The ACNA On Origins

[SQLservant]

Just a curiosity, since it was an issue I took with other denominations: what is the prevailing perspective on origins in the ACNA, in your experience? Being Anglican, I would assume there's no official point of doctrine on the topic, so what seems to be the most common perspective among clergy and faithful? OEC, theistic evolution, YEC, something else entirely?

 

[Albion]

Just a curiosity, since it was an issue I took with other denominations: what is the prevailing perspective on origins in the ACNA, in your experience? Being Anglican, I would assume there's no official point of doctrine on the topic, so what seems to be the most common perspective among clergy and faithful? OEC, theistic evolution, YEC, something else entirely?

We have only one or two members of ACNA here, so I hope they notice your thead. The rest of us could basically just guess at the answer, but I'd guess theistic evolution to be the most common among ACNA members.

 

[RadixLecti]

I'd guess theistic evolution to be the most common among ACNA members.

This seems to be a prevalant view, but there's no official position.

 

[Albion]

This seems to be a prevalant view, but there's no official position.

Perhaps it should be added that we--you--don't spend a lot of time debating the fine points of this particular issue that is so important to the members of some other churches. (?)

 

[Scottish Monk]

Perhaps it should be added that we--you--don't spend a lot of time debating the fine points of this particular issue that is so important to the members of some other churches. (?)

I agree.

...Scottish Monk

 

[RadixLecti]

Perhaps it should be added that we--you--don't spend a lot of time debating the fine points of this particular issue that is so important to the members of some other churches. (?)

That's true, the discussion doesn't really seem to come up.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I'm TEC/ELCA (my church has both affiliations), and I don't know any ACNA people aside from this board.

I'm undecided between OEC and TE, and the Framework Interpretation, which makes perfect sense to me, allows for either. I'm sure that neither YEC nor a-theistic evolution is true.

 

[Albion]

I'm TEC/ELCA (my church has both affiliations)

I hope you don't mind my asking, but since you've said this several times...is the parish actually affiliated with an Anglican and a Lutheran jurisdiction simultaneously (I've never heard of such a thing, although there's a first time for everything, they say) or is it just that The Episcopal Church has an intercommunion agreement with the ELCA?

 

[ebia]

I hope you don't mind my asking, but since you've said this several times...is the parish actually affiliated with an Anglican and a Lutheran jurisdiction simultaneously (I've never heard of such a thing, although there's a first time for everything, they say) or is it just that The Episcopal Church has an intercommunion agreement with the ELCA?

We have here some Anglican/Uniting parishes.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I hope you don't mind my asking, but since you've said this several times...is the parish actually affiliated with an Anglican and a Lutheran jurisdiction simultaneously (I've never heard of such a thing, although there's a first time for everything, they say) or is it just that The Episcopal Church has an intercommunion agreement with the ELCA?

Yes, it really has both affiliations, and is under a bishop from each, Bishop Rickel of the Diocese of Olympia and Bishop Boerger of the Northwest Washington synod. I know that's unusual.

 

[Albion]

My thanks to both Ebia and Izdaari. I had no idea we had such at this time.

 

[ebia]

My thanks to both Ebia and Izdaari. I had no idea we had such at this time.

There are only a very small number of them, in isolated rural communities where neither church could continue to sustain a parish on its own and the bishop and the local congregations decided this was the way ahead.

It means means minsters are alternately draw from the two churches, so that would present a problem for Anglicans who can't cope with Uniting Church orders.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

There are only a very small number of them, in isolated rural communities where neither church could continue to sustain a parish on its own and the bishop and the local congregations decided this was the way ahead.

It means means minsters are alternately draw from the two churches, so that would present a problem for Anglicans who can't cope with Uniting Church orders.

Mine, however, is not in an isolated rural community, but in a trendy, hip, artistic neighborhood of a big city. It was established as a mission outreach to one of the most unchurched neighborhoods in one of the most unchurched cities in the US. It's about 10 years old now. It began as a house church with 5 people, and now has 150 members and an actual church building.

(The church looks tilted but it isn't, the picture is.)

 

[AndrewRD]

Well, I'm REC, which is a constituent part of ACNA.... I would actually say that given my experience, it's almost entirely a 60/40 split or so between young earth creationists and old earth creationists, with perhaps a handful of very conservative theistic evolutioners.

 

[SQLservant]

Wow! I had forgotten about this thread, and look at all the responses! I'm happy to see that the ACNA members on CF (of which I will, God willing, be joining the ranks soon) have turned out in response! I like the fact that origins don't appear to come up as a big issue, and that comforts me very much.

 

[file13]

Wow! I had forgotten about this thread, and look at all the responses! I'm happy to see that the ACNA members on CF (of which I will, God willing, be joining the ranks soon) have turned out in response! I like the fact that origins don't appear to come up as a big issue, and that comforts me very much.

I feel I should add that if the ACNA still haven't come down on where they stand regarding woman clergy, I think it's pretty safe to say that there is no official view regarding origins and that there's isn't likely going to be one anytime soon. Also given the fact that it's taking so long to come down on a position regarding woman clergy, I think we can rightly infer that there's enough of a majority which would be open to this particular view of "how God did it." But if it helps, J.I. Packer, a very prominent member of the ACNA and famous evangelical teacher apparently leans towards theistic evolution. But ya know, if you keep looking for the "perfect church" that perfectly matches your theology, you'll end up founding your own.

But luckily the beauty of being a Protestant is that you don't have to accept everything said confessionally by your own church if your conscience forbids it based on a serious, diligent, and honest study of Scripture.

 

[Albion]

Wow! I had forgotten about this thread, and look at all the responses! I'm happy to see that the ACNA members on CF (of which I will, God willing, be joining the ranks soon) have turned out in response!

Two of them--RadixLecti and Andrew.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

Two of them--RadixLecti and Andrew.

Uh huh. Most of us here are TEC.

 

[Albion]

Uh huh. Most of us here are TEC.

Two, by my count, have participated in this thread--you and Monk. As for the total membership of STR, that's a different matter of course.

 

[mark46]

I think that you mean that most Americans on the board are TEC.

Uh huh. Most of us here are TEC.