Lipscomb University The Missional Bishop: The Role and Function of Episcopal Emissaries in the Anglican Mission A Project Submitted to the Faculty of the Hazelip School of Theology in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Ministry By Dan Scott Nashville, Tennessee May 2017 ii The Doctorate of Ministry project, directed and approved by the candidate’s committee, has been accepted by the Hazelip School of Theology of Lipscomb University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree. The Missional Bishop: The Role and Function of Episcopal Emissaries in the Anglican Mission By Daniel L. Scott, Jr. for the Degree Doctor of Ministry __________________________________________ Director of Graduate Program __________________________________________ Date Doctorate of Ministry Committee __________________________________________ Dr. John York __________________________________________ Dr. Rubel Shelly __________________________________________ The Right Reverend Dr. John Rodgers iii Copyright ©2017 by Daniel. L. Scott, Jr. All Rights Reserved. iv Abstract As a society within the global Anglican Communion, the Anglican Mission seeks to be at the same time missional, catholic, charismatic, and evangelical. This project explores the contemporary forces within and around North American Anglicanism from which, and for the sake of which, this society emerged, focusing especially on the role of its bishops. In keeping with its reformed catholic ecclesiology, the Anglican Mission views the episcopate as related to the nature and not merely to the function of ecclesial life. Consequently, its bishops act as episcopal emissaries rather than as diocesan governors, freeing them to serve as fathers-in-God and spiritual directors. This project explores what these assumptions imply for Anglican Mission bishops in how they minister to their constituents, relate to the broader Anglican Communion, serve the greater Christian community, and address the needs and questions of contemporary society. Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………iv Introduction .................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Chapter 1 The Global Anglican Context ............................................................................9 The Anglican Communion: From National Church to Global Community of Churches Chapter Summary Chapter 2 The Anglican Mission in North America .........................................................34 The Founding of the Anglican Mission The Anglican Mission as Sodality The Anglican Mission as Apostolic Bridge to Independents The Anglican Mission as a Three Streams Expression The Anglican Mission and the Charismatic Movement Is the Anglican Mission Missional? Chapter 3 The Anglican Mission Bishop ..........................................................................65 A Brief History of the Episcopate Anglican Mission Bishops as Spiritual Directors Anglican Mission Bishops as Catechists Anglian Mission Bishops as Advocates of the Socially Marginalized Anglican Mission Bishops as Community Builders Chapter 4 Moving Forward .............................................................................................109 From Theory to Practice: Preparing for Episcopal Consecration Conclusion Bibliography ....................................................................................................................126 Introduction The focus of this project emerged after a meeting the day after Pentecost 2015, when Phillip Jones, Apostolic Vicar of the Anglican Mission in the Americas, invited me into the discernment process for episcopal consecration. “How does one prepare for such a role?” I wondered. A community as fractured as the contemporary Anglican Communion (the official title for the global federation of Anglican churches recognized by Canterbury) does not seem conducive for on-the-job training. Furthermore, as “a society of mission and apostolic works,” the Anglican Mission lacks both the intention and canonical authority to create diocesan structures, a situation that requires the Anglican Mission to redefine what its bishops do.1 Another concern was about how becoming a bishop might affect my present responsibilities as Senior Pastor of Christ Church Nashville and abbot of a newly founded neo- monastic community called the Wilberforce Society. To address these personal concerns, I needed a clearer picture of the role and function of Anglican Mission bishops. As a convert to Anglicanism, I had come to peace with catholic ecclesiology some years ago, accepting the episcopal office as being likely rooted in the apostolic era but at very least serving as a historical symbol of catholicity. Nonetheless, I was at a loss about how bishops might function in a missional setting or what the episcopate might offer a culture that is increasingly globalized, postmodern, and post-Christian. A doctoral project offered a way to explore these questions, Which I hoped would lead to a clearer path for my personal future and providing useful material for Anglicans interested in the role and function of Anglican Mission bishops as I made my way through the discernment process. 1 The phrase “society of mission and apostolic works” was the subtitle of Bishop Charles Murphey’s apologia, The Anglican Mission, http://www.theamia.org/assets/apologia.pdf (accessed November 28, 2016). 2 The project thus began with a study of literature dealing with the history, theology, spiritualty and ecclesial structures of Anglicanism. Among these, the works of Paul Avis and Bishop Stephen Sykes were particularly helpful, as the various quotes attributed to them throughout this project indicates, and Bishop Charles Murphy’s 2012 paper, The Anglican Mission: A Society of Mission and Apostolic Works (An Apologia) was in every sense of the word, a seminal source document.2 As the project proceeded however, it required an exploration of the sociological and philosophical realities that have contributed to the current crisis within global Anglicanism and which in turn led to the birth of the Anglican Mission. Although the material related to these cultural issues threatened at times to defuse the project’s focus, writers such as Charles Taylor, Samuel Huntington, and Talil Assad offered insights which seemed directly applicable to those pressing questions within the Anglican Communion as well as those within contemporary secular culture; questions to which bishops are expected to respond. Several Christian thinkers from outside the Anglican Community have influenced the tone and concerns of this project as well. Jean Leclercq’s The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture3 makes the convincing case that historic monasticism offers important tools for reimagining Christian ministry to (and within) postmodern, globalized societies. Because Roman Catholic theologians like Leclercq exerted considerable influence on the midcentury Catholic reformation we call Vatican II (1962–1950), the catechism that emerged from this council further influenced many of the assumptions undergirding this project. Leclercq insisted, and the new catechism agreed, that theology includes subjective experience of, and not 2 Charles Murphy, The Anglican Mission, http://www.theamia.org/assets/apologia.pdf. (accessed November 28, 2016). 3 Jean Leclercq, The Love of Learning and The Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture, 3rd edition (New York: Fordham University Press, 1982). 3 only objective reflection about, God and spiritual life. This seemed an important insight for understanding current divisions between Anglicans on either side of the equator, as well as for finding the connection between sacramental life and catholic ecclesiology on one hand and missional theology on the other. By addressing the meaning of theology, Leclercq’s work exercised a seminal influence on this project, principally in how it responds to the original question it seeks to answer; namely, what is the role and function of an Anglican Mission bishop? Wil Derkse’s two small books on Benedictine spirituality, The Rule of Benedict for Beginners4 and A Blessed Life5 provided practical advice for adapting monastic experience to contemporary life, turning Leclercq’s theoretical reflection into implementable actions. On a visit to Holland in June 2016 (and as part of my research for this project,) I met with Derkse to discuss his books and to elicit his personal reflections about adapting monastic life to secular, postmodern cultures. Derkse’s observations about the role of abbots have especially contributed to this project’s focus on Anglican Mission bishops. Two books by Elaine Heath, Dean of Duke Divinity School, were quite helpful to this project’s concerns with spiritual leadership in the contemporary world: The Mystic Way of 6 7 Evangelism and Missional, Monastic, Mainline. In these books, Heath explores, from history and experience, what historic monasticism offers contemporary Protestants interested in 4 Wil Derkse, The Rule of Benedict for Beginners: Spirituality for Daily Life (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2003). 5 Will Derske, A Blessed Life: Benedictine Guidelines for Those Who Long for Good Days, trans. Martin Kassler (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2009). 6 Elaine A. Heath, The Mystic Way of Evangelism: A Contemplative Vision for Christian Outreach, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008). 7 Elaine A. Heath, Missional. Monastic. Mainline: A Guide to Starting Missional Micro-Communities in Historically Mainline Traditions (Eugene,