NASHOTAH: Anglican Traditionalists in Dialogue with Orthodox Church

By Michael Heidt

Special to Virtueonline

www.virtueonline.org

October 9, 2009

Nashotah House --Over one hundred and fifty delegates and top Anglican traditionalists, including ACNA (Anglican Church in North America) Archbishop Robert Duncan, and Bishop Jack L. Iker of Fort Worth, have gathered at Nashotah House Seminary for a two day ecumenical conference with the OCA (Orthodox Church in America).









Entitled "In the footsteps of Tikhon and Grafton", the conference aims to rekindle the relationship begun by St. Tikhon and Bishop Grafton of Fond du Lac in the 19th century.

Conference speakers include His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Orthodox Metropolitan of All America and Canada, the Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, Chancellor of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Archbishop Duncan of the ACNA and Dean Robert Munday of Nashotah.

Speakers will address the history of Anglican-Orthodox relations, enculturation, mission and theological training; the event concludes with the signing of a "Covenant Partnership," pledging continued prayer, fellowship and ecumenical cooperation between the Nashotah House and St. Vladimir's Seminary.

Dean Munday of Nashotah House stated that this new bond between the two seminaries "is an important step in furthering a renewal of Anglican-Orthodox ecumenical dialogue."

This was dealt a serious blow by The Episcopal Church's decision to ordain women and more recently by institutional support of abortion, gay rights and the jettisoning of scriptural and creedal doctrine.

With the establishment of a new Anglican Province in North America, which upholds orthodox teaching on human sexuality and the sanctity of life, dialogue between the two Churches has restarted.

According to Fr. Hatfield, Chancellor of St. Vladimir's seminary, "Together we can take the work and witness or our forefathers and reclaim the voice of Christian orthodoxy that this world is starving to hear once again. Not to do so would be to fail to build upon the foundations of both seminaries and the two traditions that they represent. Now is the time to act boldly, and together we will in common witness to the truth of the Gospel of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. May it be blessed."

The Episcopal Church, led by gay advocate, Jefferts Schori, has not commented on the conference but sources say there is concern that TEC has been sidelined in this new ecumenical discussion.



END