The Missionary Society of Saint Wilfrid and Saint Hilda

has been launched by some catholic Anglican bishops including (from my part of the world) the Bishop of Chichester, the Bishop of Horham and Bishop Lindsey Urwin. It will be very interesting to see how it develops.

Is the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans / FCA UK which came out of the GAFCON movement an evangelical equivalent?

There seems to be a lack of English Evangelical Bishops seeking to make a similar kind of provision?

In fact, who are the English Evangelical Bishops who are opposed to the consecration of women to the Episcopate? And even if some are in favour of it, what provision will be made for their evangelical brothers and sisters and friends who up with this can not put?

Or maybe the good old C of E itself might yet do something adequate?

3 Cheers for the Bishop of Chichester

And 2 cheers for the Bishop of Winchester. Both of whom have been standing up for the Christian faith, integrity, Public Theology and good sense in the House of Lord's debate over the Equality bill - as reported in The Telegraph and highlighted by Christian Concern For Our Nation.

Bishop Jesus

1 Peter 2:25 (KJV)

Have you got the keys?

As I understand it, according to the BCP and the canons, in the dear old C of E, the presbyter has the power of the keys. He is to excommunicate gross notorious unrepentant sinners.

But he must notify the diocesan bishop who must give an opportunity for an interview and who may then give a ruling which the presbyter is to follow. The Bishop has a master or skeleton key.

Has the presbyter lost the power of the keys? Is this a good, right or acceptable system?

Texts on the power of the keys (and excommunication) most welcome too.

Priest / Elder / Bishop / Apsotles in NT & now for Anglo-Presbyterians

Off the top of my head, are we all agreed that:

(1) The English word "priest" as used in the Book of Common Prayer is related to the English word "presbyter" (elder) and not the Bible word "priest".

(2) When most informed Evangelicals think "priest" they are most likley to think mediator between God and man offering (propitiatory) sacrifices.

(3) Priests in the Bible are perhaps above all guard or guardians and stewards or servants.

(4) The terms elder (presbyter) and bishop / overseer (episcopos) are interchangable and refer to the same persons in the New Testament.

(5) It may be possible to distinguish the roles of "presbyters" and "bishops" in the New Testament (if not the terms) with "bishops" acting as senior presbyters with a wider geographical remit than ordinary presbyters.

(6) So all NT and modern presbyters are NT bishops and NT priests. Modern bishops are (senior) NT presbyters and priests.

(7) There are basically 2 orders of ministry: (1) deacons (2) priest / presbyters / bishops (2a) senior priest / presbyter "bishops"

(8) The Apostles were elders but not all elders were apostles even if eldership is somewhat apostolic. The modern role of bishop may be seen as especially apostolic since the NT figures who correspond to modern bishops were apostolic deligates or substitutes in a more direct way than elders were.

(9) This view may be thought of as a modified presbyterianism or a reduced episcopasy and has eccumenical potential! It is historically and biblically accurate and adapted to contemporary and abiding needs. It represents a classical Anglican understanding even if Anglicans today generally think more in terms of a 3 fold ministry.

Clear? Any corrections, additions?

Anglican Episcopacy

Off the top of my head, I don't think it takes too much imagination to argue that the historical Anglican position (of Cranmer et al.) is that Bishops are deacons (still) and elders (presbyters). Bishops are senior presbyters with a super-local ministry especially connected to providing ministry in the church and safeguarding sound doctrine, rather like Timothy and Titus in the New Testament.

The language is confused but there are thus basically 2 orders of ministry:
(1) Deacon
(2) Elder (a) presbyter pastors (b) presbyter bishops.

Bishops are seen as a good ancient idea not essential to the unity or existence of the church.

Archbishop Usher’s reduced episcopacy is consistent with this and should not be thought un-Anglican, though it would be a dramatic change to the structures as they now operate.

Bishops are meant to act collegiately in fellowship with one another and with their local presbyters. The monarchical tyranny of some Bishops is not required by the historic formularies.

As well as the Formularies (Prayer Book, Ordinal, Articles) and the Books of Homilies, I think Ministry In Three Dimensions and Roger Beckwith, Elders in Every City might be worth looking at on this subject. Maybe even Christopher Cocksworth, Being A Priest Today.

The closest thing we've got to a Bishop

Is Revd Richard Coekin the closest thing we've got to a NT kind of Bishop since he is an ordained Elder, the pastor of a congregation, with some oversight of other congregations, in a context of mission and church planting and with the aim of identifying, recuiting, training and deploying other elders?