REFLECTIONS ON THE COVENANT BETWEEN 

THE ADVENT AND THE BISHOP

On June 23rd of this year, the authorities of the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent and of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama signed a "Covenant Between The Rt. Rev. Glenda Curry As Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama and the Cathedral Church of the Advent." Find the text of the Covenant here .

Here are my thoughts about the Covenant and its context. I must emphasize first that these are my own opinions and that I speak for no one else.

Vertical and Horizontal Religion

Before looking at the Covenant itself, it is helpful to scan the context, or background, of it. And, I have to start by returning to my theory of vertical and horizontal religion as this is most fundamental to the understanding of the need for this covenant. 

The differences between Vertical and Horizontal religion begin with one's understanding of the nature of the human and the divine and the relationship between the two. Vertical starts with a dim view of human nature. Man is born in sin and is by nature thoroughly corrupt and lost. God is the opposite, all perfection. The being of God is seen as a body in the space beyond somewhere as an anthropomorphic object, like us only greater. Man's only hope is to unite with this all-powerful being who offers salvation through the Gospels. Taken to the extreme, this becomes idolatry since man alone cannot reach perfection. Religion becomes a practice of appealing to this lofty deity for his favors. So, the purpose of religion is individual salvation which is a gift of the deity. In Vertical, nothing else matters but one individual and one God (who is up there somewhere). The nature and purpose of religion is the salvation of corrupt man by a perfect God. Evangelical Christians generally hold a Vertical view of religion. The Advent self-identifies as evangelical.

Horizontal starts with a more benign view of human nature. Man is born in the image of God and has the knowledge of good and evil. He has free will to choose right and wrong. God, instead of a finite being in outer space, becomes the transcendent force of life in the universe. The Horizontal approach starts with a bonding between man and God and then moves into the social application of that. Since man is in the image of God and can do good, it becomes his mission to do God's work in the world, in other words, to right the wrongs all around us. This is also called the Social Gospel. 

Vertical and Horizontal, even in the simplistic forms above, are not mutually exclusive. It is a matter of degree. All Christianity has both and the tension is always there. To the Verticalists, nothing else matters but individual salvation. Social action is peripheral and not integral to religion. Indeed, man's meddling in society can become an impediment to true religion which they hold as God being in control of all things. On the other hand, Horizontalists view the Vertical as immature religion that focuses only on the self. Unless this selfishness broadens out to social action, it is dead (faith without works is dead).

In the 1950's, the Episcopal Church started turning from Vertical to Horizontal religion, a move that continues to escalate. TEC came to champion civil rights for African Americans. It also brought in a new prayer book with more democratic and inclusive liturgies. Moreover, it granted to women full equality and inclusion into the life of the church. Then, it came to champion the same for open homosexuals. 

The Diocese of Alabama continued in the mainstream of the Episcopal Church as the mother church developed more and more along Horizontal lines. For instance, when TEC adopted same-sex marriage in 2015, Alabama followed along. 

The Advent was a mainstream parish when it was designated the cathedral of the diocese in 1981. Then, it began to divert from the mainstream of the church and the diocese, in the mid-1990's. Three deans of the Advent, all from the distinctly Vertical lowcountry of South Carolina, moved the parish more and more into a Vertical identity making it more and more at odds with the broader Episcopal Church. This diversion reached a crescendo in the last few years under the Rev. Andrew Pearson who introduced many changes including a non-prayer book version of corporate worship.

The Episcopal Church is Hierarchical

The Advent is not an independent church. It is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama which itself is part of the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church has been legally recognized as an hierarchical body by the federal court (Charleston, 2019) and state courts, e.g. SC in 2017 and Texas in 2020. The governing body of TEC, the General Convention, makes law for all of the church, applied equally. Below the GC is the diocese. Below the diocese is the parish. Every Episcopal parish is under the authority of the diocesan bishop and the General Convention. It does not and cannot exist separately from these.

One law of the Episcopal Church is the Dennis Canon. Under this, a local parish may hold the deed to the property but does so only with the Episcopal Church and the diocese as the trustees. Under the Canon, if a congregation leaves the Episcopal Church, the trustees automatically become the owners of the property. In other words, a congregation cannot leave the Episcopal Church and take the local property with them. If the trustees become the owners, they may transfer the deed to a local congregation that is loyal to the Episcopal Church.

Under Episcopal Church law, the Advent is part and parcel of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. If individual parishioners want to leave for elsewhere it is their freedom to do so. We have freedom of religion in this country. However, the people who leave cannot take the church property with them.

Bishop Glenda Curry has authority over the Advent. It was gracious of her to make this Covenant. She did not have to do it.

The Covenant

Basically, the Covenant bolsters the place of the Advent in the Episcopal Church while allowing the parish to retain a measure of Vertical religion. 

The important points of the Covenant:

1. Affirmation of the Role of the Advent as the Cathedral and as a Member of the Episcopal Church.

This is a given.

2. Peaceful Relations Between the Diocese and the Advent.

This recognizes the Vertical identity of the Advent. Questionable phrase:  This peace can best be achieved by allowing the Advent to express its theology and conduct its ministries as it is so led by God.

So, God leads the Advent but not the diocese? Who get to decide if it is God's leadership? Problematical down the road.

3. Theological Expression.

Bolsters the Vertical:  the historical mission of the Advent...has been to proclaim the freeing power of the Gospel and to make disciples where God has placed the Advent.

The Bishop affirms and agrees that the Advent will have the freedom to express its theology and conduct its ministries in a manner consistent with the above-described theological expression. 

The Advent has always been free to express itself within the very broad bounds of the Episcopal Church. However, even the this broad church has bounds.

4. Agreement on the Advent's Use of Rite I of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

The Advent will "transition" out of Pearson's Our Liturgy into sole use of the Book of Common Prayer. 

Very important point---the Advent may only use liturgies approved by the General Convention.

5. Safe Environment for Theological Expression.

Another given. However, specifically calls on the Advent to return display of words and emblems of identity to the Episcopal Church.

 

6. Calling of Clergy.

7. Development of Clergy.

The bishop says she will accept "qualified" candidates for ordination and that she will not exclude candidates from certain unnamed (Trinity School for Ministry, in Pennsylvania, and Beeson, at Samford Univ.?) seminaries.

A bishop always has control over ordinations.

8. Pastoral Integrity with Regard to Diocesan Covenant and Financial Stewardship.

With # 4, this is the most consequential part of the Covenant because it returns the Advent to a commitment to support the diocese. In recent years, the Advent had reduced its financial support of the diocese even thought it is the largest parish of the diocese.

It specifically requires the Advent to remove its "Advent Only" box on its pledge form. However, the rest of the section is rather vague implying one can give to the diocese without giving to the national church. 

So far, so well and good. However, there is this under # 16:

The Advent and the Bishop further recognize that actions of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church and/or any actions by future Bishops of the Diocese that are contrary to the spirit or text of this Covenant may affect and alter what is enumerated herein.

This seems to be an escape clause but is left vague. Who is to decide what constitutes "contrary"? Anyway, this provision is irrelevant since, as I have said, the Advent is subject to all of the resolutions of the General Convention. It cannot pick and choose what it will and will not recognize. The same goes for the diocese.

CONCLUSION

The Covenant is a great accomplishment for both the Advent and the bishop. For Bishop Curry, it is a tour de force that may well become her most important legacy. After a quarter of a century of drifting away from the mainstream of the Episcopal Church, she has gently nudged the Advent back toward the center. She has restored Episcopal identity, Episcopal prayer book worship, and significant financial support. On the other hand, the Advent gained a great deal too. The Covenant protects the certain self-identification of the parish as a Vertical island in a Horizontal diocese and church. 

Interesting to note that four of the six people who signed the Covenant were lawyers. I am certain they knew, better than I, that this is not a legal document. It is replete with ambiguities and apparent contradictions that would not stand well in court. But legality is not the point here. The point is that it is a friendly agreement of good will and on this it succeeds wonderfully. Everyone who had a hand in this should be thanked by everyone else.

The biggest winners in all of this are the people of the Advent. After decades of rising tensions, tumult, and divisions, they can now return to the peace, order, and stability to which they are entitled as the good people they are. This is cause for rejoicing. The Covenant is done.

[NOTE to reader. I had originally planned to include remarks on Pearson's interview in this blog piece. However, since this part on the Covenant ran on too long, I will wait and make another posting on what Pearson had to say. I have plenty to say about that too.]