‘Letter from America’: Bishop David Anderson
March 11th, 2008

…the contents of which may surprise quite a few. This is one of the clearest, fullest and fairest explanations of the explosive TEC/Anglican situation I have come across recently. Its psychological analysis is brilliant. Reprinted with gratitude and permission.

9 March 2008

The situation in the Episcopal Church is very complex and not apt to be sorted out neatly and cleanly for some time. It is clear to those who are willing to look that the leadership of TEC has left the historic Christian faith in pursuit of a new religion, called Anglican, but with the contents changed. It sees Jesus as a religious figure, a way to find God, but not as Jesus himself put it, “…the Way, and the Truth and the Life…” The attack on historic Christian beliefs within TEC began with undermining confidence in Holy Scripture and challenging its authority as described, for example, in II Timothy 3:16. The second line of attack has been on Jesus—who he is and what he has done, including his sacrificial atonement itself. A third attack has been the spiritual version of the 1970’s book, I’m OK, You’re OK, by Thomas A. Harris. If we would believe the premise of the spiritual version of this, who are we to “judge” the wrongdoing of others and their breach of core doctrines of Christianity? If we are all OK then there is no sin (except continuing to reject this new progressivism). With no sin, there is no need for Atonement and no need for a Savior, for after all “I’m OK, You’re OK”. In order to arrive at this foolish and incorrect assessment it is necessary to “reinterpret” or “deconstruct” Holy Scripture, otherwise many verses in the Bible would create a problem, such as “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Within the “progressive” movement, which many of us usually call liberal or revisionist, the TEC leadership is intent on using every resource available to woo or coerce and to invite or threaten the remaining orthodox Episcopalians to fall into line. If you have a bishop who isn’t persecuting you at the moment, the natural tendency for many orthodox Episcopalians is to keep the head down, try and not be noticed, say your prayers and stay out of the line of fire. This is a formula for short term safety and long term annihilation. TEC is a train going somewhere you don’t want to go, and you don’t want to find out by staying on until the final stop. Spiritually, the cost of staying on to the final destination could cost you your faith, your relationship with God and everything else that is of primary importance. This earthly segment of our eternal life has eternal consequences, and I fear for and pray for those who are trapped for various reasons. the rest