Some conservative Anglicans claim that the dominant, liberal wing of the Episcopal Church (TEC) preaches a new and different gospel. But, they say, the the Anglican Communion has room for only one gospel. Therefore, these conservatives conclude, TEC and the Anglican Communion must part company.
The first premise is right, sort of: There are those in TEC who do indeed preach a different gospel than that of the conservatives. In fact, not just liberals but also some conservatives preach gospels that are different in substance, or even just in emphasis, from those regarded as “orthodox.”
The second premise, that the Anglican Communion has room for only one gospel, is unsustainable. Any group that insists it possesses the only possible Christian gospel is deluding itself. (Otherwise, presumably the entire world would have been gradually won over to that “only possible” gospel in the course of the past 2,000 years, and that certainly hasn’t happened.)
We could, I suppose, continue to spend time, talent, and treasure on these “Less filling! Tastes great!” arguments about our different gospels. Debates are fun, after all (and some people just love a good fight for its own sake).
But it’d be far better if we all agreed to live with the uncertainty, trusting that in the long run the Spirit will guide us into all truth. We need to be getting back to work, as one church that incidentally happens to be home to multiple gospels sharing the Great Commandment and Summary of the Law as a common denominator. If the adherents of each gospel can learn from one another, in charity, our different perspectives can help us figure out better ways to bring nonbelievers and doubters to God, to say nothing of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc.
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