The spirit of Jezebel

Posted on July 18, 2009 
Filed under Opinion

Bishop David AndersonBishop David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council, reflects on the TEC General Convention –

Dearly beloved in Christ,

As I have been reading my way through 1st and 2nd Kings, I have been almost bogged down in the depressing history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel – how they went further and further away from the Lord God, and more and more into the worship of the pagan deities, even to the sacrificing of their own children. Prominent in this journey was Ahab, the king, and Jezebel, the queen.

Both Ahab and Jezebel worshipped Baal and persecuted and killed the prophets of the Lord God. The prophet Elijah put the prophets of Baal to the test, and when the futility of their god Baal was made manifest, Elijah commanded the people to slay the false prophets. Since this really annoyed Jezebel, she swore to do the same to him if she could catch him, and Elijah took her seriously and hid in a cave. Eventually, in God’s own time, Elijah’s successor Elisha anointed Jehu to be king of Israel, supplanting Ahab’s line, and Jehu marched on Jezreel where Jezebel was in her palace.

As long as Ahab and Jezebel’s sons were in control of Israel, the promotion of Baal continued and the persecution of the Lord God’s prophets was imminent. Jehu found Jezebel unrepentant and belligerent, waiting for him, and yet it was not by the sword that she was deposed as queen; several palace servants threw her out of the window. Her name came to symbolize a spirit of hatred for the true God, promotion of false religion, violence against those who stood for and with the Lord God, and unrepentant belligerence: “a Jezebel Spirit.” That was long ago and far away, and yet it gives a window for us to examine our current circumstances.

The General Convention of The Episcopal Church (TEC) is just now concluding its triennial meeting in Anaheim, California. TEC was once a great church, a denomination that, as people moved up the social ladder, they wished to join. Many of the presidents of the United States were members, and many Congressmen, Senators, judges and leaders in the business world were members as well. At least a generation ago, perhaps two, things began to quietly change – but few noticed. A new Prayer Book was adopted with changes in liturgy, women were ordained as deacons, then priests, then finally bishops, and the exclusivity of the Christian Gospel began to be challenged by a few priests and bishops. The changes, however one felt about them then, or feels about them now, caused a division to develop in TEC. Not a neat, clean division, because people responded positively to some changes and negatively to others, but a division none the less.

Pressure then began to grow for the church to view sexuality issues in a permissive light, even to the point of ordaining active homosexuals and blessing same sex unions/marriages. Externally, this caused incredible international damage to the Anglican Communion, to which TEC officially belongs, resulting in a majority of the Anglican Communion’s membership being in impaired or broken communion with the TEC over these issues. Internally, these issue set off protests, then departures of both individuals and churches and finally entire dioceses, and their realignment with other more conservative and orthodox Anglican provinces. Although the underlying issues were Christological, that is, who is Jesus, and Biblical, having to do with what authority the Holy Scripture has over our life, the sexuality arguments always gathered more of an audience and garnered more attention. In reality, even if the sexuality issues disappeared tomorrow, the deep differences over Christology and Scripture would divide the church to its core.

As Israel, once faithful to the Lord God, drifted into religious pluralism and away from strict obedience to the Lord, so TEC did also, although with pockets of faithfulness and orthodoxy in dioceses and parishes which grow more besieged by the year. As Ahab came to represent the leadership of Israel in its walking away from the Lord God, so the leadership of the House of Bishops of TEC represents the same for our time, since the bishops are charged in their ordination to guard and defend the teaching of the church. As the Queen of Israel came to represent the height of the persecution of the Lord God’s prophets, and the championing of false teaching and false practice in worship, so the Presiding Bishop has come to represent the height of the persecution of the Lord God’s prophets today, at least as represented by the orthodox bishops and clergy who are now (or once were) members of TEC. The American Anglican Council has a Wall of Honor, displaying the framed Deposition Pronouncements of several hundred clergy and bishops. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori has come very close to deposing more faithful American Episcopal bishops and clergy in her three year tenure than have been deposed by all Presiding Bishops of TEC since 1789.

The spirit of Jezebel – unfaithfulness and persecution – has come forward from the past to embrace the top leadership of TEC, and although many have fled to other groups, many Episcopalians who want to be faithful inside TEC are in ever-increasing danger. As Jezebel hunted down the prophets of the Lord God, so will the faithful inside TEC see increased pressure and threats. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori on one hand insists that TEC wants to be a part of the Anglican Communion, but on its own terms, insisting on its right to violate the commonly held Christology and discipline of the Communion, and to implement ordination for actively homosexual clergy and bishops, and to put together same sex marriage rites for homosexual couples to wed in church. But on the other hand, while defying the Communion’s and Archbishop of Canterbury’s requests, she demands that no recognition be given to the Anglican Church in North America. Would that create too much competition for TEC? Since TEC already styles itself an international church, and has component dioceses in offshore locations around the world, what the Archbishop of Canterbury doesn’t seem to realize is that Jefferts Schori may be intending to replace him with herself, and the Anglican Communion of ancient and modern times with “TEC International” as the new body.

Let the leading orthodox bishops not model their response to the Presiding Bishop after Elijah’s sojourn in the cave. I would say if you need rest, take it quickly, if you need sustenance, take it on the march, but run to the sound of battle – for the very life of the Christian church is at stake, and the battle lines cross the Anglican churchyard. Pray that those who apprehend the critical hour of this battle will fully engage in this contest for the future of the Anglican Communion.

Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,

The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council