Dear Truro family,
Four weeks ago, we welcomed Archbishop Steve Wood here at Truro. This week you may have seen a Washington Post article entitled: “U.S. Anglican Church archbishop accused of sexual misconduct, abuse of power: An attempted kiss, cash payments and other allegations roil the Anglican Church in North America.” In this article, allegations are shared from before Archbishop Wood’s election, during the time he was Bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas and Rector of St. Andrew’s Mt. Pleasant.
The Washington Post has also published a follow-up article this morning entitled: “A bishop’s secret church trial and the U.S. Anglican Church in turmoil”. This covers the turmoil in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest (led by Bishop Stewart Ruch) and the investigation and ecclesiastical trial that has dragged on for much too long.
We pray for God’s light to shine upon these situations, and upon all involved. That’s all we want, isn’t it? For God’s light to shine into any places of darkness and woundedness, wherever they may be. I exhort you to pray!
Additionally, over the last few weeks you may have heard news about a new Archbishop of Canterbury (the leader of the Church of England, not in any way the leader of the ACNA), and a statement from a worldwide group of Anglican provinces referred to as “GAFCON”, of which the ACNA is a member. They celebrate a “re-ordering” of the Anglican communion – with the Bible as our sole foundation of communion – and with a clear distancing from former instruments of the communion, namely Canterbury.
This is a lot of Anglican News. Most of which is sobering, a lot of which is confusing, and a little bit of which is encouraging. There is a lot I could say – but for the sake of clarity and brevity, let me remind us:
There is no perfect church or denomination, only a perfect Savior. Charles Spurgeon said it well: “If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all; and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it.”
There is nothing wasted in God’s redeeming hands. When a church, diocese, and/or denomination is shaken, trust that God is at work doing what he does best: redeeming, disciplining, and strengthening. What we see as a crisis, God uses as a chrysalis.
There is no greater name than the name of Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 3:5, the Apostle Paul asked the Corinthian church – tempted to align themselves behind the earthly leader they followed: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul?” The implied answer is: “not much!” So, what then is Steve Wood? What then is Billy Graham? What then are any of us? What then is Jamie Brown? Not much, praise God. We proclaim the name above all names, Jesus Christ alone.
Finally: While these particular news headlines may have no tangible impact on us as a local church here at Truro, they ought to draw us to our knees. And in that respect, may God use them to make us humble. And watchful. And did I mention humble?
Jamie