Anglimergent'NING' site is live

A few days ago I put up a new 'NING' (networking) site for Anglicans (of all persuasions (TEC, AMia, CofE, ACC ...) who are engaging emerging church and mission.

Emergent forums and networking is key for Anglicans, as the perichoretic way emergents engage one another (in reconciling and generative friendship across modernist liberal/conservative divides) is sorely needed as small sign that God has given us the capacity to practice shalom and live an 'alternate Anglican story' of reconciliation, justice, and service with wonder, love and praise, a story that is markedly different from the deadly 'Communion Wars' currently engulfing this tribe.

To this end,'AnglimergentNiNG' is an interactive 'fast lane' relational networking site for those engaging emerging Anglican mission ministry 'on the ground,' as an international hub to find community and build relationships with those who share this same passion and providing: peer2peer learning, resource sharing, a place to pose questions and to explore new possibilities for breaking open and sharing the gifts of Anglicanism to those seeking God in emerging cultures and our postmodern, post-colonial, and post (you fill in the blank) world.

Sometime in the next few weeks Anglimergent.ORG will launch as a simple, presentational 'onramp' / introductory portal to emerging Anglicanism with 'directory' listing of Anglimergent parishes, missions and ministries around the globe.

As my fellow Seattle based Anglimergent Tim Mathis says in his Facebook group 'Anglican whether you like it or not' - 'Anglicans are in communion with one another, whether you like it or not. That doesn't mean that we like each other, agree, or even get along--traditionally, in fact, Anglicans can be said to have been united by our common prayer and not much else. However, we have agreed--and continue to agree--that more good comes through officially recognizing our spiritual unity (which leads us to continue to meet together) than through institutional division, which cuts us off and turns our neighbor into the "other". So, we're not afraid of unity, even with those who disagree on important issues.

Further, it is generally our belief that division of an institutional sort serves only the narrow political purposes of the few, and negatively affects the vast majority of Anglicans by creating both unwarranted animosity and unnecessary impediment to a sharing of resources between the rich and the poor.

We're not ready to give up on our institutional attempt to be catholic, like the Kingdom of God. That's why we say welcome Canadians, Nigerians, the English, Americans, Rowan Williams, Peter Akinola, Gene Robinson, Desmond Tutu (somebody get those guys on Facebook!), Episcopalians, AMiAers, moderns, postmoderns, gays, straights, women, men, conservatives, liberals, young and old, to the Body of Christ in the Anglican Spiritual Tradition.'

As another Anglimergent friend Bosco Peters (NZ) says: This is about being contemplative and missional.'

If you are wanting basic info and a directory, wait a few weeks to check out Anglimergent.org. If you want to be active in community networking for engaging emerging Anglican church and mission work on the ground JOIN Anglimergent-NING
and pass on the invite link to any active, missionaly engageded and peacable Anglimergent type friends you know.

Comments

[Ann]

AMiA won't be allowing you to be a priest anytime soon. Have fun.

[Ann]

Your new site on Episcopal Cafe today
http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/books/episcopal_tradition_and_emergi.html

[karen ward]

Dear Ann, I do know I will not be an AMIA priest and that is fine.... as I also won't be ordained in the Russian Orthodox Church, any number of Protestant Fundamentalist Churches, the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod (where I grew up) or Roman Catholic Church, any time soon...) and thanks be to God that I don't need to be, as I'm affiliating with TEC, and I'm happy as TEC and very proud to be TEC, but my pride is 'for' TEC, rather than 'against' AMiA or any other Anglican group with a different practice. God bless em! and God works through them and we have much to learn from them, and they do from us, so let the learning and conversation begin!

Anglimergent aims to make a small contribution in bridging divides and fostering cooperation for the sake of the world, as much as we can... As working on reconciliation with 'other' Anglicans, for me is not an option, but is call of the Gospel to be ministers of reconciliation, (especially from those who are seen as 'enemies' . Is this not what Jesus taught?
'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, turn the other cheek...' as this is the only way 'enemies 'might someday become friends, as we all try to do as Jesus commanded. So will show love to AMiA and the Southern Cone...) and I don't expect them to give me a ticker tape parade and ordain me a Bishop because of it (though that woould be something!). I'm doing this to practice the Christianity I espouse myself, where love is not an emotion ( don't have to 'like' or agree with the traditions of other Anglicans) but I am called to love them, as love is an act of the will, guided buy the Spirit. And also if we can't at least 'try to live in reconciling relationships with each other, how do we witness to reconciliation in the world without being viewed as a joke (as the new Athiests see us and often for good reasons....)

Our conversation together may not mean we will agree on everything and launch into Kum ba yah (in a 60's liberal way of 'unity via homogenization ' of true differences and distinctives as a goal).

To be in conversation we need not capitulate our unique witness to the Gospel as different Anglican church bodies, but what we are after is to foster conversation, as step necessary to make 'possible' a growing together in love, by holding civil conversations about our differences in a climate of respect and friendship and with an honoring of each other as Jesus asks us to honor each person as a Beloved child of God.

P.S. Thanks for the story on Anglimergent in Episcopal Cafe!

[Ann]

That is why I said have fun. And you are welcome for the story. More from other newsies and contributors soon. We had another story about Facebook and Communion earlier in the week.

[Tim Mathis]

Hi Karen,

Thanks for the quote. I'll be at COTA tonight. See you there.

Tim