Bishop Newbigin Versus the Anglican Fathers Mark Laing
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The International Impact of the Formation of the Church of South India: Bishop Newbigin Versus the Anglican Fathers Mark Laing he formation of the church of south india (csi) in 1947 countries. at such a critical juncture, newbigin was alarmed by Twas looked upon with great interest around the world, what he perceived as anglican interference in these other union particularly as it pioneered the reunion of episcopal with non- efforts. With the outcome of these efforts at stake and with their episcopal churches. this event in south india impacted mis- implications for the larger ecumenical movement, newbigin sion-church relationships, for it demanded new structures to felt compelled to enter into debate with the anglican church.4 accommodate new relationships.1 it not only affected india but this article details the nature of that debate through newbigin’s reverberated globally, and especially it challenged old assump- involvement with the lambeth conferences of 1948 and 1958.5 tions within the anglican church. although by the 1958 conference anglicans had mellowed as christianity became globalized in the twentieth century, in their response to the csi, they still continued to endorse the the heartland of christianity shifted southward, and agrowing ceylon scheme for reunion rather than the sis. the pronounce- concernarosetorecovertheunityofthechurchratherthancontinue ments at lambeth led to a heated dialogue between newbigin the divisions inherited from old christendom. this perspective and Geoffrey francis fisher, the archbishop of canterbury. the led many to view the union schemes in the indian subcontinent debate continued until 1961, when fisher was succeeded by as potential models to be emulated in their own quest for unity.2 archbishop arthur Michael ramsey. lesslie newbigin, one of the fourteen original bishops in the csi, urged others to look to the south india scheme (sis) as amodel The Lambeth Conferences for full organic and visible church union that had actually come to fruition. in contrast, theanglican church preferred the ceylon Lambeth 1948. the csi was inaugurated in 1947, with newbigin scheme or the north india scheme, even though both werestill consecrated as bishop of Madurai and ramnad. at the request being formulated and neither had led to any united church.3 of Bishop Michael hollis, moderator of the csi, newbigin at- the 1948 lambeth conference endorsed the ceylon scheme tended the first assembly of the World council of churches (in in preference to the sis. at that time, however, the success of the amsterdam) and then, in that same trip, represented the csi to siswasencouragingsignificantprogresstowardreunioninother the lambeth conference (in london).6 the tone of the meetings was typified by one of the questions a bishop raised about the MarkLainghastaughtmissiologyandcoordinatedthe csi: “i see that you ask ordinands to accept the nicene creed CentreforMissionStudiesatUnionBiblicalSeminary, but candidates for baptism only to accept the apostles’ creed. Pune, India, since 2001. He is currently pursuing Which are the items of the former, not included in the latter, to doctoral studies at the University of Edinburgh. which you take exception?” such questioning made newbigin —[email protected] realize that “this was not a discussion about the church of south india at all. it was about english ecclesiastical and social and cultural differences.”7 after the formal conference and the times of private conversation with various bishops, newbigin 18 international Bulletin of Missionary research, Vol. 33, no. 1 nevertheless could record, “I think the visit has undoubtedly Newbigin was riled that Lambeth was advising union ne- been worth while.”8 gotiators to abandon a scheme that had been proven could unite This optimism was dashed when Newbigin read the for- episcopal with non-episcopal churches (the SIS) in favor of a mal published report from Lambeth, which revealed that the scheme that had not been tried and that was based on principles conference had failed to give its approval to the SIS. Newbigin (specifically, supplemental ordination) that the 1948 conference was bitterly disappointed. The main sticking point was that the had judged would require further study before they could be SIS provided partial rather than complete communion with the endorsed. Anglican Church at the time of its inauguration.9 The negative response of Lambeth not only affected Anglican relationships South India Scheme Versus Ceylon Scheme with the CSI but also threatened to delay or defeat other em- bryonic union schemes. Newbigin and others involved with The SIS differed from the Ceylon Scheme in two areas: its state- the formation of the CSI firmly believed that what had been ment of faith and, more crucially, the method proposed to unify achievedinSouthIndiawouldserveasamodelforotherreunions the ordained ministry.19 The SIS recognized all ministers of the around the world, with negotiations then uniting churches, whether or not they had under way inAustralia, New Zealand, East been episcopally ordained. Since the SIS and West Africa, and Canada.10 Although accepted that there was but one ordination disappointed that the Lambeth Confer- to the universal church, in the actual service ence did not endorse the SIS, Newbigin of unification there was authorization, in- continued to assist others engaged in union duction,andinstallation,grantingordained schemes and, at the same time, to maintain ministers full authority to exercise ministry his defense of the SIS against Anglican op- intheirrespectivespheres.20 Theunification position. Newbigin was exasperated by the service categorically avoided any form of Anglicans. Despite his detailed theological supplementalordination.TheCSI,however, argument in The Reunion of the Church(1948; accepted the historical episcopate as the 2d ed., 1960) and subsequent detailed re- legitimate center for the organization of the sponses to Anglican concerns, “no attempt church. In its constitution it acknowledged was ever made ...tocome to grips with that it would grow toward that goal: all the argument. Therewas simply asteady new CSI ministers would be episcopally insistence that the CSI must conform to the ordained, and they would thus gradually Anglican model,”11 aposition that the CSI replace non-episcopal ministers when such could not accept. ministers retired from service. The Ceylon Scheme, in contrast, advo- Lambeth 1958. Newbigin had requested that cated an act of supplemental ordination at former Anglicans now within the CSI be the time of unification; similarly, the North allowed to attend the 1958 Lambeth Con- India Scheme (NIS) for union proposed an Lesslie Newbigin ference as observers. Archbishop Fisher de- ambiguous act called “mutual acceptance,” clinedtoofferthisinvitation,buthedidgiveNewbiginapersonal a laying on of hands that was a de facto form of supplemental invitation to the conference and, significantly, asked Newbigin ordination.21 These acts of ordination allowed complete com- to preside over Communion using the CSI liturgy. 12 Newbigin munion with the Anglican Church at the outset of church described this as a “healing moment” after a long, vigorous battle union, as ministers who had not been episcopally ordained between the CSI and the Anglicans.13 With hindsight, however, were so ordained by this supplemental ordination. Newbigin it is better to understand that moment as a temporary lull in the dismissed supplemental ordination as “the attempt to combine battle rather than a true peace. a recognition of an existing ordination with the addition to TheLambethConferenceof1948hadexaminedsupplemental it of something which also has the character of ordination.”22 ordination but, without reaching a conclusion, advised that fur- The ambiguity associated with the act allowed an equivocal ther discussion was required.14 YetAnglicanshadlargelyignored interpretation: while non-Anglicans might view it as a harmless Newbigin’s work The Reunion of the Church and had offered no ceremony, Anglicans could see it as ordination itself, any prior further analysis of either supplemental ordination or of its alter- non-episcopal “ordination” being regarded as null and void. natives. Lambeth 1958 was proposing supplemental ordination Newbigin opposed the “unstraightforwardness” of the Ceylon as “the medicine for the healing of the Church.” Newbigin felt Scheme’s act of unification. The proposals “boil down to an act that it was unwise of Lambeth, without due scrutiny, “to advise of ordination, prefaced and surrounded by the emphatic state- all concerned to take only that medicine.”15 ment ‘this is not an ordination.’ If it is not an ordination, why Although Lambeth in 1958 praised the CSI, it at the same is it necessary to make it—in fact—an exact replica of an act of time warned Anglican churches not to pursue union schemes ordination?” More candidly, Newbigin opined what he believed using this model.16 As before, the conference reaffirmed the was the reason for Lambeth’s preference for the Ceylon Scheme, Lambeth Quadrilateral as the basis for union, with particular namely, that it would obviate the necessity of Lambeth making emphasis put on the fourth point, the historical episcopate.17 clear pronouncement as to whether non-episcopally ordered Newbigin observed, “The Lambeth Conference has coupled its churches were truly churches in its eyes.23 kind references to CSI with a very firm instruction that others In light of Lambeth’s distaste for the SIS, Newbigin felt must not follow its example.