Inconclusive. . .

The Anglican Church in North America has published its final report on the status of the priesthood and the ordination of women.  And, while disappointing, the conclusion is predictable.  The evidence is inconclusive.  The status quo, women may be ordained, remains.

Arguments pro and con (including the one found here) all carry some weight, but at the end of the day they are, taken as a whole, inconclusive because they are associated with conflicting and inconclusive ecclesiologies [already resident and accepted in the ACNA]. On that account, for the sake of unity, no departure from the status quo, that is, the denominational acceptance of women’s ordination, can be urged. There you have it.

 So. . . apparently the minority decision of the few is so deep and profound as to render nearly 2,000 years of unbroken practice not all that important or conclusive. . . or that the fear of inciting the wrath of the feminist wing of Christianity makes this an impossible topic to address outside that fear. . . or that the weight of modern arguments pro the ordination of women carry as much weight as the 2,000 years of argument and practice against the same practice. . .

 The Task Force is aware that there is a great deal of anxiety for many in our Province on both sides, who hold this issue to be of great importance. Some may be tempted to act on this anxiety, if their desired outcome is not realized in this report or in the College’s use of it.  We encourage the College of Bishops to be aware of the extent to which anxiety can be a powerful motivator toward detrimental, reactionary behavior and to be a model of peace and stability to each other and the dioceses we serve . . . . Both positions on this issue cannot be right, but both positions are held by good and godly people. Work toward a resolution of this issue must move forward, but it should be done with patience and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  (pp. 316, 318)

So good and godly people disagree and no one knows who is correct?  So the Holy Spirit will lead us to. . ahhhh restore catholic practice?  or adopt modernity without looking back?  Patience. . . Hmmmm. . . that means more time for more women to be ordained and the hope that those against will go away, die off, or disappear.

Sorry.  I am rather snarky today.  But it is so dang predictable that the report would shrink from the decision to honor the ancient practice of not ordaining women and move, ever so slowly and deliberately, toward adopting the modern position on this issue (no matter what Scripture and tradition weigh in on the question).

In the end, those in favor will continue to study the issue until they turn the tide toward the ordination of women and nobody is left to look back. . . as it seems the Lutherans in Australia are doing.  Never mind the the chief ecumenical partner of the Western Christianity shows no real sign of even giving the ordination of women a snowball's chance in hell.  Oh, well, the pro folks can always fall back on their prophetic voice and role as agents of the new thing the Spirit is doing.  It worked for most of mainline Protestantism, after all.  In this respect, the ACNA is not proving all that much different than the PECUSA.