Petition

This blog is a platform for the petition for full communion between the Episcopal Church and the UF of the Metropolitan Community Churches, ob nasis of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral..

Before it be submitted to the authorities of the two church bodies, the petition may be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I5W3cKhh1_ScO1ICoXBV4pLzQJhh9fjArjhTxxYweLw/edit - Please, add your remarks either within the document, or as a comment to this blog.

The text of the petition will also be published in different articles within this blog.

To sign the petition, click here: www.ipetitions.com/petition/full-communion

Benefits

What would be the benefits of a TEC-MCC full communion, besides «that all may be one» (John 17:21)? The UFMCC totalizes some 242 congregations and other ministries, while TEC about 1080 parishes and missions. In other words, TEC makes up 4½ times more than the MCC. Some of the full communion advantages would be: #1. From the MCC viewpoint. Overcome isolation. When the 1931 full communion agreement was signed between the Anglican Communion and the Old-Catholics, the latter were very, very small in size, compared to the former. Probably, without full communion with the Anglicans, the Old-Catholics would have remained an insignificant denomination. The MCC used to offer something unique in the past. However, as at the present times larger denominations accept gradually the marriage equality, the MCC will arguably be stagnant. However, through a potential full communion agreement with TEC, the MCC will gain popularity and credibility as a denomination, which will eventually help its perennity. Recover the historic episcopate. The next generation might appreciate that heritage. Other Churches did it in the past, and the nowadays generations appreciate that. Use Episcopal clergy where MCC is too small to have its own clergy. An Episcopal priest, ministering to a larger parish, could preside the Mass and administer sacraments and other rites to MCC tiny congregations until the MCC provides proper training and ordination to someone of their fold.

#2. From the Episcopal point of view. Reach homophobic countries. The Episcopal Church is absent in many homophobic countries. Through a full communion with the MCC, Episcopalians abroad would be able to worship with integrity and full sacramental participation within an MCC congregation. Learn inclusivity. The MCC have been doing it for the last 50 years, and you may take advantage of their experience. Learn latitudinarianism. The MCC encompass people coming originally from a whole spectrum of churchmanship, from very low-church, through charismatic, to high-church. Although their congregations maintain liturgical diversity, each seem to have been enriched with elements of other traditions.

MCC Episcopate

The MCC have a ministry they call “elders”. In spite of the name, which may be confusing for people of other traditions, nevertheless, that MCC ministry is described thus: «Elders have an ecclesial role: they oversee the affiliation of churches; and they have authority over the Clergy Manual and protocols for authorizing MCC clergy. Elders then are key to setting standards and boundaries, based on the by-laws, by which churches and clergy are represented at General Conference. Elders also oversee the appointment of Network leaders and relate to churches through the Network system. Elders have a spiritual/pastoral and teaching role in the Church: Elders are called upon to develop leadership programs, teach at summits, preach at MCC conferences, church anniversaries, and support MCC in terms of increasing church strength and health; and in strategically supporting new church starts and emerging ministries. They are looked to as spiritual and pastoral leaders by the pastors, lay leaders and people of MCC. They may also be asked by the Moderator to represent and to speak for the denomination publicly. [...] They are also a symbol of the unity-in-diversity of MCC.»

These points show that this ministry is one of episcopé, and compatible with the bishops’ ministry in the Churches of the historic episcopate.

Sower and Reaper.

«He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, “One soweth, and another reapeth”. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.» (John 4:36-38)

In our context, this can be interpreted in two different manners:

A. In 1968, virtually all the Churches - TEC included - were far from inclusivity. What would one have expected, in the Episcopal Church, from a faithful and monogamous gay couple, in 1968? Well, to repent of their love, to get torn apart, and maybe to go to a so-called “conversion therapy” in order to damage their lives. However, in that very 1968 year, there was one dissenting voice in Christianity, and that was Rev. Troy Perry, founding the first MCC. The very existence of the MCC stood there, as a small lighter in a dark room, but helped us evolve. Since 1969, the MCC have been blessing committed same-gender partnerships, and have been raised their voices in the society, demanding equal rights for the LGBT. In 1975, when a MCC pastor and his thirty-two congregants were burnt to death by homophobes, a martyrdom that would lead to victory, the Episcopal Church was still in denial towards the LGBT. One had to wait 1976 for the first pro-gay Christian book, and for the Episcopal Church to begin to say shyly something positive about the so-called “homosexual persons”. The marriage equality of 2015, both in the USA and in the Episcopal Church would not have become a reality, if the MCC had not done the “dirty job” first. In this respect, the MCC has sown in 1968, while TEC is reaping now. It would be great if the sower and the reaper may rejoice together now.

B. During the English Reformation, the Anglican compromise meant to be able to accomodate both catholics and protestants. The Church of England made great efforts at that time in order to keep the historical episcopate. Last but not least, she had to call back to the homeland four expatriated bishops, and wait until all of them were there, in order to secure the catholic episcopate for the posterity. When the Episcopal Church had to severe her dependance upon the English mother-church, it took great ressources and time for Samuel Seabury to get finalkly consecrated as bishop in Scotland, thereby securing the catholic episcopate for the future generations. Episcopal priests' William Huntington 1870 book The Church-Idea serves, up to this day, as basis for the full communion agreements between organized Churches. On the other hand, the MCC are very young, and it would be great if they would let the historical episcopate “infuse” in them from the Episcopal Church. The Universal Fellowship of the MCC could reap a catholic episcopate whereon they bestowed no labour: the Anglicans/Episcopalians laboured, and the MCC would enter into their labours.