Archbishop Haverland on REC Orders

In a previous post some weeks back I shared with readers an article in The Trinitarian, the official publication of the Anglican Catholic Church, written by Archbishop Mark Haverland. In the article in question the Archbishop criticises the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas and the sacramental relationship of the Anglican Province of America to the Reformed Episcopal Church. I wish to offer a correction: I have been informed that I initially misrepresented his position. Nowhere in the article does he assert the invalidity of REC Orders. Rather he asserts that the official and binding position of the Anglican Communion, in the days of its orthodoxy, was that REC Orders should not be recognized.

I completely concur with the assessment that the objective fact of valid episcopal orders does not in and of itself automatically justify ecclesial recognition of those bodies which possess said orders. Resolution 54 of the 1958 Lambeth Conference takes precisely this position regarding episcopi vagantes, as it states 'it cannot recognise the Churches of such "episcopi vagantes" as properly constituted Churches, or recognise the orders of their ministers'. The distinction between validity and recognition rightly exists and should be operative in the discipline of any Church that calls itself Catholic. The APA has very happily and correctly progressed to recognise the REC's sacramental order on the basis of official pronouncements of Anglican Communion entities, although the Lambeth Conferences themselves have not given such recognition yet; it is certainly within the purview of any Church to decide for itself which other Churches and Orders it will or will not recognise, as Dr CB Moss so eloquently points out in his works.

Thank you!