Plot to Take Down The Episcopal Church

Last Saturday was the annual Diocese of Los Angeles Ministry Fair at Campbell Hall in North Hollywood. Rather than the usual format of having numerous workshops regarding various ministries, spiritual practices, etc., this year's Ministry Fair had one theme only - the current "troubles" involving The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. (Full coverage by the Episcopal News Service can be found here, along with a list of resources relating to this issue).

Bishop Bob Anderson (retired Bishop of Minnesota and current Bishop Assisting in the Diocese of Los Angeles) noted that the recent actions of the Primates of the Anglican Communion, as outlined in the communiqué from the Dar es Salaam Primates Meeting (February 15-19, 2007) is merely one more step in a plot that was developed by the American Anglican Council (AAC) in 2003 to take down The Episcopal Church, or rather, to "realign Anglicanism on North American soil" through "replacement jurisdiction." In December 2003, a member of that organization produced a secret document, the "Chapman Memo," outlining this strategy. (The memo even advises those reading it to "keep this document confidential" and to only share it "in hard copy only with people you fully trust.") The Episcopal News Service broke the story of the of the Chapman Memo in January 2004 (see ENS story), but most people (including our bishops) seem to have forgotten that fact (as did I). Bishop Anderson noted that if you place the Chapman Memo and the Dar es Salaam communiqué side-by-side, you can readily see that the Primates' recent actions and their communiqué are following the strategies established in the Chapman Memo.

In addition, one of the presenters noted that during breaks in the Dar es Salaam meeting, the Most Reverend (?) Peter Akinola, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria (and Supreme Thorn in the Side of The Episcopal Church), would leave to confer with representatives of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). It would appear that Archbishop Akinola (and other primates who are less than friendly to The Episcopal Church's position?) were taking their cues from the arch-conservatives in The Episcopal Church - from those who were behind the strategy outlined in the Chapman Memo.

To me, it raises the question, just who's running the show here?
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