Holy Trinity at the Mere Anglicanism Conference

In January a number of us attended the Mere Anglicanism Conference in Charleston.  Along on this pilgrimage were Bill and Brenda Bargeloh, Twyla Tuten, Monte Steedley, Nancy Hartley and Fr. Rob.   It took place at the beautiful and historic St. Phillips Church.  Brenda Bargeloh said walking into St. Phillip’s was like walking into a wedding cake.   

The speakers were from throughout the Anglican Communion: The Rt. Hon. Richard Chartres, Bishop of London; The Rev. Dr. Richard Turnbull, Principle, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford; Dr. John McCardell, Vice Chancellor, The University of the South (Fr. Dan’s Seminary); The Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali, retired bishop of Rochester, England; The Very Rev. Dr. Justyn Terry, Dean, Trinity School for Ministry (Rev. Nancy’s and Fr. Rob’s Seminary); the Most Rev Dr. Ben Kwashi, Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Nigeria; and, of course, The Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence, Bishop of SC… a most impressive and fascinating lineup of speakers.  Here are some memorable gleanings to share with you:

 

Dr. Turnbull

… Commenting on the Anglican inclination toward church structure, he says, "Church Order is to enhance proper doctrine.  Order without doctrine [and by “doctrine” he is referring to our biblical and apostolic heritage] is not classic Anglicanism.”

Dr. Chartes

… The Book of Common Prayer has been at the center of the theological and spiritual identity of Anglicanism since it was first written during the Protestant Reformation.  It is a mosaic of Scripture aimed at lifting the human heart up to God. 

 

Bishop Nazir-Ali

… What do we as a church need to be doing today?  …Zealously proclaiming the uniqueness of Christ which speaks to His universality in all times and to all people.

 

Bishop Lawrence

... Whatever else we know or say about the church and its current state, we know that Christ loves it and has purified it such that it is without “spot or blemish.”

 

Dr. Terry

… “We re-order our lives to conform to a distorted world, but the Church calls us to live right-side-up in an up-side-down world.

 ...Our mission as Anglicans is to turn the world right-side-up, beginning with the re-ordering of our own lives according to God.” 

…Many people don’t perceive the binary systems in the Bible; Sheep and goats for example.  There are no goatish sheep or sheepish goats.  To see things in shades of gray is today considered indicative of one’s sophistication.

… “Our scientific thinking is describing a fallen world.”

…  Quoting George MacDonald:  “We want to be fed out of silos; God wants to feed us by hand.”

 

Archbishop Kwashi…

... Quoting Evelyn Underhill, “The man whose life is colored with prayer will win souls.”

…The three priorities in Bp Kwashi’s ministry are prayer, preaching (teaching), and mission (evangelism).

... Authentic teaching will lead to wholistic life-change.

...“We face the same devil as the apostles did: false teachers.”

…“We have left young people to the mercies of the world: video games, TV, etc.”

 

During the Conference we also immersed ourselves in inspiring worship… a Choral Evensong, The Daily Office each morning, and a Festal Eucharist at the conclusion of the conference. 

 

This conference sent me home with a joyful heart and a renewed zeal to do my part in growing the Kingdom of God in this corner of our hugely challenging world.  Fr. Rob