"Sex is for married heterosexual couples only, says Church of England; "sex outside of heterosexual marriage ‘falls short of God’s purpose’.”

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Long, long ago, when the impetus to post anywhere on anything first struck me, I did a multi-page all about CoE/Cantuar/Anglican Communion post. It wasn’t really all-about, but it was long and tedious. But this is part of what it said.

One might compare the ABC and the Communion to the Commonwealth and the Monarch. Preeminent position, figurehead, no true authority. He can do various things within the Communion, but not much. Not invite folks to the decennial Lambeth Conference, exercise suasion as best he can, politic.
 
GKMotley said:
I’m in the Anglican Continuum (an umbrella term, remember) . Orthodox/Anglo-Catholic, not associated with either the Anglican Communion or the ACNA. A many splintered thing, the Continuum, though recently, in places, making interesting steps to patch itself together.
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I have a question regarding the Anglican Continuum as an Anglo-catholic currently under a parish in the communion.

With the advent of the anglican ordinariate, which has led to many former anglicans going back to the catholic church, more strongly for the Continuing Anglican Churches, I was wondering how do churches in Anglican Continuum stay grounded, especially with a smaller congregation and the opportunity to go over to the ordinariate? Do the church do outward evangelism to the public and/or rely on natural membership? (e.g. children of the current church members or people joining from other churches)

Just genuinely curious on this since I haven’t never been to a church within the anglican continuum.
 
I’m not aware of any impact the Ordinariate had on the Continuum as a whole, other than the ACA diocese and the few parishes that went in early on. I think I heard of one young priest, who visited our parish while in military chaplains school, who I think moved over. As to the Continuum as a whole, I have heard of nothing at all. If there has been a significant impact, indeed noticeable impact, it’s news to me.

Our parish has been ageing, then a few years ago, we began to have an influx of new, young and growing families, who were disillusioned with the progressive culture of their main stream protestant Churches, fell in love with the liturgical/sacramental worship at our parish and joined. It’s been a steady stream of baptisms and confirmations. Thus, over the 20 years I’ve been a parishioner, while we have made outreach efforts, the best results for us have been achieved by the liberalizing, progressive, mainstream churches.

We stopped watching for disillusioned Episcopalians years ago. That species is extinct, AFAIK.

Never had any trouble staying grounded. Sometimes worried about boots on the ground, though. Not so much lately.
 
correct.

The statement that relations are inappropriate times when conception I not possible is simply inconsistent with this teaching.
 
GKMotley said:
I’m not aware of any impact the Ordinariate had on the Continuum as a whole, other than the ACA diocese and the few parishes that went in early on. I think I heard of one young priest, who visited our parish while in military chaplains school, who I think moved over. As to the Continuum as a whole, I have heard of nothing at all. If there has been a significant impact, indeed noticeable impact, it’s news to me.

Our parish has been ageing, then a few years ago, we began to have an influx of new, young and growing families, who were disillusioned with the progressive culture of their main stream protestant Churches, fell in love with the liturgical/sacramental worship at our parish and joined. It’s been a steady stream of baptisms and confirmations. Thus, over the 20 years I’ve been a parishioner, while we have made outreach efforts, the best results for us have been achieved by the liberalizing, progressive, mainstream churches.

We stopped watching for disillusioned Episcopalians years ago. That species is extinct, AFAIK.

Never had any trouble staying grounded. Sometimes worried about boots on the ground, though. Not so much lately.
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Just the smallness of a congregation that is sacramental and traditional is kind of a drawing card, and I think most Continuum ones are smaller.

Many want the intimacy and community feeling. The problem is how does the tiny parish support a pastor. The question is how do young people find a spouse when the next Continuum parish is far away?

The priest likely sees his bishop only rarely. In the Ordinariate, and Eastern Catholic Churches, the priests often work part time for the Latin Rite diocese.

Perhaps Continuum clergy pick up a chaplaincy part time if their parish is tiny. They don’t have endowment, as some TEC may have. Likely pay rent.
 
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ltwin said:
The Episcopal Church has its own Presiding Bishop; they don’t need to take orders from England.
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And the Presiding Bishop who preceded the present one and presided over the Episcopal Church for nine years was a woman, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori. I saw her speak last year and was impressed.
 
Doubtless this is true for many Continuum parishes. But it varies.

Small parish, that’s us. We support our clergy by the usual means: as best we can. A rectory for the curate, an owned property for the assistant priest, the diocesan bishop has his own residence.

If there’s been a marriage within the parish, I’m not aware of it. More pertinent point is that our children grow up, they’re off to school, and lives of their own, wherever that may be.

Can’t speak for the Continuum, but our bishop does the regular routine of episcopal visits, plus the annual Synod, and more.

And I have no insight into the Continuum, generally. I’d guess these are all factors each parish faces. But we survive by dedication, faith, and giving, as generously as we can. So far (roughly 40 years), it’s been good enough, barely. We built our church, and it’s paid for, as are the rectory and the Chapel. Due to faithful, orthodox, Anglican believers. And the mercy of God. I’m guessing that goes a long way. And I’m a pessimist.

Parish has produced 5-6 priests, over the past 25 years or so, who, as far as I know, are all still active clergy.
 
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The gracious Katherine has certainly impressed many Anglicans. In various ways.
 
The same problem resonates in the Ordinariate, Eastern Catholic and even the high-church spectrum of the TEC, which is generally ageing. It can thus be hard for the young to find a community of friends with a common belief, let alone future spouse. My answer will be it depends on how rooted/grounded are their beliefs to their current church and if not, which spectrum do they stand in terms of evangelical protestant or latin-rite catholic.

If they are highly rooted, I see them willing to stay on in the above churches regardless of their lack of opportunity to find a future spouse. If they are willing to explore other churches for a wider community, then I see them moving to the Catholic Church or going to an Anglican low-church.

I could imagine the former occurring to Anglo-catholics who hold firm to their faith in the Continuum, such as being able to subscribe to the doctrines of Transubstantiation, the Invocation of Saints and the Blessed Virgin, Auricular Confession and Purgatory; the use of rosaries, scapulars, relics, images, incense, holy water and the belief in one authoritative Holy Catholic Church outside of which there is no salvation, but not submitting to the bishop of Rome and accepting his infallibility. In either case, they wouldn’t find themselves fitting into the catholic church and more so into an evangelical church.

http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/whstowe/what1932.html

Support of the parish will be established on evangelism and church liturgy. Some people are drawn to the unchanging liturgy of the parish, which they are unable to find in most protestant churches. Some people are brought in as family friends and have thus, stayed on as members of the church. As GKmotley mentioned, it’s really the mercy of God on the members, the Methodist church I attended when I first came to Perth is quickly losing members due to stubbornness and apathy towards evangelism, despite my steps to promote evangelism amongst the youth.
 
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GKMotley said:
The gracious Katherine has certainly impressed many Anglicans. In various ways.
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Ah, I wondered how you would respond to Thorolfr on the matter of the former Presiding Bishop. Restrained, very restrained. 🙂
 
Agree. As far as I understand it, Welby’s views on marriage lean in the traditional direction, but since becoming Archbishop he’s been very diplomatic about how he tries to keep the peace between both sides.
 
ltwin said:
Agree. As far as I understand it, Welby’s views on marriage lean in the traditional direction, but since becoming Archbishop he’s been very diplomatic about how he tries to keep the peace between both sides.
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He’s “keeping the peace” by following the diplomacy policy of Neville Chamberlain.

He’s monitoring the cease-fire line, but the line is definitely moving in one direction only.
 
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ltwin said:
As far as I understand it, Welby’s views on marriage lean in the traditional direction, but since becoming Archbishop he’s been very diplomatic about how he tries to keep the peace between both sides
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Certainly he sees it as important to keep the peace, and where agreement is not possible to keep disagreeing in love, as he might put it. But my impression has been that since becoming Archbishop he has come, through his engagement with homosexual Christians, to understand much better the pain they feel at their predicament, and this has both softened his language and made him reconsider. I don’t think his views have changed in essence, but perhaps his sympathies have.
 
PickyPicky said:
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ltwin:
As far as I understand it, Welby’s views on marriage lean in the traditional direction, but since becoming Archbishop he’s been very diplomatic about how he tries to keep the peace between both sides
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my impression has been that since becoming Archbishop he has come, through his engagement with homosexual Christians, to understand much better the pain they feel at their predicament, and this has both softened his language and made him reconsider. I don’t think his views have changed in essence, but perhaps his sympathies have.
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It’s possible , maybe, that since becoming Archbishop he’s had ample time to develop the kinds of personal relationships towards insights you describe. Could be.

It’s also possible he might have been affected by the political and media establishments, and connections they have with powerful persons in the Church of England and in the general population.

That could affect one’s sympathies, too.
 
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