FCA UK & Ireland launch
On Monday 6th July, the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans UK & Ireland was launched. It was attended by over 1600 people, including members of the Church of Ireland. Indeed, two Irish bishops, Ken Clarke of Kilmore and Harold Miller of Down and Dromore, were publicly welcomed by the organisers.
Contributors to the day emphasised that this was not a schism - that has already been introduced into Anglicanism by the Episcopal Church of the USA when it consecrated an openly gay man to be bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. Rather, the FCA UK & Ireland is a movement of those concerned for Anglicanism to remain true to its biblical and historic doctrinal roots and to promote the Gospel of Christ on this ground alone. Originating from the GAFCON meeting in Jerusalem 2008, the FCA seeks to offer a safe haven to those marginalized by a militant liberal-revisionist ecclesiastical hierarchy as well as to be a voice for orthodox anglicanism.
How does it affect the Church of Ireland? The short answer is no-one knows yet. Appearances suggest that the Church of Ireland is hiding its head in the sand when it comes to facing upto the major issues that are dividing the Anglican Communion. The danger with this is that the Church of Ireland could find itself cut off from mainstream Anglicanism represented by the FCA. In the meantime, individuals and churches within the Church of Ireland are signing upto the FCA. As that gathers momentum, the Church of Ireland will have to face up to the new reality within worldwide Anglicanism that FCA represents.
One can only hope and pray that the Church of Ireland as a denomination will not walk away from the historic Christian faith but will firmly align itself with the majority of Anglicans worldwide who want to promote the Gospel and the traditional Christian and bibilical standards that have so long characterized Anglicanism.