Letter to the Editor of the London Times about the Archbishop of Canterbury

I doubt this will see print in the London Times. But, then, that's the beauty of a blog!

>Dear Editor,

Thank you for reading my letter.

Make no mistake, I regard Archbishop Williams as a man who has no need
to prove that he is holy and devout. Everything he writes breathes
the Holy Spirit. He is a magnificent theologian who has blessed me
more times than I can say.

But when it comes to his dealing with my bit of the world-wide
Anglican Communion, I regret to say he is, as we say here in these
United States, a wuss. He has demonstrated no leadership. He has spent
more time with the dissenters than he has with those who represent the
mainstream of The Episcopal Church of the United States of America. He
has been more concerned with the preservation of the Communion than he
has with radical love and radical hospitality as demonstrated by our
Lord, Jesus Christ.

In short, he is meddling where he has no jurisdiction. The Archbishop
of Canterbury has no authority except a spiritual one here in The
Episcopal Church. What he has needed to say and has failed to say to
those bishops who dissent from the canonically appointed body of
authority within TEC, General Convention, is that our internal matters
must be handled internally.

If he is going to meet with the dissenters, why has he failed to give equal time to those whose actions have canonical authority with TEC? Why has he not used his position to force meetings between the dissenters and those who abide by General Convention? Why would he even give credence to a "Covenant Design". In what way are the Creeds and the Baptismal Covenant no longer sufficient as statements of our faith?

Why has he failed to speak up against those who contravene the Windsor Report by ignoring the jurisdictional boundaries? Why are foreign branches of the Anglican Communion interfering in The Episcopal Church without any comment, let alone censure, by the Archbishop of Canterbury?

For that matter, why isn't the Archbishop of Canterbury leading the charge of the Anglican Communion against the Anglican Church in Nigeria to oppose the heinous proposed treatment of those who are not heterosexual? Every single humanitarian organization in the world has cried out against this legislation. But not the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Why is the Archbishop of Canterbury giving credence to those who wish to undo the work of thirty years in The Episcopal Church and defrock women priests, women bishops and those ordained by women bishops? All canons and constitutions of TEC have been followed with these ordinations and consecrations of women The schismatics were then and have been unable since to convince the majority of Episcopalians against the ordination of women. So now they want to involve the ABC.

A group of schismatics wish to turn our denomination upside down and topsy turvey and remake it in the image and likeness of their idea of how things should be. They have failed to do it canonically within The Episcopal Church of the United States of America, so in their political shenanigans, they seek to involve the Archbishop ofCanterbury and in so doing give the perception of his tacit agreement with their schismatic endeavors. Is that really the impression he wants to give the world-wide Anglican Communion?

The leadership required from the Archbishop is simply this: "As Archbishop of Canterbury, I have no authority within The Episcopal Church. Deal with your problems internally according to your own canons and constitutions." That is what a leader would say.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is a brilliant theologian. He is a much better theologian than he is an Archbishop.