Archive for July 16th, 2009

Episcopal Identity

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

The leadership of the Episcopal Church voted this week to end its moratorium on ordaining gay bishops, marking what one Anglican Bishop calls “a clear break with the rest of the Anglican Communion.”

Smeal’s Glen Kreiner, assistant professor of management, studies the organizational identity of the Episcopal Church, and explains how this latest development stretches its identity:

The vote this week by Episcopal Church lay and ordained leadership is really the latest step in a move toward full inclusion in the Church. In some ways, though, it’s surprising, particularly given the Archbishop of Canterbury’s plea earlier in the convention to avoid controversy. But with many conservatives having now left the church, there are fewer roadblocks for such a vote to pass.

The central question is—and has been for some time—how far can the identity of the Episcopal Church stretch without breaking? For some people, parishes, and dioceses, it’s already broken; they’ve left or have one foot out the door. For others, the identity still needs to stretch more—to be more inclusive. Still others see it right where they want it to be, or simply don’t care enough about the national church politics to take action. In our research on the church, we’ve heard many comparisons to marriage and divorce; for some, this vote means even less hope of reconciliation.
 
Another key question is, what will the response be by various parts of the Anglican Communion? Conservative provinces will likely see this as fuel on the proverbial fire, and more justification for leaving the Communion or demanding a significant restructuring of it. It’s really a contest for the identity of the Anglican Communion. For some, holding the Communion together is the priority, and theological or values differences are secondary. For others, the Communion is not worth holding together (at least in its current form) if it does not collectively reflect the same core values.

Tags: Kreiner, Organizations
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