Christian Today reports that Gavin Ashenden, who left the Church of England earlier this year, has been “consecrated as a missionary bishop to the UK in the Christian Episcopal Church”.
In her report, Ruth Gledhill writes that “he will work closely with Bishop Andy Lines, also recently consecrated a missionary bishop to work with conservative evangelical churches” and that Ashenden was consecrated in Vancouver “during the course of an Episcopal Synod”.
Ashenden is quoted as saying that the Church of England had “not been very generous” in providing conservative or traditionalist bishops. And further: “I will oversee anybody who asks. I have a trail of people coming to my door asking for support, spiritual direction and advice. Obviously my oversight will be informal, it will have no legal basis at all.” He said he was approached by the Christian Episcopal Church, which regards it as a “duty” to help traditionalist Anglicans across the globe.
There is a press release here which is dated “29 September”.
Informal and yet episcopal. An interesting mix! How does that work?
Wonderful to see a (former) fellow curate who has come so far !
Life is full of interest– and no where more so than the C of E !*
* forgive any slight tendency to over-egging –speakin of which ….
I think there might be an opportunity emerging for someone to develop an app to connect you with a missionary bishop who matches your theological pecadillos. Bishpr…? Uberbish…?
Simon, I wonder when we reach the point where it becomes pointless to give so much attention to these people?
“I will oversee anybody who asks. I have a trail of people coming to my door asking for support, spiritual direction and advice. “
Sounds rather like a cult of personality doesn’t it?
Well, Andrew, it will be interesting to see whether it really does work. It certainly seems to be outside of the ‘orthodoxy that Mr Ashenden and his cohorts claim to represent. You cannot claim ‘orthodoxy’ and then presume to start up your own outfit – outside of the established Church.
An odd idea of episcopacy. No diocese, clergy, people, or jurisdiction. What is this group anyway? Surely there can’t be a dearth of Episcopi vagantes from GAFCON, ACNA, the TAC, and others wandering around.
What a loss to the Church of England of a man of such intelligence and insight.
According to the Wiki article on this group, it has only three congregations. But an archbishop and primate nonetheless. Apparently it’s a schism of a schism. Even more so than the joke about ACNA, it apparently believes in the episcopacy of all believers.
I suppose Fundamentalist U.S. people are paying the stipends of these new (un)orthodox Vagantes? I do hope the hierarchy of the C. of E. will make some sort of Statement about their sheep-stealing propensity in their jurisdiction. It does seem that Purple Shirts are 2-a-penny among the schismatics.
According to Wikipedia: “At one time, the XnEC in the United States counted parishes in Mississippi, South Carolina, California, Arizona, Texas and other states, but at present its parishes are two in Washington State and one in Florida. The current Archbishop and Primate is the Most Reverend Theodore C. Casimes. XnEC’s Bishop Co-Adjutor is the Rt. Rev. Dr. Tim Klerekoper”
Founded in 2002, it was the result of a split from another body which left the Episcopal Church in 1992.
Maybe someone can enlighten me: is it now required that one has episcopal orders before one can offer advice, support or spiritual direction? I thought it was only necessary to seek irregular consecration if one planned to make your own little sect self-sustaining and have a veneer of legitimacy?
A conservative evangelical sporting a zuccetto! Hasn’t taken him long to get the gear.Perhaps like Cardinal Burke he will wear the cappa magna.Lots of potential for an extension of Peter Ansons “Bishops at Large”
Kelvin, I love the idea of uberbish, with a little map showing the various bishops moving around your area (in the form of a tiny mitre, with different colours to show different theological views) so you can summon one which matches your needs, together with an estimated time of arrival and their fee. It’s the perfect app for the post-modern church!
Perry, yet I too noticed the purple zucchetto, can’t imagine the Bishop of Maidstone wearing one of those! Mind, the last time Justin was at the Western Wall in Jerusalem he covered his head with one. However, I think that the cappa magna will be a train too far but wonder about a purple biretta (with 4 wings, as Gavin has a Doctorate) and maybe an exceedingly tall mitre. I look forward to his next appearance on “Anglicans Unscripted” when further details may well be revealed.
Extraordinary. One can only speculate about what prompted him to take this step and it’s probably better not to do it in public here. But the history of this sort of ‘splitism’, which mirrors the ‘splitism’ of Marxist groups can only result in churches consisting of one person who is their own primate, bishop, priest, congregation and so on ad nauseam. And everyone is right!
Here’s a guy who is no longer in the CofE, now a Bishop of a church not in the CofE.
Why all the sturm und drang? Why should anyone care about something that does not pertain to their context?
As a long-time science-fiction fan, I am reminded of a long-standing joke in that community:
One science-fiction fan is a loner, two science-fiction fans are a club, three science-fiction fans is a schism.
“Here’s a guy who is no longer in the CofE, now a Bishop of a church not in the CofE. Why all the sturm und drang? Why should anyone care about something that does not pertain to their context?” Christopher: is it fair to say you still care about Mark Lawrence – a man no longer Anglican and a bishop of a Church not in the Anglican Communion? The reason to observe what goes on with Gavin Ashenden is that he will seek to offer those in the C of E something he thinks they will get better from him.… Read more »
In Gavin Ashenden, the CofE has lost another of its best men. Those remaining in high positions are beginning to look rather mediocre in learning and ability.
In Gavin Ashenden, the CofE has lost another of its best men…”
That’s OK, as CoE is slowly filling up with spectacular women.
On Gavin Ashenden’s frequent appearances on Anglicans Unscripted, most recently he appears to be filmed in what looks like a wooden shed – I wonder, is that where his cathedra is located – in a garden shed? I know that architect fellow from the North East hosts a programme on amazing shed interiors but I’ve yet to come across a cathedral garden shed. They have a cardboard cathedral in New Zealand and, of course, the original tabernacle which housed the Ark of the Covenant was a tent in the wilderness but a cathedral shed is surely a highly imaginative innovation… Read more »
The app idea is brilliant, though keeping it updated might be a challenge.
The great Pratchett once observed (in ‘Witches Abroad’?)that “the natural size of a coven is one….” I’m not insinuating warlock-like tendencies, btw, just observing a common phenomenon
I have been given to understand that this consecration took place in 2013 and not recently as might be the way this news is being reported. Does anyone else apart from those of my Facebook friends who say that they were told this by Gavin Ashenden themselves have any information about it?
We keep hearing how intelligent, etc., Mr. Ashenden is and that he is one of the CofE’s “best men” (whatever that means), even to the extent of ascribing mediocrity to those who are not Gavin Ashenden. The whole CofE, we hear, is accused of “leaving him”, because he’s so important that the whole CofE should just revolve around him for eternity. One of the “best and brightest” seems to see no problem not only in leaving the CofE (which he is free to do), but to join a group that is a schism of a schism in order to receive… Read more »
“I look forward to his next appearance on “Anglicans Unscripted” when further details may well be revealed. Posted by: Father David on Thursday, 28 September 2017 “ I always thought the title of that video outfit to be a bit of an oxymoron. I would have thought a more accurate title might be: Un-Anglican scripted. Do people here realise that, if H.M. The Queen had recommended this fellow for a bishopric, the C. of E. might still be saddled with him? Best where he has landed up, I reckon – as long as he doesn’t bring his mitre to the… Read more »
“that is a schism of a schism”
As a global claim do you know how ridiculous this sounds?
The man in question was consecrated in a segment of anglicanism other than the CofE. Of course anglicans in general are regarded by other Christian bodies as themselves schismatic. The previous PB of TEC defrocked clergy who were and remain in CofE Orders. You have to look at the world from a fairly idiosyncratic point of view to speak of schism so globally and self-evidently. Are Methodists english schismatics?
http://www.virtueonline.org/former-queens-chaplain-consecrated-missionary-bishop-anglicans-uk-and-europe says that Gavin was indeed consecrated on 17 October 2013, publicly, and that he’s been a suffragan bishop in the Channel Islands and France since then. Only now, it seems, is he “in a position to make known to the members of the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, and to the British public in general, his status as a Bishop of the Catholic and Apostolic Church.” I wish him well personally but this all strikes me as a bit odd. I wasn’t aware that Church of England clergy in good standing are supposed to do this… Read more »
Father Ron, as both Kevin Kallsen and George Conger are both Episcopalian priests from across the pond I wonder why they opted for Anglicans Unscripted rather than Episcopalians Unscripted?
” The man in question was consecrated in a segment of anglicanism “
Christopher: which segment of Anglicanism? In what way is it Anglican? Does it comfort in any way shape or form to the Chicago-Lambeth quadrilateral? Or Is this just another new inventing ones own bits of ecclesiastical polity again?
I can understand someone joining either of the flying bishops’ clubs in the C of E. I would respect Dr Ashenden’s having done that. I can understand someone leaving the C of E for, say, the Catholic church (an attractive option for me), or the Baptists, or the Pentcostals or whatever. Dr Ashenden, however, seems merely to be chasing purple millinery. Let him and his ilk have no more publicity.
@cseitz: This was not my original comment (schism of a schism)-I borrowed it. It is annoying that you picked up on that and not on the overall point of my comment. Arguments about who is in schism are interminable and fruitless. My point is that he did accept episcopal ordination from a group outside the CofE and Anglican Communion. So he is “not in communion with the church that originally ordained him. The validity of orders is irrelevant to my point. Any reference to this group says that they are a small group that separated from the “continuing Anglican” movement… Read more »
Schism that happened generations ago and where blame can legitimately be found on both sides is a little different from stalking off in a huff within living memory because you’re incapable of coexisting with people who disagree with you.
Simon Butler..according to Virtue on line Gavin Ashenden was indeed consecrated in October 2013.
Episcopal congregationalism……that’s what it is…tiny flocks, and a multiplicity of bishops.
I remember Gavin as a charismatic and popular parish priest. And I hope to always remember him that way. I can’t understand the direction he has taken at present, but he was very kind to our family and encouraged me to be a lay reader in the C of E, where I am happy to remain. I do not share his identification of the current threats to the Anglican Church, nor to the message and gospel of christ in general, but I certainly wish him all the best in his personal life, and that he may find as did Julian… Read more »