Vacuum

Nature abhors a vacuum, and it's pretty clear that when Lambeth is behind us, and the vacuum created by the Archbishop's weakness is not filled as it should be, all manner of forces will seek to fill that vacuum.

The plan to do just this is already in place on the American side. While Episcopal Church bishops have dishonestly tried again to deny that same-sex blessings are happening with authorization, all they have done is underscore their mendacity. But even these dissembling bishops have not tried to deny that what lies ahead in the Episcopal Church after Lambeth is a full-bore push to make same-sex blessings--if not marriages--officially sanctioned as a good and holy thing. Some institutional liberal bishops will understand the dangers this poses, but they now have no power or authority, as the inmates are plainly running the asylum. And the revisionists do not have to worry about the next Lambeth invitation just yet, and the hard leftists among them frankly are already wondering whether the Anglican Communion is worth the bother. In short, once Lambeth ends, there are no governors remaining on their behavior.

The only counterbalance to this is GAFCON. This may not be what the more institutional of us would have wanted to see, but it is now fact, and we must accept and embrace it. And this is no "power grab": right now there are more bishops, clergy, and laity represented by GAFCON than any other structure, province, or power within the Communion. The moment Lambeth is over, the baton is effectively passed to GAFCON, whether the Archbishop likes it or not. And GAFCON must be ready to assume that leadership. It must pay due deference to the Archbishop, as any new leader ought to do to a predecessor. But it must not hesitate in moving forward, in exercising the leadership it has been given. It cannot afford to be viewed as a handmaiden of existing structures, the Archbishop included. It must be beholden to the Gospel, and the Gospel alone.

This is not effrontery toward the Archbishop. He has ceded this power to GAFCON, and whether he is happy with himself for doing should be of no moment to GAFCON's leaders. And GAFCON can also take some comfort in knowing that they may in the end make him a better archbishop, as we know the only bit of spine he has ever shown has been a result of the reality of the Global South and GAFCON. GAFCON alone right now can save the Communion, and--ironically--GAFCON alone can probably save Rowan Williams.

There will be some among the orthodox who will have great difficulty accepting this, but absent a change of residents in Lambeth Palace, they also have no alternative at this point. There are not enough Tom Wrights and John Howes and ACI sorts to make any meaningful difference, and at some point they will have to acknowledge this, and make peace with GAFCON.

There is one change that could change the necessity for GAFCON to exercise this leadership in the Communion, and that is a change in the Archbishop of Canterbury. If a decisive orthodox bishop were to succeed Rowan--even one institutionally oriented like Tom Wright--there could be hope for discipline, for clarity, for restoring trust, for keeping the Communion together. Indeed, there is perhaps no one better suited for that task than Tom Wright. Yes, he's been loyal to Rowan Williams, and yes, he's been exasperated with GAFCON. But he is also quite clear what the source of the problem has been--the North Americans--and seems more willing to deal with it. But GAFCON cannot wait for Rowan to return to his books, and hope that British politicians will give them someone better than the disaster that has been Rowan Williams. They do not have that luxury if the Communion is to be saved; they must act now.

Will GAFCON exercise this leadership? The recent Times editorial piece by Archbishop Orombi seems to signal they are ready. The days ahead will be interesting ones, to be sure.