A JOYFUL ORTHODOXY: A VISION FOR UNITY IN THE ENGLISH PATRIMONY

Abp. Brian Marsh Visits Bp. Joseph to Bring Greetings and Blessings to the Western Orthodox from the Anglican Continuum

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

INTRODUCTION 

A year ago, I attended the G3 Anglican Joint Synod in Orlando, Florida, as an ecumenical observer at the invitation of Bp. Patrick Fodor and Archbishop Juan Garcia of the Anglican Church in America. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot from everyone I met that week. Archbishop Brian Marsh was extremely kind in following up with us later, as we struggled to understand God’s calling on our Archdiocese and attempted to correct some of the problems that the Holy Synod were shocked to find had been secretly laid into our foundation by dishonest and unscrupulous individuals, who had hidden their divorces, remarriages, and uncanonical behavior, seeking personal power and advantage. Later, as we endured very ugly attacks, due to our commitments to sacramental Christian marriage, denying divorce, not allowing practicing homosexual men into the priesthood, our views on the demonic issues underlying our generation’s apostasy, and our unswerving commitment to biblical and Orthodox tradition regarding a married episcopacy, the Bishops in the Anglican Continuum offered unwavering support and understanding. I and my brother bishops in our Synod, now eight strong throughout the United States and East Asia, and many thousands of faithful on the mission field, are extremely grateful for the love and support that has been shown to us, and we have high hopes for the continuation of God’s work in our jointly-held English Patrimony! In this we have a vision that we pray will continue and expand over time, by the grace of God. 

VISION 

Our jurisdiction has been tasked with an extraordinary mission by the Holy Spirit: to help and encourage the restoration of the Anglican Church to its true roots in Orthodoxy and Catholicity. As we undertake this sacred duty, we must look back to the profound teachings, stories, and traditions of the Caroline Divines, the Nonjurors, the Oxford Fathers, and the Western Rite Orthodox pathfinders such as St. Jean-Nectaire of St. Denis, St. John Maximovitch, and other visionaries. The Evangelical Orthodox movement, represented by figures such as Fr. Peter Gilquist, Fr. John Braun, and Fr. Michael Kaiser, further strengthens this mission, showing how a return to the fullness of the Faith is possible for Western Christians without giving up our pastoral and cultural prerogative! 

On the First Day of the Joint Synod

Dear Friends, the Sons of Bp. Ken Kinner, a Righteous Patriarch in the Christian Faith 

RETURNING TO OUR FOUNDATIONS: THE CAROLINE DIVINES AND THE SCOTTISH NONJURORS 

The Anglican tradition, rooted in its Ancient Celtic Christian identity, never meant to sever itself from the historic Church. The Caroline Divines, led by figures like the Blessed William Laud, Lancelot Andrewes and Jeremy Taylor, called for a return to the Catholic roots of Anglicanism, defending the Church’s identity as part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, using the biblical vision of the Holy Candlesticks that Christ Himself taught in the book of Revelation. These Divines rejected the radicalism of both Puritanism and Papalism, holding fast to the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church as handed down from the Apostles.

The Nonjurors, following the turmoil of the English Reformation and the Glorious Revolution, deepened this vision. They sought communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church, recognizing that the Anglican Church’s heritage must be in continuity with the undivided Church of the first millennium. The Nonjurors’ “Concordat” with the Eastern Orthodox in 1716 was a landmark moment, seeking mutual recognition of the ancient Faith and Sacraments. Although these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful at the time, they laid the groundwork for future reconciliation between Anglicanism and Orthodoxy.

THE OXFORD FATHERS 

The Oxford Movement of the 19th century, spearheaded by John Henry Newman, Edward Bouverie Pusey, and John Keble, built upon the foundations laid by the Caroline Divines and Nonjurors. These men sought to reaffirm the Catholic identity of the Anglican Church, emphasizing its continuity with the Early Church Fathers and the undivided Christian tradition. Their work emphasized the importance of the Sacraments, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the Apostolic Succession of bishops, and the authority of the Ecumenical Councils. The Orthodox initially recognized the validity of this movement and very favorably received the Apostolicity of its orders. 

The Oxford Fathers were pathfinders in the rediscovery of the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. Their movement rekindled the flames of Orthodoxy within Anglicanism, recognizing that the Church’s mission could not be accomplished without returning to the sources of the Faith—the Scriptures, the Fathers, and the unchanging traditions of the Apostles.

THE WESTERN RITE ORTHODOX FATHERS

In the 20th century, figures like St. Jean-Nectaire of St. Denis and St. John Maximovitch took the lead in recovering the Western liturgical and spiritual traditions within Orthodoxy. They demonstrated that the Orthodox Faith could flourish in Western forms without compromising the integrity of the Church’s teachings. Their work helped bridge the gap between Eastern and Western Christianity, showing that the Western Rite, properly understood and practiced, is fully Orthodox.

St. Jean-Nectaire’s work in France and St. John Maximovitch’s pastoral care for the Western Rite Orthodox communities laid the groundwork for the Western Church to reclaim its true identity. These saints demonstrated that the treasures of the Western liturgical tradition - whether from the Roman, Gallican, Mozarabic or other rites - could be revived within the Orthodox Church. Their legacy challenges us to continue this work, preserving the Western traditions while fully embracing the Orthodox Faith.

THE EVANGELICAL ORTHODOX LEADERS: A JOURNEY HOME

In more recent history, leaders of the Evangelical Orthodox Church, such as Fr. Peter Gilquist, Fr. John Braun, and Fr. Michael Kaiser, led thousands of Evangelicals into the Orthodox Church. Their journey represents a powerful testimony of how Western Christians can rediscover the ancient Faith, even from outside traditional liturgical and sacramental expressions. The Evangelical Orthodox leaders showed that returning to the fullness of the Faith is possible through deep prayer, study, and a genuine desire for Christian unity.

Their movement resonates deeply with our own calling in the Ancient Church of the West. Like them, we seek to restore the Anglican family of churches by leading it back to doctrinal and historical Orthodoxy—not by rejecting its heritage, but by bringing it into full alignment with the ancient and universal teachings of the Church and creating a canonical structure that ensures its mutual comprehension and the soundness of its orders. 

THE ANGLICAN CONTINUUM AND EMERGING UNITY 

In our time, the Anglican Continuum - through the leadership of figures such as Archbishop Mark Haverland, Archbishop Chad Jones, Archbishop Brian Marsh, Bishop Patrick Fodor, and Archbishop Paul Hewett - is beginning to congeal into a unified whole, known as the G3. They are also very focused on their ecumenical dialogue with the Polish National Catholic Church, the Nordic Catholic Church, and the Union of Scranton. This unity is vital for the restoration of the Anglican Communion as a whole to Orthodoxy. The collaboration between these leaders, rooted in the faithfulness of the Anglican tradition to its Catholic and Apostolic heritage, provides a strong foundation for the future.

But this unity must go beyond just reuniting the Anglican Continuum, which tragically exploded after 1978 due to the strong personalities of its original bishops. The various Western Orthodox jurisdictions, including the Western Orthodox Communion in Europe under Archbishop Gregory of the Orthodox Church of the Gauls, and the descendants of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, are essential partners in this mission. The vision of a unified Western Church, deeply rooted in the local traditions of its people and free from the burdens of papal or patriarchal centralization, is a vision that is both ancient and Orthodox.

A UNITED WESTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH 

The future of the Western Church must not be focused on rebuilding a papal or patriarchal polity, which has always created an authoritarian and overly centralized polity that is easy to corrupt through governmental manipulation. The history of the Western Church’s drift from Orthodoxy is largely a history of accretions—doctrines and practices added over time that led to division and disunity, capturing the centers of power with wealth and apostasy, distracting the Church from its evangelical mission. Instead, we must return to the model of the Early Church, where each place had its own pastoral bishop, constrained by the agreements of Ecumenical Councils and the collective witness of Universal Orthodoxy amongst all local churches. 

In this model, the bishops are truly equal, each responsible for his own flock, yet united in the same faith and doctrine. This vision is one of a deeply local Church—one that is intensely pastoral, focused on the spiritual needs of its people, and not on grand schemes of geopolitical power. It is only through such a return to the ancient and historical Faith that the Western Church can be restored to its rightful place in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

A NEW EVANGELIZATION 

Finally, this restored and united Western Church must not look inward but outward. The world today, much like in the time of the Apostles, is in desperate need of the Gospel. The Western Church, once restored to Orthodoxy, must take up the mantle of evangelization once again, spreading the true Gospel to all nations. In doing so, we follow in the footsteps of the saints who came before us—saints like the Caroline Divines, the Nonjurors, the Oxford Fathers, and the Western Rite Orthodox pioneers.

SUMMARY 

The task before us is great, the obstacles are many, the demonic attacks are devious, but the vision is clear. We must be obedient and humble in order to accomplish the call. By reappropriating the teachings and traditions of our English Patrimony and our Orthodox forefathers, and by working toward unity with our Western Orthodox brothers and sisters, the bishops of the Anglican Continuum, and the many Eastern Churches that have existed on the fringes of empire for many thousands of years, such as the Assyrians and the Indian Orthodox, we can restore the English Patrimony to its true identity as part of the ancient, undivided Church. Together, united in faith and mutual recognition of orders, we can build a Church that is both local and universal, intensely pastoral, and deeply Orthodox.

Let us pray for the grace to fulfill this mission and for the wisdom to navigate the path ahead. Through the intercession of the saints who have gone before us, may we see the Western Church restored to its ancient glory, for the salvation of souls and the glory of God.

COLLECT 

Almighty and Everlasting God, who hast called Thy Church to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, we humbly beseech Thee to guide and inspire all those who labor for the restoration of the English Patrimony and the Anglican Churches to the fullness of Orthodox faith and Catholic order; grant unto us wisdom and strength, that by reappropriating the teachings of the Caroline Divines, the Nonjurors, the Oxford Fathers, and the Western Orthodox Saints, we may faithfully reclaim the ancient paths of Thy Church; unite us in true doctrine, apostolic ministry, and sacramental grace, that we may, in perfect charity and unity, proclaim Thy Gospel to all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.