"Forward in Faith",
the "Traditional Anglican Communion"
and the Future

For nearly a decade, now, All Saints' Wickham Terrace has been officially committed to the Mission Statement of Forward in Faith:

“We seek an ecclesial structure
in which our children and grandchildren
can grow in faith;
which will continue the orders of bishop, and priest
as the Church has received them;
and which can guarantee a true sacramental life”.

During those years, Forward in Faith has been growing stronger, even as "official" Anglicanism in this country (and Diocese) continues - as we see it - to develop away from the Gospel and the Faith once Delivered to the Saints.

In the Church of England, official provision was made for "Provincial Episcopal Visitors" or "Flying Bishops" as a short-term way of providing for the consciences of people like us in the aftermath of the purported ordination of women to the priesthood. As the Church of England moves inexorably to women bishops, Forward in Faith UK is planning a new Anglican Province in England - a development that even the Archbishop of Canterbury admits will probably be necessary.

Like the Anglican Church of Australia, the Episcopal Church in the USA has offered no provision for real Anglo-Catholics. So, two years ago, Father David Moyer of Good Shepherd, Rosemont PA, and Father Bill Ilgenfritz of St Stephen's Whitehall PA were elected by Forward in Faith North America to be consecrated as bishops in order to fulfil an episcopal ministry across the USA similar to that of the flying bishops in the U.K. Their names have "lain on the table" pending consecration at the hands of sympathetic bishops.

In the context of the undeniable disintegration and reclustering of Anglicanism worldwide as well as in Australia, in the light of the unwillingness of the Anglican Church of Australia to provide real alternative episcopal oversight since the "ordination" of women began twelve years ago, and with the likelihood of women bishops and other breaches of Faith and Order up ahead, the National Council of Forward in Faith Australia, meeting in Melbourne on 3rd June, resolved:

1.  THAT this Council of Forward in Faith, Australia, commits itself to working alongside The Most Rev’d John Hepworth and the Traditional Anglican Communion, with the acknowledgement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, to provide adequate alternative episcopal oversight reflecting the principles outlined in the Communion Statement of Forward in Faith Australia.

2.  THAT this Council of Forward in Faith Australia forms itself into an Electoral College, as the need arises, for the proposal of candidates for consecration as bishops to provide alternative episcopal oversight in terms of Resolution 1 of this meeting of 3 June, 2004.

At this point The Rev’d David Chislett left the meeting.

3.  THAT this Council of Forward in Faith Australia forms itself immediately into an electoral college consisting of the above 12 members remaining present at this meeting pursuant to resolution 2 of this meeting of 3 June, 2004.

The meeting then adjourned and assembled immediately as an electoral college pursuant to Resolution 2 of this meeting of the Council of 3 June 2004.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE OF FORWARD FAITH AUSTRALIA HELD AT S. MARKS FITZROY ON 3 JUNE 2004.

PRESENT: The Rev’d David Robarts, Chairman, and 11 council members.

The Chairman called for nominations for a candidate for consecration as a bishop to provide alternative episcopal oversight in the terms of Resolution 1 of the meeting of Council of Forward in Faith, Australia, of 3 June 2004.

The Rev’d David Chislett was nominated solely. RESOLVED:

1. THAT the Rev’d David Chislett be nominated by the Council of Forward Australia for consecration as a bishop to provide alternative episcopal oversight in term of Resolution 1 of the Council, 3rd June, 2004.

The meeting then adjourned and reassembled as the Council of Forward in Faith Australia.  Father Chislett’s nomination will now be considered  by the College of Bishops of the TAC. It has already been accepted by the National Synod of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia.

The result of this process will be the TAC in Australia and FiF "sharing" a bishop who shall remain Rector of his parish, as will be the case with Fathers Moyer and Ilgenfritz in the USA. Dialogue with both the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr Rowan Williams) and the Australian Primate (Dr Peter Carnley) continues, with the hope that through the co-operation of FiF and the TAC, a "pastoral" rather than a strictly "canonical" approach will nurture the emergence outside England of the equivalent of the "Free Province" towards which FiF in England are working. It has been suggested that this process include a moratorium on dealing with parish property issues (for, say, 20 years) 

Nothing will happen for a while - at least not until the results of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Eames Commission (on the nature of the new Anglican Impaired Communion), due to report back in September, have been released and digested. Father Chislett's name is now simply "on the table" with those of Fathers Moyer and Ilgenfritz. It is envisaged that the three bishops will be consecrated together by an equal number of Anglican Communion Diocesan Bishops and TAC Bishops.

The faithful in Christ Jesus are asked to keep Forward in Faith, the TAC, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Australian and American bishops and, of course, Fathers Moyer, Ilgenfritz and Chislett, in their prayers at this crucial time and during the months that lie ahead.