Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Dean Munday Responds to Ephraim Radner

Ephraim Radner once again is undercutting those orthodox who are seeking to be faithful Anglicans apart from the Episcopal Church by poo-pooing the coming new province.

It’s quite difficult for me to respond graciously to Dr. Radner anymore. I once highly respected the man and his efforts. And I would still do so if he stuck to his knitting, to his “inside” strategy of striving for the faith within the Episcopal Church. I think staying in the Episcopal Church is a mistake, but I honor those orthodox who do so out of conscience, as I have stated before.

But he, along with the ACI, doesn’t stick to that strategy, but for some reason feels he must undercut those orthodox who out of conscience pursue an “outside” strategy of realignment outside the Episcopal Church. I fail to see the point of that persistent undercutting to say the least.

Well, Dean Munday, surely being a more patient, gracious man than I, has posted a response both gracious and cogent to Dr. Radner’s missive. I commend it to you and heartily concur, particularly with the conclusion:

I have not criticized and would not want to see anyone criticize the work the ACI is doing on an "inside strategy" to the same degree that they apparently feel obliged to criticize those who are working on an "outside strategy." I can imagine the frustration that members of the ACI feel with those who are leaving existing Anglican structures while they are trying to save them. But I believe the ACI's efforts would win the support of a greater number of people if they spent more time telling us how they propose to save the ship and less time knocking holes in other people's lifeboats. It remains to be seen whether the ACI's strategy can be successful; and, if not, there may come a day when we are glad the lifeboats are there.

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