John W. Howe writes to Rowan Williams

BB UPDATE: Have been doing some more thinking about this fine letter. It is a fine letter. It's written, though, by an orthodox bishop who has made it quite clear that he's put all his apples in the TEC basket. Spong's letter must be most-difficult for TEC institutionalists like Bishop Howe.

This is a very difficult moment for institutionalists in The Episcopal Church, who's identity as leaders is defined by the institution, rather than by constituency. Those whose leadership blends both constituency and formal office are rare. It is not always easy to know who they are - an institution can be a compelling force, but sometimes it is - as Ronald Reagan once said - a paper castle. Ronald Reagan is a good example of someone who had both office and constituency - to the astonishment of his adversaries.

The institution will have ways to keep itself reinforced - not only with the obvious legal actions, but also by mustering its communication and marketing strategies. But it also means tapping into the constituencies themselves, mustering those forces in defense of the institution. That, in fact, may be what Spong's letter is attempting to do (and why the TEC leadership remains strangely silent over it).

John Howe is in a unique position to attack the letter, as someone who is strongly opposed to Spong's theological innovations, at the same time he is a fierce defender of the institution, as he continually demonstrates to his own constituency's dismay. Howe has the institution nailed down, but has not (except for perhaps in this letter) reinforced his constituency. That places him in a very vulnerable place - his allies then become other institutionalists, but they have very different constituencies and while he may find some at his table, those institutionalists will never trust him because they do not share the same constituencies. Their hearts lay elsewhere.

Bishop Howe will have to create a new constituency and though he appeals to a remnant that would remain in the Episcopal Church no matter what the House of Bishops do later this month, that view fails to take into account the ecumenical orthodox realignment. This isn't just about Episcopalians, as we are learning.

As I have said before, I do believe God does and will call a remnant to remain in The Episcopal Church. It's biblically defensible. John Howe may be one of those people. He is defending that institution in this letter to Rowan Williams, but he will have to rebuild his constituency and while he has been very mindful of the price tag associated with the legal actions of The Episcopal Church, rebuilding a constituency inside The Episcopal Church will be a monumental task. He has the preaching skills to do it, but will he?

How will we know? Does Spong speak for the constituency of leadership The Episcopal Church? To his credit, he does not play the "nice game." He's not very nice at all - blunt, in the most American sort of way. What's missing from Spong's letter to make it truly American is humor. The humorlessness of Spong's letter may be what is most shocking. What pours out of it is wretched bitterness and rage at feeling betrayed. He is right - people fought for Rowan Williams appointment because it was believed he was one of them, that he held the same political (if not theological) views of the progressives. But in the Episcopal Church, we have no robust politically liberal though orthodox Anglo Catholic wing. We don't have a robust liberal, though evangelical, wing. England has both.

Rowan Williams may have shared the political views of Bishop Spong, but he did not share his theology. Bishop Spong comes from a low church tradition (whatever his theological views). Rowan Williams does not - and that has turned out to be crucial in this crisis. The catholicity of the church has become paramount for many in the Anglican Communion. In America the "catholicity" is seen politically, even legally, but not theologically.

John Howe comes from a low church tradition (he's a former baptist), but he operates in a high church diocese. He has an evangelical outlook, but is inside an Anglo Catholic structure. In a rather odd way, this puts him more on the same keel with Rowan Williams. They both share - whether by choice or design - the same catholicity when approaching the integrity of the structures of the church. Both seem willing to set aside their own personal outlooks to save the institution. Well, we'll see.

Will The Episcopal Church choose to do the same? Will the House of Bishops be overwhelmed at preserving the Anglican Communion over the desires of the constituency to keep TEC on the track it is on? We will find out come September 30 who has both the office and the constituency - that is how institutions are run.

Then of course, there is the Holy Spirit. He does have a history of showing up and turning everything upside down.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Via e-mail. It is great letter from the Rt. Rev'd John. W Howe, Bishop of Central Florida. Read it all:

Saturday, September 8, 2007

My Dear Archbishop Rowan,

I have just seen the preposterous diatribe sent to you by Bishop Jack Spong, and, as one of his fellow Bishops, I send my deepest apology.

I am saddened that in his very first sentences he has disparaged you for "not coming alone" to the meeting of the American House of Bishops later this month The invitation, which I personally composed, was, of course, to you AND the members of the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates.

Bishop Spong has systematically denied virtually every tenet of the Christian Faith, and he presided over the near-destruction of the Diocese of Newark. During his tenure (1978 - 2000) the number of baptized members in the Diocese of Newark declined from 64,323 to 36,674, a loss of 27,649 or 43 percent. Eighteen congregations were closed between 1978 and 1997, and a further nine in 2000.

His sarcasm, his disrespect, and his arrogance are simply stunning. But then this is the same Bishop Spong who stated at the last Lambeth Conference that the African Bishops had "moved out of animism into a very superstitious kind of Christianity. They've yet to face the intellectual revolution of Copernicus and Einstein that we've had to face in the developing world. That's just not on their radar screen."

Your commitment to the Primates, and to all the members of the Communion, to uphold the teaching of Lambeth 1998 has been a spectacular gift, one that we all understand has been costly to you, personally.

Bishop Spong dares to say that you have become a "miserable failure." Shame on him. It is Bishop Spong who has consistently repudiated the teachings of the Holy Scriptures in favor of the latest cultural innovations, and he has inflicted tremendous damage on the Church of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Spong has the hubris to say of the orthodox, "We are espousing a position about homosexuality that is dated, uninformed, inhumane and frankly embarrassing. No learned person stands there today."

Actually, it is his position that is embarrassing! Study after study, from Masters and Johnson to Charles Socarides has shown that for a remarkably high percentage of homosexual persons a change of orientation is possible.

But the deeper question is not whether or not a given person's orientation has changed, but whether or not that person is willing (often at great personal sacrifice!) to conform his/her conduct to the teaching of Scripture that sexual intimacy is for marriage (one man, one woman, in Christ).

For Bishop Spong to lecture you as he has done is beyond belief. Please know that he speaks for himself alone, and that the Bishops who are gathering in New Orleans in just two weeks will greet you with great eagerness and affection.

Warmest regards in our Lord,

The Right Rev. John W. Howe
Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida