Episcopal Bishops are Outside the Creedal Mainstream?

The Lead points us to a curious article in the Anglican Journal. It is a report of the recent visit of Canterbury's Pastoral Visitors with the bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Here are the curious bits:

...The visitors said they were also reminded frequently by bishops that “Canada is not the USA.” While the United States is seen as a melting pot culture where religious and ethnic groups are synthesized into “Americans,” Canadians “genuinely value and seek to live with diversity.” Differences between the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church were underscored, including the area of Christology...

If one of these these Pastoral Vistors' goals was to bring about reconciliation, this is a very strange way to go about accomplishing that goal. Their report appears to be a clear attempt to cause divisions within the strong alliance between TEC and the ACC.

And what is meant by the insertion of the theological concept of "Christology"?

The report continues:

..."We sensed that in Canada there was a general consensus on the nature of orthodoxy, with fewer extreme views of the kind that have led to some of the aberrations south of the border,” the report said. “Even the bishops who were strongly progressive in the matter of same-sex blessings insisted that they stood firmly within the creedal mainstream.” This, the report said, is “an encouraging sign that it allows for a more obviously Christ-centred approach to issues that currently divide the Communion, to say nothing of the wider church"...

"Abberations south of the border" ??? In what way is such a blatant smear consider "pastoral"?

More specifically, would these "Pastoral Visitors" please provide specific examples regarding how the Bishops of TEC are less orthodox, and outside the creedal mainstream?

We can anticipate their response. One name; John Shelby Spong. Never mind that they don't understand what Bp. Spong was up to. Based on that one example, our Bishops suddenly become the source of "abberations south of the border." Can anyone offer even one example of another bishop in TEC who might be categorized as being outside the "creedal mainstream?" I don't think so.

If this was the first occasion of such thoughtless smears being aimed at TEC, one might simply excuse this as a case of a lack of knowledge. But, there has been a constant campaign of such smear attacks for at least a decade now, usually coming from the fanatical fringe. Here is but one example of the lies and half-truths the extreme fanatics have been spreading.

Bp. Gandiya and Bp. Bennetts, I suggest that you not take seriously the propaganda from the extremists. If you would actually listen to the bishops of TEC, you might discover that they are not "abberations south of the border," but are clearly faithful Christians within the "creedal mainstream."

To our Canadian brothers and sisters: Don't buy into this attempt to divide and conquer. We need each other.

J.