More on Moyer & the FiF UK Reaction

20 December 2004
Forward in Faith UK has learned with interest of the proposed consecration of Fr David Moyer, currently President of Forward in Faith North America, as a bishop in the Traditional Anglican Communion. We trust that Fr Moyer will be able to use his new role in the Anglican Church of America to assist those in the Episcopal Church who have been disenfranchised by the ordination of women as priests and bishops. We regret however that those responsible did not see fit to consult the bishops of Forward in Faith around the world before reaching their decision.

The Revd Dr Geoffrey Kirk
Secretary

Here is a link to the Statement of the FiFNA Council on Fr. Moyer.
And one from the Anglican Communion Network.

With every news release the picture shifts. Fr. Moyer appears to only have the support of the ACA/TAC. Aside from his parish, is there anyone on the Anglican Communion side of this that is supportive of his consecration?

David Virtue reports:

Archbishop John Hepworth, Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion told VirtueOnline from his office in Adelaide, South Australia said he was delighted with the move and said, “The consecration of Father David Moyer, and the consecration of Father David Chislett, Vice-Chairman of Forward in Faith Australia at about the same time, marks a vital change in the conflict that has devastated Anglicanism for over twenty five years. In the Episcopal Church in the United States, church law forbids anyone opposing the ordination of women to hold office. Other churches of Anglicanism behave in the same way. While persecuting those who do no more than hold what has always been believed, bishops who flaunt their lack of belief and their defiance of moral law are treated as heroes. Anglicanism has become a battlefield in a perverse conflict."

"These consecrations are a response to the persistent and determined refusal of the Anglican Communion to address the persecution of traditional Anglican believers. The new bishops will be “flying bishops”, similar to those provided for the Church of England, with a ministry that spans diocesan and national borders."

See, this is the part I don't get. My understanding is that Moyer's role in the TAC is to be their Suffragan for the Armed Forces. He is to have oversight of their military chaplains. Well, how many chaplains do they have? And is his role really to be something more?

Archbishop Hepworth seems to think he will be a "flying bishop," but there is no mechanism in the Episcopal Church for flying bishops as there is in the C of E. So will he just be "available"? I can't imagine a Bishop Moyer visitation to a beleaguered Episcopal Church parish that would not result in canonical action being taken by the local ordinary against the rector of said parish for "abandoning the communion." If a parish is ready to make that move, why not go ahead and leave altogether as others already have? I really don't understand the "foot in both worlds" notion. I think it's wishful thinking.

As I said in the first post on this subject, David Moyer is someone I consider a friend. He is a priest I have admired and supported. He has been most courageous in his stand against the "detestable enormities" of the bishop of Pennsylvania. As I hear of the lack of support for this development among those on his side of all the issues, I continue to hope that he will reconsider. I would much prefer that we on the Anglo-Catholic end of the Anglican spectrum could manage to act in concert with one another, rather than insisting on dancing to our own tune. David, think it over.