many words today, reconciliation has a contemporary
meaning. The contemporary intent is not the reconciliation of sinners with God.
The intent now is to resume a conversation between liberal and conservatives
within the Anglican Communion. Conservatives are weary from years of listening
to liberals that press forward a false gospel of inclusion as justice at the
expense of leaving behind the transforming love of Jesus Christ that requires
repentance and adherence to Scriptural and historical norms. This amendment of
life is the response to God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ.
++Rowan Williams
triggered suspicion early on with his professed willingness to respect the mind
of the communion while openly disagreeing with it on GLBT inclusiveness. We are
at a point in some provinces now where the mantra of “All the sacraments for
all the baptized” has become a reality under the approving eye of ++Rowan
Williams. +Justin Welby has already signaled a willingness to “listen” to the
concerns of the GLBT community. Reconciliation for liberals really means
willingness to compromise Scriptural standards. A willingness to listen really
means collaboration and being co-opted.
As head of the Anglican
Communion, +Welby should be considering true reconciliation. He could be
considering reconciliation with the historical, holy catholic and apostolic
church. He has already stated his advocacy for women bishops in the Church of
England. His myopic view was shared by his predecessor ++Rowan Williams and my
concern is that we are looking at ++Rowan Williams phase two.
While there is meager background
evidence available on +Welby because of his brief tenure as a bishop, what is
available in interviews and speeches indicates his liberal leanings. There are
those who will condemn the public expression of my misgivings so soon after the
selection of +Welby. My response is that after ten years of covert betrayal of
conservatives, the burden of proof is on Canterbury. Will Canterbury reflect
the established and enduring truth of Scripture, Tradition, the vast majority
of the membership of the Anglican Communion and the church universal?
I am not the only one
watching. While +Welby was congratulated by some conservative primates, he was also
put on notice that they were holding him accountable to the enduring standards
of Scripture and the teaching of the Apostles. It is past time for the ABC to
be primarily the head of the Church of England and secondarily the head of the
Anglican Communion.
* Epistle lesson for Feast day of the
Consecration of Samuel Seabury first American bishop.
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