Let's Pretend or Lets Be Who We Are

by William Swing

In the aftermath of General Convention, every bishop has been buffeted, castigated, and probably asked to resign by some angry and shocked parishioners. Bishops who voted against Eugene Robinson or for him. At the same time bishops have also been thanked for the actions of General Convention. It has been a fiery trial for those consecrated to be symbols of unity.

I have lived as a priest in the 60s with the Church's endorsement of black civil rights, as a bishop in the 70s and 80s facing Prayer Book revision and women's ordination, and finally for the past twenty-five years with issues of human sexuality. It is all part with being a pastor.

Conservative bishops are my current heroes. Those who in good conscience voted against Robinson, who went home and took the flack, and who simply remain loyal to the Church and its mission. They remain unwavering, faithful in the episcopal authority bequeathed to them. I read their diocesan messages. They always say, I intend to maintain the unity of the Church.

Just as this is a moment to stand tall, it is also a moment that tempts bishops into investing in Let's Pretend. For instance, they say: Let's pretend that there are two distinct groups of people in my diocese -- those who share my convictions and the others who are schismatics.

Let's pretend that the Episcopal Church was formed originally by an Anglican bishop in Africa, by a pope in Rome, by a metropolitan in Moscow, and by a consensus of Anglican primates through the world. Should the Episcopal Church fail at any time to reflect their opinions on any non-core theological issue, they have the right to recognize a new Episcopal Church.

Let's pretend that the authentic Presiding Bishop of ECUSA is the Rt Revd Robert Duncan, then move our energies so that he might have his rightful place.

Let's pretend that all of the one- or two-issue groups that left the Episcopal Church in the last 150 years (the Reformed Episcopal Church, the Anglican Province of America, the International Communion of Charismatic Episcopal Churches, et al) are going through the complexities of overlapping jurisdictions in order to merge or surrender jurisdictions.

Let's pretend that even though the newest separating scheme, entitled Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Congregations, is not headed by any women or black bishops, nor is its genius tainted by sexism or racism.

Let's pretend that if we withhold money from the national Episcopal Church, it will not hurt Native Americans and Latinos and the elderly and children in need.

Let's pretend that Anglicanism and Episcopalianism are basically congregational and that we don't need each other in order to be ourselves.

Let's pretend that there is a large liberal conspiracy of people who are well-funded and organized and who won by dirty politics.

Let's pretend that Sodom and Gomorrah were really about a lesbian couple trying to adopt a baby.

Two things are sure. First, whenever the Episcopal Church gets deeply into a controversial issue, some group that did not prevail will go spinning off claiming that it is the true Episcopal Church. Second, the Episcopal Church will continue to abide by its radically democratic and constantly revised Constitution and Canons. Every expression of Christ's Body has its unique vocation and thus contributes in the whole to the Christian witness in the world.

We started small in the 18th century. We have fewer babies per couple than any religious group in the USA except Jews, guaranteeing that we will always lag behind the population curve. If people from other traditions did not join us, we would be in jeopardy. The one thing that is required of us is that we be faithful to the revelation that the Holy Spirit has specially bequeathed to us. And then to be honorable in ordering the Episcopal Church in a fair, open, and consistent manner.

I declare that the last General Convention was not a liberal victory over conservatives. Those camps are really rather small. What happened was that the rank-and-file people from all over the land, the moderate voices, spoke. According to our Constitution, the voice of the people becomes the policy of the Episcopal Church. We have no pope, no gnostic glitz, no offshore directors. We are only ourselves. The Episcopal Church of the United States of America. We aren't everything. But we will be who we are.

[COVENANT, Number 17, June 2004]

The Rt Revd William E Swing is bishop of California. He wrote this as a letter to his fellow presbyters. We asked for permission to print it here, but never got a response. Now, we ask for forgiveness. -- Ed