Father Tony on Bishop Cox and the History of the Continuing Church

A very helpful and intriguing read...

The Rev. Tony Clavier
Ecumenical Officer for the Diocese of West Virginia
Priest-in-charge, St. Thomas a Becket Church, Morgantown, WV


NO DISCIPLINE

The attempt to create a united church instead created fragmentation. After General Convention’s 1976 approval of the ordination of women and first reading of legislation to create a new Book of Common Prayer, traditionalists divided. Some remained within TEC as “The Evangelical and Catholic Mission”, a lobby whose heir is now “Forward in Faith America.” A few associated themselves with the Roman Catholic Church. Still others formed a body called “The Anglican Church in North America.” Despite the American precedent that it was possible to have a church without geographically resident bishops, the leaders of ACNA were determined to go ahead and elect bishops for their emerging dioceses and secure valid consecration for them.
The bishops-elect were James Mote of Denver, Dale Doren of Pittsburgh and Robert Morse of Oakland. All were Episcopal priests. Fr. Doren was an evangelical. They were divided in their ecclesiology, churchmanship and personal relationships.


As the date of their consecration drew near, it looked as if at least three bishops were willing to consecrate the bishops-elect. They were Charles Boynton, retired Suffragan of New York, Clarence Haden, Bishop of Northern California, Albert Chambers, retired Bishop of Springfield, Mark Pae, a Korean Anglican bishop and Francisco Pagtakhan, a missionary bishop of the Philippine Independent National Catholic Church which was in communion with the Episcopal Church.

At the last minute all but bishops Chambers and Pagtakhan dropped out. Most cited ill health. Bishop Mark Pae who was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury sent a letter stating that if he were able to be there, he would have joined in the laying on of hands. This letter was produced during the service as a symbol of participation. The lack of a physically present third bishop suggested to many that the consecrations were “irregular.” Bishop Doren was consecrated by two bishops and then became the third bishop in the remaining consecrations.


It is not clear whether Bishop Chambers was disciplined by the Episcopal Church for his participation. Within a year ACNA divided into three groups. Bishop Mote became a territorial bishop in the Anglican Catholic Church. Bishop Doren became the Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America and Bishop Morse the Archbishop of the non-geographical Diocese of Christ the King. All three ecclesial groups exist to this day.

Division


At least one other jurisdiction pre-dates the “Denver Consecrations”. It was termed “The American Episcopal Church.” Its Orders were thought by many to be at least irregular. It was shunned by the post Denver churches. However the AEC demonstrated significant growth in the 1980s, as it absorbed smaller “continuing churches” and parishes and grew new ones. Beginning in 1985, the leadership of the Anglican Catholic Church began to show interest in merging with the American Episcopal Church. Those opposed to such a merger cited problems over Canon Law, the validity of Orders and other matters as obstacles to unity. On the other hand it was generally agreed that growing divisions among “continuing churches” hampered growth and stability and weakened the witness of those in exile from the Episcopal Church.
Despite considerable antipathy to a union between the American Episcopal Church and the Anglican Catholic Church, negotiations continued and agreement was reached over Canon Law, territorial dioceses and theological and liturgical breadth. The matter of the validity of Episcopal Orders remained a sticking point.

Conditional Consecration


Both churches agreed that the way forward had to include conditional ordination and consecration for the bishops of the American Episcopal Church. Some who regarded the “Denver Consecrations” as irregular thought that the ACC bishops, who were in succession to the Denver bishops ought similarly to receive conditional ordination and consecration. It was therefore finally agreed upon that all the bishops should undergo conditional consecration. Each should be affirmed or re-elected to their original sees in accordance with the Constitution and Canons in use, that is those adopted by the Episcopal Church in 1958 amended to provide for a two-province jurisdiction.

The Primate of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, with the consent of his comprovincial bishops agreed to be chief consecrator. Bishop Robert Mercer CR served as Bishop of Matabeleland in the (Anglican) Province of Central Africa before retiring and moving to Canada to serve the “continuing” ACCC. Bishops Charles Boynton and Robert Mize agreed to be co-consecrators. Bishop Boynton was originally bishop of the Episcopal Church’s Diocese of Puerto Rico. He later became Bishop Suffragan of New York Bishop Robert Mize served as Bishop of Damaraland –now Namibia- in the Province of Southern Africa before retiring to be an Assistant Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. Both bishops were members of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops.


During the unity Synod of the merging churches, dioceses and parishes, on October 3rd. 1991, Bishops Mercer, Mize and Boynton conditionally ordained and consecrated the bishops participating in the merger. The service was conducted according to the Ordinal contained in the Book of Common Prayer, 1928 edition, in the presence of a large congregation and according to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church adopted by the Anglican Church in America.

Discipline and Censure


For a number of years before these consecrations, the American Episcopal Church had been in formal discussions with the Episcopal Church. Whether for this reason or not, no attempt was made by the Episcopal Church or its House of Bishops, to discipline or censure Bishops Mize and Boynton for their participation in these consecrations. Both remained members in good standing of the House of Bishops until their deaths at very advanced ages. Bishop Mize also remained an assistant bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin in good standing. Bishop Boynton resigned from the ministry of the Episcopal Church in 1991 but no notice was taken of his action by the Episcopal Church. Meanwhile the resigned Bishop of Dallas, Donald Davies was deposed by Presiding Bishop Edmund Browning when he formed a continuing church named the Episcopal Missionary Church.

Whether similar action will be taken in the case of Bishop Cox, until recently assistant bishop of Oklahoma, remains to be seen. He too is very old and served the Episcopal Church with quiet gentleness and pastoral care. One may only hope that the powers that be will follow the precedent set in the cases of bishops Mize and Boynton. The practice of deposing clergy rather than withdrawing their licenses seems to call into question the Episcopal Church’s own doctrine of the indelibility of Orders and its teaching that Orders are of the Church Catholic and not the possession of an individual denomination.


Palm Sunday, 2007