Speaking of Power

There have been a dizzying array of revelations in the last few days about the agenda of the Network, CANA, AMIA and so on … and of how the members of the House of Bishops only this month started connecting the dots. Father Jake has written persuasively of this, as has Jim Naughton of the Diocese of Washington and Mark Harris. As Susan Russell puts it, those sites provide "an excellent refresher course for those who missed some episodes of 'As The Anglican World Turns' and are now asking 'who are these people and why are they messing with my church?'" Go read those links. Start with Susan's, as she puts it all in context, observing: "Readers of this blog will not be strangers to the argument that the current challenges facing the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion have virtually nothing to do with sexuality, precious little to do with theology and everything to do with power."

With the bishops' statements after the recent meeting in Navasota … and as we observe certain bishops departing the Episcopal Church for African or Latin American venues … and as we observe a priest and a bishop of our church affiliating with other Anglican churches just as they are being brought up on ecclesiastical charges … we do seem, finally, to be getting some clarity that the battle that has been raging within our church has nothing whatsoever with sexuality or theology, but merely about unbridled power and a rage for control. The Episcopal Church shall move on, thanks be to God.

Meanwhile, we observe that Bishop Duncan, moderator of the "Network," still has not issued a public statement since the House of Bishops meeting. While Archbishop Akinola is about to install his Missionary Bishop for CANA in the suburbs of Washington, DC. One wonders what power politics are being played-out among those who have sought to destroy the Episcopal Church. As someone famously observed: "Dead wood splinters."