AAC Slip is Showing

[6 April note: I cranked out the initial post fairly quickly. I have made significant edits, revisions, and additions below.]

Doug LeBlanc, who persists in considering himself a journalist, has penned a delicious piece about the American Anglican Council (AAC), the North American schismatics, and their relationship to the Anglican Communion. [Edit/Addendum on 6 April: In the comments below, Jeffri Harre made me realize I confused the journalist Doug LeBlanc with the lackey George Conger. I offer my apologies to Mr. LeBlanc, who is indeed a credible journalist. In fact, the fact that this unflattering article was written by Mr. LeBlanc and published in TLC raises many questions about what's going on. See comments below, with thanks to Jeffri and to Elizabeth Kaeton.]

You'll remember the AAC. They're a nearly-wholly-owned subsidiary of the IRD, which is committed to making our nation over in its dominionist/theocratic image. [If you're just now plugging in, check Jim Naughton's "Follow the Money" for the background on these sleazy organizations.]

LeBlanc's article is here, in The Living Church. It's based on comments made by the Rev. J. Philip Ashey, the AAC’s chief operating officer and chaplain, in a brief speech in the suburbs of Richmond, Va. He spoke in Richmond, and had a crowd of about 70 people present.

Let's start by acknowledging that The Living Church has ceased entirely to be a journalistic publication. It is the yang to ENS's yin. Nothing but propaganda.

Here are some items of particular note in LeBlanc's article.

Catch this:

Fr. Ashey compared the AAC to the Special Forces of the U.S. military.
“Like Special Forces, we go behind the scenes and we blow up things,” he said, adding quickly that what the AAC blows up is principalities and powers.

Are you believing this? He compares the AAC to U.S. covert operatives and brags that the AAC enjoys blowing up things. Is the AAC remotely connected to anything we would recognize as a church?? Is Father Ashey proud that the AAC's mission is to blow up things?

This reminds me of Father Mark's sad commentary at Preludium. and Elizabeth Kaeton's self-professed "rant" at Telling Secrets. The violent language from "the right" is indeed disturbing.

LeBlanc begins his story with this lead:

The Anglican Church in North America is unlikely to be recognized by the See of Canterbury, a leader of the American Anglican Council said on April 1.
“We do not believe that Canterbury will recognize us, at least while the current archbishop is still in office,” said the Rev. J. Philip Ashey, the AAC’s chief operating officer and chaplain, in a brief speech in the suburbs of Richmond, Va.

That's a leading figure of the schismatics acknowledging that Canterbury likely will not recognize the North American schismatics as legitimate members of the Anglican Communion. Bye-bye, FOCAs. Bye-bye, GAFCON. Bye-bye, Really Truly Pure Anglicans in North America. I am astonished that a leader of the schismatics is already acknowledging that their movement likely will fail to be recognized by the leader of the Anglican Communion.

It gets worse for them:

Asked during a discussion period about the AAC’s relationship to Anglican Communion Partners, Fr. Ashey said the AAC had proposed collaboration more than once.
“We have been politely turned down,” he said. “We are two very different organizations.”

Turned down. Turned down flat. [6 April addition: As far as I can tell, the "Anglican Communion Partners" are the group previously called "the Camp Allen bishops." They are the bishops who have determined to remain within the Episcopal Church, though they support the Windsor Report and the move to develop an Anglican Covenant. They're on the conservative side of the Episcopal Church, but they have now flatly rejected the AAC's offer of support. Does that not speak volumes?]

And this is rich:

Fr. Ashey suggested that Canterbury’s recognition will be less important as various provinces in the Global South recognize the ACNA. He said representatives from Kenya, Rwanda, the Southern Cone of South America, and Uganda are expected to attend a provincial assembly in Texas in June . . . .

Yeah, it doesn't matter that the Archbishop of Canterbury withholds recognition, as long as a few African primates and one English guy in a tiny Latin American province gives you their blessing. LOL!

Finally, catch this:

Fr. Ashey said he was part of a panel of bishops and lawyers who have drafted canons for the ACNA, which plans to release the proposed canons within a few weeks. He said the canons will make clear that all property belongs to congregations rather than dioceses; that bishops will be nominated by dioceses on a slate of three and chosen by a College of Bishops; and that all bishops must warn each other when a transferring priest has engaged in misconduct.

Look again. Among the Really Truly Pure Anglicans in North America, bishops will be chosen by bishops. No clergy or lay people will be involved in the discernment process for the episcopacy. I wonder how this will play among the schismatics in North America.

There have been other signs, but this is the clearest one yet that the schismatics are floating off into oblivion -- just like all the splinter groups before them.

==
H/t to Ann for giving me a heads-up on this story.