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PHILADELPHIA
Forward in Faith/North America's president, recently barred from priestly duties by a revisionist Episcopal bishop, says traditionalist supporters will speak out for him during the annual meeting of Anglican Communion primates.
The Revd Dr David L. Moyer met in London with five primates - four currently serving and one retired - on the eve of the gathering, which began April 10 in Canterbury and continues into the following week.
He said friendly primates hope to secure from Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey "a clear and strong statement" affirming support for traditionalists, like himself, under attack by revisionist leaders.
Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison in February inhibited Fr. Moyer as rector of his Philadelphia "Mainline" parish, Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, as the latest gambit in his game to assert personal authority over the parish via an official visit there. Fr. Moyer, charging
that many of Bennison's theological teachings contradict historic Christian doctrines, has unsuccessfully asked Bennison to assign oversight of the parish to an orthodox bishop from outside the diocese.
Hoping to make the plight of Episcopal traditionalists better understood by Anglican primates, Fr. Moyer flew to London April 6 for talks arranged by the Revd Bill Atwood, general secretary of the Ekklesia Society, which seeks to build relationships among the Anglican Communion's theological conservatives.
Fr. Moyer met with Archbishops Bernard Malango of Central Africa, Peter Akinola of Nigeria, and Drexel Gomez of the West Indies, and Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia. Also attending was Maurice Sinclair, retired archbishop of South America's Southern Cone and longtime supporter of U.S. traditionalists' concerns. Fr.Moyer also spoke for 30 minutes by telephone with Welsh Archbishop Rowan Williams, a leading candidate to replace Carey on his retirement this year as chief Anglican primate.
"I brought them up to speed," said Fr. Moyer. "They all were distressed by my inhibition. They plan to go into the primates meeting and discuss the unacceptable situation where men like myself, doctrinally sound, are being barred from their ministry. This is unacceptable to them... They're increasingly realizing that we're coming to a crisis point."
Fr. Moyer said the primates were given a dossier of almost 200 pages, compiled by Atwood and Forward in Faith/North America's National Field Director, Lay Canon Carolyn (Cris) Fouse, documenting persecutions and actions that Episcopal leaders have engineered against traditionalists. The documents, Fr. Moyer said, "show that the Episcopal Church is in so many
areas in a state of apostasy."
Of the conversations, he said, "It was encouraging to know of their support. We are at a watershed... This can't go on; this simply can't go on."
Fr. Moyer said Archbishop Williams - generally regarded as a church liberal - had "expressed his deep concern and dismay over the situation in the Anglican Communion. He said he would do all he could to bring sense to things. I heard from him legitimate concern and a promise of action."
Fr. Moyer's inhibition as rector of the landmark Anglo-Catholic parish he has served for over a decade is intended to sideline and silenced him for six months as pastor, preacher, and eucharistic celebrant. At the end of the period, he becomes subject under church canons to deposition from the priesthood.
Forward in Faith/North America - part of an international alliance among Anglicans - has 17,000 American members, both inside and outside the Episcopal Church. It was formed in 1989 to defend Christian doctrinal basics against questionings and denials by many of the very Episcopal Church leaders charged with their defense.
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