One of the key problems in the Anglican family of churches today is the increasing centralization of authority and "primacy creep." In these changing times there is a desire to try and nail down who is and who is not an Anglican as well as a drive to set up a central normative authority who would decide.

The Anglican Communion is a relatively recent (and I dare say modern) phenomenon of the last century and a half. We are a "communion," a fellowship, a koinonia, and not a worldwide, unified, monochomatic, centrally controlled church. The problem with most inter-Anglican and ecumenical conversations today (especially with the Roman Catholic Church) is that we are trying to function as a singular body and not a communion. We are not the Roman Catholic Church nor a global "united" Church (like the American United Methodists), we are a communion. Let's not forget this less we risk losing our identity as Anglicans.

--Ian Douglas idouglas@eds.edu

• The Series: 'Assays toward General Convention 2000': http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/assays.html
• Louie Crew's Anglican pages: http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/rel.html
• Louie Crew's home page: http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew
• Send mail to: lcrew@newark.rutgers.edu

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