Why I’m Not Anglican – Response

Last updated on: October 10, 2011 at 2:23 am by Michael F. Bird

Why I’m Not Anglican – Response 2011-10-10T02:23:56-04:00 Michael F. Bird

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Over at Learning in the Grip of Grace, Hans Kristensen has a post on Why I’m Not an Anglican. He is an ex-Anglican who clearly favors a baptist independent church set up. He raises three arguments against the Anglican way. I have somecomments to make in reply.

1. Evangelical Anglicans are compromised because of their affiliations

I thought that was an odd criticism. For a start, 80% of the World Anglican Communion is pretty much orthodox and evangelical. It is only a dying and residual portion in the west that are liberal. On top of that, if the church is an ecclesia mixta (mixed church of true and false believers – read Hebrews 6 if you don’t believe me), then you will always have to contend with false teaching and false brothers in the church. Is there any denomination that is utterly “pure” in their affiliations? I mean, read 1-2 Corinthians, it’s always been this way! In fact, in some independent churches you’ll find more fruitcakes than a Christmas party and more nuts than Brazil precisely because they don’t belong to any association to whom they are accountable. Also, I have a big problem with the current rage of abandoning our denominations to establish independent evangelical churches. It is called “catholicity”. Christians have always confessed that they believe in “one holy catholic and apostolic church”. Now if catholicity were a crime, i.e., belonging to the wider body of Christ, there would not be a shred of evidence to convict most independent churches? It is gonna take more than attending T4G and GC to convince me that these independent folks believe in the Church. As my friend Michael Jensen said our evangelical software needs to run on some ecclesiastical hardware. Ecclesiology is not the dispensable wrapping paper for our evangelical theology. Independent churches like to retreat to the idea of “spiritual unity” to justify their disinterest in Christian unity. The problem is that the NT calls us to express our invisible unity through visible ways like participating in a common mission, prayer, eucharist, sharing resources, and mutual interest in each other’s affairs.

2. Infant Baptism

Yeah, a lot could be said here and I’ve blogged on this elsewhere. Let me just ask this one point: If the new covenant is the eschatological fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant, and if the Abrahamic covenant had a place for children in it, how much more so should the new covenant have a place for children? Also, if covenant and family go together like cheese and wine, then children have a place in the new covenant.

3. Church Government

My view is that the most important ingredient in church government is not the structure but the character and giftedness of the people in charge. Now I can grant the plurality of elders in the NT (e.g., Acts 14:23). But I’d point out: (1) Elders were often appointed externally by the apostles; (2) certain “episcopal” leaders appear to have emerged precisely from within the eldership of given churches to be a specific leader over an area as first among equals, for case in point, James in Jerusalem and Ignatius in Syrian Antioch; and (3) Acts 15 is a pretty good example of one church (Antioch) subordinate to another one (Jerusalem) and seeking permission for its current missionary strategy – Antioch was not an independent church.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 9, 2011

Tim Gombis' The Drama of Ephesians

Next Post

October 11, 2011 Book Notice: Revelation for Everyone (Tom Wright)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What specific sin does Paul say is against one's own body?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Drunkenness Self-harm Gluttony Sexual immorality

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »