A Funny Thing Happened . . .

 A funny thing happened on my way to “becoming a Benedictine Oblate on behalf of the ACNA.”  I experienced the most savage Anxiety / Panic attack / Nervous breakdown scenario while at work.

This followed an “uneventful” and joyous attendance of a local Suffragan Bishop ordination of an Anglican Priest I was once under at an AMIA parish in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

I was truly happy for him, but something about the service got to me a day later.

I thought about The Oath of Conformity and about Anglicanism generally, and about the form and style of the service.

I realized I was kind of an outsider, outlier still.  This shook me.

In 2025 and 2026 so far, Anglicanism has gone through a series of outright disasters.  

First, there was the new Schism between Bishop Derek Jones and the Anglican Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces vs. The ACNA, then a progressive female Archbishop of Canterbury was selected, then the ACNA’s Archbishop became embroiled in scandal, and was rightfully inhibited before an upcoming Church Trial.

Two conservative Global South Anglican Groups can’t come to agreement on a final break with Canterbury.  GAFCON plans to, the other group won’t.  That’s a problem.

And just now, an Anglican Bishop in the ACNA is suing Derek Jones for defamation in the secular courts, whether deserved or not in clear violation of Holy Scripture.

This, frankly is a mess.  And I think I’ve realized some of the reasons why these upheavals keep happening.

I felt compelled to return to Holy Orthodoxy Full Time due to all these matters.

The Episcopate in Anglicanism is damaged.  This damage began with King Henry the 8th sacking of the Monasteries, many of them Benedictine, in the Middle Ages.

In Holy Orthodoxy, the Bishops are drawn from the Monastic ranks.  Deep dedication, therefore is “baked in” with these holy men.

Anglicanism’s Bishops are married men without Monastic Formation.  This leads to constant problems, whether among conservatives or liberals.  Part two of this article will theorize a possible remedy.  I’ll lead it off with this phrase:  The Articles of Religion, like the U.S. Constitution, should not be a mutual Suicide Pact.  More soon.

Order of Saint Benedict: Jolly Olde England Benedictines!

This is my first post in Orthodox Parker since 2023.  The occasion is the beginning of a lay Benedictine Priorship ministry for the Colorado front range.  I’ve been asked to be a Lay Prior by my new Abbot, Father Barry Kowland.

My first parish visit took place Wednesday evening, where I took “The Benedict Stick” (a processional staff created from the first processional cross pole from Wellspring Anglican Church) to an American Catholic Community parish known as Divine Mercy Catholic Church.  I had the pole stored in my garage for years after the cross portion was removed to make storing it easier.

The staff premiered to rave reviews.  I believe it will be a very effective conversation starter.

I may create a Substack site for this project and use Chat GBT to help with illustrations.

I’m still a pledged member of Saint Mark’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, but I’m no longer a communicant.  Out of necessity, SM changed its Mass time to 9 A.M. Sunday mornings.  My wife’s main parish is a local ACNA outfit that has a 10 A.M. Eucharist, so there is now a scheduling conflict.

Formerly, SM had an 8 A.M. Low Mass and a 10:00 A.M. Sung Mass, which dovetailed well with the ACNA parish.

I was Chrismated in 2006 and confirmed twice before that.  I don’t plan on doing it over again.

Like Baptism, the Sacrament of Confirmation / Chrismation should take place one time, not over and over again.

Therefore I don’t plan on being received into the ACNA or anywhere else.  That ship has sailed already.  Holy Orthodoxy was my final stop.

Becoming a Lay Prior solves many problems.  What is more Orthodox than Benedictine Christianity, even if I’m mostly conducting this ministry among Continuers, local Anglicans, and perhaps some LCMS Lutherans and EPC Presbyterians thrown in for good measure?

Rod Dreher is hoping for a next Saint Benedict.  Perhaps I can be one among many.