Updated again Tuesday lunchtime
George Conger has reported at Anglican Ink that a Church of England clergyman has been consecrated a bishop by persons as yet unamed, acting on behalf of the “Church of England in South Africa”, a body whose website says that the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA) is now the “official operating name” of CESA.
George’s report: Missionary bishop for Britain consecrated at Jesmond and is copied in full below the fold.
The clergyman is Jonathan Pryke of Jesmond Parish Church. His Crockford entry reads:
Curate, Jesmond (Clayton Memorial Church)
Born: 1959
Ordained Deacon: 1985
Ordained Priest: 1986Education
Trinity College Cambridge BA 1980
Trinity College Cambridge MA 1985Ordination Training
Trinity College Bristol BD 1985Ministry
Curate, CORBY (St Columba and the Northern Saints) Peterborough 1985-1988
Curate, JESMOND (Clayton Memorial Church) Newcastle from 1988
The Church Times has this report by Tim Wyatt: Jesmond curate’s breakaway consecration surprises both diocese and conservative Evangelicals
THE authorities in Newcastle diocese still seem to be in the dark after an assistant curate of a conservative Evangelical parish church in the diocese was reportedly consecrated bishop through the action of a breakaway Church in South Africa.
The curate, the Revd Jonathan Pryke, has served at Jesmond Parish Church since 1988. He was consecrated by bishops from the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA) at a service in Newcastle earlier this month, several sources told the Church Times.
But a spokesman for the diocese simply said today: “The Bishop of Newcastle is aware of reports concerning this matter and is seeking clarification.”
The Church Times has repeatedly attempted to contact both Bishop Pryke and his Vicar, the Revd David Holloway, but neither has responded…
This AMiE Statement in response to the consecration of Jonathan Pryke has also been published:
The AMiE Executive Committee recently requested that the GAFCON Primates support the consecration of a Missionary Bishop. We were overjoyed when they agreed to do this for the sake of gospel growth.
We can confirm that the consecration of the Revd Jonathan Pryke was a gospel decision taken independently of AMiE. His consecration was never discussed at our Executive meetings.
Jonathan is a valued member of the AMiE Exec and we are thankful to God for his abundant gifts and wisdom. We will be praying for him in this new season of his ministry.
This statement has been issued by GAFCON UK: Statement on the consecration at Jesmond Parish Church
8th May 2017
Gafcon UK are aware that Jesmond Parish Church have for some years been in a form of impaired communion with the Bishop of Newcastle, and have developed a special relationship with REACH-SA (formerly CESA).
Over the past few years, several clergy have been ordained by REACH Bishops to serve in the Jesmond church network and in one other part of England.
The leadership of Jesmond church have for some time been speaking publicly about the need for new missionary Bishops in Western nations who can oversee new Anglican ministries in the Celtic model. The reasoning can be found in the statement from the 2017 Jesmond Conference, here.
Gafcon UK have been informed of the latest developments but cannot comment further at this stage.
Text of Anglican Ink original article:
Missionary bishop for Britain consecrated at Jesmond
A missionary bishop has been consecrated for evangelical Anglicans seeking a reformation for the reformed catholic faith in England. Participants in the 2 May 2017 consecration of the Rev. Jonathan Pryke at Jesmond Parish Church in the Diocese of Newcastle by bishops of the Church of England in South Africa (CESA) hope their ceremony will see a renewal and rebirth of the faith in England.
However, critics within the conservative movement warn this may be the start of the fracturing of the traditionalist coalition in the Church of England, with each faction opposed to the recent innovations of doctrine and discipline forging their own way forward.
Sources close to the participants in the ceremony state the decision to consecrate Bishop Pryke (pictured) was taken against the counsel of GAFCON-UK. At their meeting in Lagos last month, the GAFCON primates called for the consecration of a bishop to support members of the Scottish Episcopal Church who could not continue in that denomination should it enact legislation permitting same-sex marriage this summer, and for Anglicans alienated from their bishops in England over doctrine and discipline.
However the Jesmond consecration was not what GAFCON had in mind, its general secretary Archbishop Peter Jensen told Anglican Ink. “This is not exactly parallel to the GAFCON initiative, and indeed is entirely independent of it. But it does show, I think, that the situation in England is becoming very difficult for those who want to hold the traditional and biblical view,” he said.
Details of the Tuesday consecration have not been made public, and it is not known at this time the names of the bishops who participated in the ceremony and what Bishop Pryke’s brief will be. A request for comments directed to the Rev. David Holloway, vicar of Jesmond, the Church of England’s national press office, and the Bishop of Maidstone, the Rt. Rev. Rod Thomas, have not yet been answered.
However, a paper released at the close of the 27-28 Feb 2017 Jesmond Conference explains the thinking behind the consecration, AI has learned.
The Jesmond Statement argued the identity of the Church of England was not in its buildings, synods, or clergy. The identity of the Church was:
“[G]iven in the judgment of an Employment Tribunal in 2011 when a disaffected clergyman was taking his Bishop and Diocese to Court. The judge, however, ruled: “The Church of England has no legal personality … the title ‘Church of England’ denotes an amalgam of what sometimes seemed an infinite number of bodies with no precise or clear picture … of how the various jigsaw parts interact … the ultimate authority to restructure lies with the Church’s parliament, the General Synod, subject to the Westminster Parliament” (so the Synod is an ultimate body for restructuring but not for revising doctrine or ethics). And this judgment, after a reversing appeal by the clergyman, was upheld after a diocesan final appeal by the Supreme Court of Appeal.
That judgment helps us define the ultimate identity of the Church of England, which is not in its structure, nor even in its ordained ministers. For as the doctrine of the Church determines the authority of the bishops and clergy, we have to go to The Church of England (Worship and Doctrine) Measure 1974 for the defining doctrine of the Church of England. It is there in these words: “The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal.”
Those also are the words of Canon A5. And it is those words that give you the Christian faith according to the Catholic Western English Reformed tradition. And that is the established faith of this nation and defines the Church of England doctrinally. We consider that that faith needs to be recovered by a new Reformation.
The bishops of the Church of England had failed in their mandate to safeguard and promote the faith. The statement noted: “because the bishops have for so long accepted the defiance of the Church’s teaching and rendered the Church pluralistic, they no longer see their function as leading the Church towards its identifying and agreed agenda,” as set down in its canons.
The leadership of the Church of England’s bishops “has been reduced not to leading the Church to what the Church universal judges to be its common good, but to the desire for ‘good disagreement’. And that, theologically, is between good and evil goals and objectives, with the aim being for the proponents of those divergent goals and objectives ‘to walk together’. That, of course, may be possible in the world, but quite forbidden in the Church,” the statement said.
Thus the ConEvo schism in England begins…
Kurt Hill
Brooklyn, NY
Meh, now the broad church is dead, for the best that the various Anglican factions go their own way, and go quickly. Sooner that happens, sooner equality can come to whatever remains.
Good luck to the con-evos: they’re gonna need it.
‘the recent innovations of doctrine and discipline ‘ ??? As far as I know the doctrine of the C of E has not changed (and the bishops would not be competent to make that change anyway); and if by discipline they are referring to LGBTI issues, innovation is exactly what the church decided against.
The CofE has never really been held together by doctrine, at least not since the Oxford Movement of 1833 onwards. Nor, since women were ordained, is it united by its bishops.
I think it is mostly held together by the monarch, the Church Commissioners (and its pension fund), and the geography of non-overlapping parishes.
Therefore fundamental divisions of belief and claims to supra-territorial jurisdiction will make no substantive difference. Life is lived on a diet of fudge and unfounded optimism.
It is worth re-reading Michael Hampson’s ‘Last Rites: the death of the Church of England’. His analysis of where we are, though written some time ago, is to me more considered than the recent Woodhead/Brown effort, entertaining though that is. In particular his reported conversation with Rowan Williams about not just a resolution C network, but also networks based on other features of church life, is prescient. The Greater Churches network is such a manifestation – what might that grow into? This news, however, merely displays hubris and arrogance. I wonder what Rod Thomas thinks. As an aside, I am… Read more »
This really is best ignored as it will have no impact on anything that matters. Two people will however have to consider it, the Bishop of Newcastle and the Bishop of Maidstone. Church lawyers will need to remind all of the position under canon law and ensure that Mr Pryke is held to account for whatever his new found ministry involves, to the extent it tries to involve CofE parishes and impacts his canonical obedience, and the Bishop of Maidstone will have to work out what this competitive development means for his ministry. Probably nothing at all. Interesting that this… Read more »
This is the same schismatic faction that stood idly by during apartheid, right?
I liked the Hampson book, too.
What will obviously happen is a splintering of the consevo grouping. None of them actually wants to be under the authority of any other.
Gospel bishop for gospel growth! Must refer to one of the gospels that didn’t get into the Bible. Does anybody really think the Christian Church would ever have got started if it had been about this?
Anthony Archer, I suspect that GAFCON UK is not disapproving because they think it’s “nonsense” (to use your word). The problem, from the GAFCON point of view, may be that it’s not _their_ “nonsense.” Jo may have it right. I quote the following from a 17 Nov 1997 South African Press Association account of a 3-day Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing: The evangelical Church of England said it allowed itself to be misled by the former National Party government into accepting a cruel and oppressive system. Bishop Frank Retief said the government used the Bible to support its policies and… Read more »
This rather bears out Peter Herriot’s analysis in his book “Warfare and Waves.” I wonder what Bishop Pryke will actually do for a day job? presumably carry on as a curate? Even more I wonder, what implications this has for the whole Bishop of Maidstone project? Bishop Rod is a colleague, albeit one I disagree with on various things, but it seems to me now there is danger of the whole Conservative windscreen shattering…
The ‘Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA) also known as the ‘Church of England in South Africa’, CESA, is not part of the Anglican communion.This is not schism then is it? Mr Pryke has joined another church, as a Bishop. The mystery is why he did this in total secrecy from those we would presume to be his closest allies in the Reformed Anglican Gospel cause – GAFCON UK and AMiE (where he was actually on the executive committee). He has publicly embarrassed them and fractured the conservative consensus days after it had set up its mission stall… Read more »
I suppose we might soon have a supplement to Peter Ansons entertaining “Bishops at Large”….”Cons Evo Bishops at Large”??
As an Evangelical myself, I quite understand the Jesmond situation. They now have three churches of considerable size and there are no other orthodox churches in the Newcastle diocese. They need a bishop.
But should they not have consulted widely and involved an international group of consecrating bishops before doing this?
We have got to stop this silly Evangelical habit of everyone doing their own thing and start behaving like responsible adults.
Rector David Holloway has long been known for his wise Anglican voice. What has happened to him?
More seriously..I think there are a number of CESA ordained presbyters working as vicars and curates in the C of E.We had one in the Edmonton Area when I was DDO. Apparently +Coggan allowed them to come in under the Overseas Clergy Act in the seventies…not sure what CPSA thought of that.
Having been parish priest for nearly 16 years in a parish very close to Jesmond Parish Church I find myself more and more concerned as to where this will end. Although not remotely of JPC’s theological “flavour” I am happy to recognise that they attract a great many, especially students and young families to faith. Because of their income (of which more in a moment) they are able to put large resources into this work. And for that, to a point, Alleluia! But … there are many buts. First, talking to some of those who attend the well done children’s… Read more »
Not another ‘Flying Bishop’! This time, consecrated to serve as a fake Anglican bishop under the very noses of the hierarchy of the Church of England. When will the Primates of the C. of E. actually get down to challenging this GAFCON-style invasion of its own eccelesial jurisdiction. The new ‘rara avis’ has appeared from out of nowhere (for nowhere; read Jesmond Parish Church which has no status in the Church of England) – out of the great blue yonder – territory tenanted by the Gafcon Primates; a schismatic African ‘Anglican Church’, ACNA, and now AMiE. What do the members… Read more »
Alan raises an interesting point. Can you have a C of E day job, while moonlighting as a bishop for another church with which we are not in communion? But then JPC has an enormous staff it pays for itself and is rather semi-detatched from the diocese, so perhaps the question is academic. But I’d love an academic answer.
See press release from Jesmond Parish Church:
http://bit.ly/NewStyleEnglishBishop
I’m curious about the use of this word “orthodox”.I’ve heard of Nicene orthodoxy, I’ve heard of the Eastern Orthodox churches….but are the other 176 parishes in the diocese of Newcastle ALL “unorthodox”?? By what criterion?
Arrogant, aloof, self-righteous, self-satisfied, and stingy. Who would want such a congregation such as Jesmond Parish in one’s Deanery anyway, Fr. Philip?
Kurt Hill
Brooklyn, NY
They are not Jesmond.
“I quite understand the Jesmond situation. They now have three churches of considerable size and there are no other orthodox churches in the Newcastle diocese. They need a bishop.”
No other “orthodox” parishes in the 176 other churches in the diocese?
And, since when have three churches needed their own bishop?
I suppose it’s only natural to get shot to bits when you put your head above the parapet!
Jesmond is not the only Conservative Evangelical parish in the Newcastle diocese, but there are certainly no more than four others – none of them in Northumberland. HardLy a fair do is it?
A bishop for only three churches? Why not, when their combined congregations surpass the totals of that in many deaneries.
As for the current model of diocesan episcopacy in the CofE, it is neither historically correct nor pastorally beneficial.
Ugh. Honestly, I can’t believe the evangelical hubris that claims ‘there are no other orthodox churches in Newcastle diocese’. It reminds me of the old saying, “There’s none sane but me and thee, and I’m not sure about thee”. And since when do evangelicals need a bishop who agrees with them? The strongest days of the evangelical movement were set in the context of opposition from the establishment. Once in the early 19th century when a certain aristocratic lady was staying with the Bishop of London and wanted to go on to visit John Venn, the (evangelical) vicar of Clapham,… Read more »
One wonders if the point of this is to anticipate an imminent GAFCON consecration; get alongside; then find a third.
So future consecrations will transpire from this and be widely alternative and representative…
Personally, Mike, having given up any hope that a broad church can be maintained, I don’t have a problem with it. If con-evos want their own bishop, why not? If they’re off doing their own thing, they won’t be trying to impose their concept of orthodoxy on everyone else. So, in all sincerity, good luck to you. Hope it works out.
Just hope liberal congregations now follow the same path, consecrate liberal bishops, and start welcoming and marrying lesbian and gay couples. Sauce for the goose …
I disagree with the headline to this article. This is not the act of a “conservative” group.
If you read the Coekin appeal – that he won after +Tom (tried to) summarily take away his license when his curates were ordained by an overseas Bishop – you will see that overseas Bishops doing this without CofE clergy’s knowledge avoids various legal and canonical pitfalls.
It is also worth reflecting on those churches continued growth: https://co-mission.org/about/ and on their faithfulness to the faith as we received it. It makes you wonder who the real rebels are in God’s eyes?
Pace Mike Keulemans, I fail to see how a church can be both “orthodox” (holding to the faith delivered to the apostles) and “conservative evangelical” (holding to an interpretation of the faith not dreamed up until a few centuries ago).
I don’t think it’s fair to say that there are only three orthodox parishes in Newcastle.
A quick Google search reveals that there are at least two Greek Orthodox parishes in Newcastle, along with two Russian ones and both Coptic and Indian communities
Thanks Tim for pointing out your cautionary tale from the 18th century and thanks James for your honest admission that all schools of thought within the Church should have space to be themselves.
I apologise to David Holloway for taking him to task over this consecration. Now that I have read his statement, it seems quite right geographically, historically and theologically to consider Jonathan Pryke a missionary bishop in the Celtic sense of the word. A sensible response to our fluid and mobile society.
The Church of England in South Africa (still the legal name of REACH) did not break away. It refused to join the Church of the province Bishop Gray started which was Anglo Catholic and ritualist. So how can you be accused of breaking away from a denomination you were never part of? It is very liberal on divorce and re-marriage (read Bishop Retief’s book on that) which is ironic as David Holloway is staunchly against that. He turns a blind eye to that attack on marriage.
“Now that I have read his statement, it seems quite right geographically, historically and theologically to consider Jonathan Pryke a missionary bishop in the Celtic sense of the word. A sensible response to our fluid and mobile society.” Mike Keulemans Mike, I also found Holloway’s statement very interesting, and, on the face of it, almost convincing. I had never seen the story of the Celtic missionaries of Northern England in quite that light, and I guess that, writing from a base in Northumbria, it is reasonable for him to take that sort of interpretation. But the problem with his thesis,… Read more »
The Church of England in South Africa did not exist in the days of Archbishop Gray. Bishop John Colenso (a great liberal missionary bishop and scholar) was the lawful Bishop of the Church of England in Natal. For a time, there was a rival “Bishop of Maritzburg”, Bishop Macrorie in PMB appointed by the Church of the Province. That schism has LONG SINCE ended. In Pietermaritzburg, the new Cathedral of the Nativity (next to the small S.Peter’s Cathedral where Bishop Colenso lies buried) honours BOTH bishops in the names given to the two cathedral halls. There is only the very… Read more »
As soon as I see the words, “orthodox” or “mainstream” used in connection with the word, “Anglican,” I begin to suspect that all three terms have been misappropriated.
Sorry, I’m way late to this thread (as a Yank, it’s difficult to keep up w/ our own disintegrating democracy as it is—pray for us!) Seems like David Runcorn has the best to-the-point analysis: “Mr Pryke has joined another church, as a Bishop.” (Now it only remains for the church he left to show him the door) But this: “I suppose it’s only natural to get shot to bits when you put your head above the parapet!” Mr Keulemans, Coptic Christians are dying for their faith in Egypt. LGBT people die for who they are every day. Kids in your… Read more »