In case you missed it. . .

In case you have not heard, there is little progress on a new Archbishop of Canterbury.  It seems there have been procedural hitches to the way you choose a new one (Lord knows, it is not by merit).  There are a number of hoops to go through in addition to boxes to be checked (socialists and sociologists are okay but sincere and orthodox Christians make everyone nervous).  It was once a plum job but now is seen as a terrible one.  Few whom you would want want to be considered.  So they have nothing new to report and it would seem like finding a new Archbishop of Canterbury could take as long as King Charles might end up reigning.  

The archbishop of Canterbury is profoundly significant but his authority profoundly lacking.  Although he leads the Church of England (CoE), sits on the seat of St. Augustine of Canterbury, the “Apostle to the English,” and speaks for global Anglicans, the sex problems have become a muddle.  The Anglicans from the Global South had little respect for Welby and are notoriously hard to please simply because they do not embrace the social, moral, and sexual liberation that has characterized the West.  The West insists that the candidate respect the distance they have made between them and any representative Biblical and orthodox understanding of marriage, gender, and sexual desire.  He will most certainly be a modernist of some type though it would not hurt if he were an evangelical wannabe who is okay wearing the historic vestments of the job.  He should be a person of some stature and reputation but not so much he will have offended anyone nor should he have occasion to do so down the road.  He might not be a man but probably will be since a woman or a man who thinks he is a woman or woman who thinks she is a man would probably be the last one to wear the title.  He works for the government, governs in the name of the Monarch, but has no real authority to do anything.  What he should not do is make everyone angry the way Welby did.  It would not hurt if he is a fence mender because there are enough bruised egos and hurt feelings across the globe to make that his full-time job.  He should know Jesus but not take Him too seriously and not be afraid to ditch what Jesus says in order to stay Archbishop.  Above all, he must look good in purple (and in both historic vestments and some new stuff that looks like it was last worn on Star Trek).  Got any ideas? 

“The Queen is inseparable from the Church of England. What about God? I think he’s what’s called ‘an optional extra’.”  Great line.  Another one.  "If you want to be a bishop, avoid pastoral work."