Episcopal Synod of America

Does anyone remember the Episcopal Synod of America (ESA)? Some will recall the effort. If memory serves, the start-up effort occurred in early June, 1989 when the Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth (ECUSA), the Right Reverend Clarence Pope, convened the Synod’s first gathering – in a large Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. This gathering in Fort Worth occurred, coincidentally, at the same time of the Tiananmen Square uprising and subsequent massacre in China.

Many, if not most, of the participants were Anglo Catholic laypersons and clergy within the Episcopal Church. Needless to say, they were not pleased with the direction being forged by the national leadership of The Episcopal Church. This ESA effort, it must be said, preceded the formation of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) in the year 2000 and many other foreign-hosted Anglican ecclesiastical jurisdictions in the United States that followed: (i..e., Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Southeast Asia, and Bolivia.

To expand the historical context of internal skirmishes: at a convention in St. Louis, Missouri in 1976 many individual churches, both lay and clergy, separated themselves from the Episcopal Church and formed several Anglican jurisdictions known generally as the "Continuing Churches." In 1873 the Reformed Episcopal Church was organized by a former bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church (now TEC).

But in August, 1997, the Bishop of Dallas, the Right Reverend James M. Stanton, issued a statement to his diocesan clergy referencing the progress of ESA and the prevailing issue at that time. Stanton had already founded the American Anglican Council (AAC); a para-church organization still in operation in 2015.

Bishop Stanton said in his statement that the bishops of the church had earlier given its approvals to the ordinations and consecrations of the bishops of the dioceses of Eau Claire, San Joaquin, Fort Worth, and Quincy (all orthodox, Anglo-Catholic dioceses). Those bishops were opposed to the ordination of women as presbyters (priests) or overseers (bishops) and the House of [voting] Bishops knew that position in advance of the consecrations. Pressure was already building among national church leaders to force bishops and dioceses to ordain women. This was a side issue, probably, but one which had its effect on ESA.

The prevailing issue causing Stanton’s letter to be written was a statement by ESA that it would become a “province.”

Here are some items from Bishop Stanton’s letter to his clergy dated August 11, 1997:

1.      The ESA leadership has made it clear that it will stay within ECUSA (now TEC)

2.      The exact nature or definition of “province” by ESA remained unclear

3.      Stanton stated that he will “continue to be in communion” with the bishops of ESA “come what may”

4.      The position of the American Anglican Council on this issue was identical to that of Bishop Stanton. The AAC also considered the ESA as an affiliate ministry. The AAC had a woman presbyter on its board of directors.

5.      Bishop Stanton and Bishop Jack Iker (Fort Worth) had worked together for three years on a plan for Stanton to ordain women to the presbyterate from the Fort Worth diocese.

6.      Confusion arose about Stanton’s position. Stanton wrote that he stood with all the bishops of the Episcopal Church. He challenged the charge that he stood with ESA in respect to their opposition women’s ordination. He said he ordains women in his diocese and implied that he would not oppose fellow bishops who would not ordain women.

7.      Stanton expressed his hope he and his diocese would work to bring unity and healing to this “deeply divided church”

Bishop Stanton ended his statement reminding his clergy that the [secular] press “is not sensitive to the theological and ecclesiastical nuances of statements or messages coming from various quarters of the Church.” An understatement if there ever was one.

The probable tipping point within the ranks of the Episcopal Church came in year 2003 when a priest, a practicing, non-celibate homosexual man, was elected bishop of one of the dioceses of the Episcopal Church. Call it reaction, change or realignment, it came rapidly but at a lethargically ecclesiastical pace, nonetheless.

In 2015 the issues within the greater Anglican Communion have changed somewhat from that of the 1980s and 1990s. The Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada have journeyed in a direction that many believe is neither biblical, nor orthodox Christianity. 

Out of necessity the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a new Anglican Province, was formed more than five years ago with the consent, support, and endorsement of the majority of Primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Recognition of ACNA is currently withheld by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Church unity seems to be a futile dream, but the Anglican Re-alignment is underway and the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be forwarded by His faithful church.