There’s gonna be a new archbishop of the ACNA? How does that happen? Can they re-elect the current one? Who elects? Who’s eligible? Is this like the selection of the pope?
All good questions. This is a quick orientation —far more like a sketch made on a napkin in crayon than a detailed account in clean typeset.
I. A general framework
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he set eleven apostles as “overseers” of his church (see Acts 1:1-14). This was not merely a general managerial move, it was significant. Christ entrusted the leadership of his Church to twelve brothers (eleven, but very soon they filled Judas Iscariot’s spot with Mathias, Acts 1:15-26). Jesus created a new Israel, and these were new patriarchs, a new set “12 Tribes”, a new ruling set of constellations to govern over times and seasons (cf. Gen. 1:14, cf. Gen. 37:9). Jesus looked eleven men —real living human sons of Adam with names, and birthdays, and navels— and set them as under-shepherds over his flock.
Those apostles died, almost all of them becoming martyrs for the Gospel, having appointed other men (many whose names we know and have historical record of) to be apostles like them or “overseers” of the church. The contemporary English term for overseer is “bishop.” Bishops oversee (“overseer” is the biblical word for “bishop” cf. 1 Tim. 3:1) a family of churches called a “diocese.”
A diocese can have more than one bishop, most do. Regardless of how many bishops there are in a diocese, however, only one bishop in each diocese is the head bishop —we call him the “Diocesan bishop” or the “Bishop Ordinary.” The other bishops carry other titles like “suffragan bishop” or “assisting bishop.” This is not unlike how a church may have a large pastoral team with multiple priests but one of them is called the “rector” or “executive pastor.” While the other bishops in a diocese can do bishop-ish things (ordain, confirm, install, exercise discipline, etc.) the Diocesan Bishop is the one, like the head pastor of a church, who is ultimately responsible for the leadership, vision, order, and mission of the diocese under his care.
In the Anglican communion all of the dioceses in a given region are collected into a “province” and all the bishops of the province (Diocesan, suffragan, assisting, retired, emeritus, etc.) sit together in what is called the “provincial college of bishops.” So, for example, in the “Province” of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), we have twenty-eight dioceses. That means we have 28 diocesan bishops and many other suffragan, missionary, assisting, and retired bishops.
Good so far? Okay, next step.
II. Archbishop
Each province’s college of bishops elects an Archbishop from among their number to lead as first among equals. A couple of things to note briefly about the archbishop that maybe are best summarizes in bullet points:
Only current Diocesan Bishops can be elected as Archbishop. Suffragans, assisting bishops, missionary bishops, cannot.
The Archbishop, even after being elected, remains the Diocesan Bishop of his respective diocese. So, our current Archbishop, Foley Beach, is the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of the South —a calling he has continued to serve even while being the ACNA Archbishop.
The Archbishop leads the province in things like the maintenance of godly order and accountability, fidelity to scripture, mission, development, and vision, etc. but does not have any bishop-ly authority in any diocese but his own. So, for instance, before Archbishop Foley visited All Saints Honolulu he was granted permission to preach and minister by our Diocesan Bishop, Ken Ross.
The Archbishop of the ACNA is elected for a 5-yr term. He can be re-elected once. Thus he can serve only two terms as Archbishop.
Tracking still? Good, let me change the color crayon and grab a fresh napkin on which to write…
III. Election of Archbishop
Archbishop Foley has already served two consecutive terms. He cannot be re-elected. There will be a new archbishop by the end of next week.
In the Anglican Church of North America that election happens within the provincial college of bishops. Unlike The Episcopal Church USA (TECUSA), it is a unicameral election. There are no presbyter votes, no deacon votes, no lay votes for Archbishop. This was a healthy move made by the bishops, to return to more historic forms of Archbishop election, at the founding of the ACNA as it ended a very ugly system of politicking, campaigning, and activistic posturing which marked TECUSA archbishop elections. While the former model seemed to allow for more of a “voice” for laity and clergy what it actually did was create conditions were the “voice” of the laity and the clergy were effectively muted by the power of large-scale episcopal campaigns to get so-and-so elected.
The ACNA model reflects Acts 1 (mentioned above in passing) where the Apostles pray, elect two candidates from among the qualified number of the brothers, cast lots, and consecrate Matthias.
So, this week the Bishops of the province —all of them, not just diocesan— will gather together in what is called “conclave.” They will enter into a conference room and turn all their phones off (or onto airplane mode, or something… you get the idea, no communication with the world outside). They will spend time together in prayer and in waiting upon the Lord.
There will be time for each bishop to speak from the floor about where he sees the Province, where he senses the Lord moving and directing, and what things he believes should govern their election.
Now, I have heard that this all takes place while the bishops are vested in their episcopal regalia, but I may be wrong on that. If I am, indeed, correct, then you can only imagine a conference room with a circle of tables, and a group of 40+ men in chimere and rochet praying and taking counsel together —this is the stuff of history! …If I am wrong, and they don’t wear vestments, then I humbly submit the concept for adoption by future generations of Anglicans as a gladdening possibility.
Then nominations are taken from the floor. Notice that? There are no names, no candidates until the bishops begin to meet. Nominations are made by any bishop present at the meeting from among the names of active diocesan bishops (the 28). Responses, speeches, and discussion follow. And there is more prayer.
Then a series of votes, reduction of possible candidates, more prayer offered, further counsel taken, and more waves of voting.
If by the end of the first day of conclave no one has been elected, they take a break for dinner and sleep. During that time they do not communicate with the outside world about the proceedings of the conclave. There will be no updates.
The following days continue in the same way: prayer, discernment, discussion, counsel, voting, repeat. The goal of the college is to arrive not merely with “a name” but in a place of fraternal unity. Their goal is arriving at a state of Psalm 133:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
That unity does not mean a kind of pretended happiness, nor does it mean everyone getting exactly what they wanted or thought, but rather of being, as a group, convinced in their spirit of the course set for the Province.
Then, and only then, when the college emerges together, having arrived at the election of the new Archbishop, will we be notified of that decision. Thus, though the Bishops will begin meeting at the end of this week, there is a high likelihood that I will get on a plane Sunday evening after church not knowing who has been elected.
Those of us arriving for Provincial Counsel and Assembly will arrive and be made aware of the decision along with the rest of the Province when that decision has been made. We will not be a part of that bishop’s meeting; we will not be waiting outside of the doors of the conference room; there will not be some cleric or squire-boy bursting through wooden doors to announce “white smoke! It’s bishop so-and-so". It will look far more similar to that upper room in Acts 1 where votes cast fall to Matthias, and in quiet confidence and peace a band of brothers lays hands on and, after praying for him, make their way out of the room, perhaps not a little tired.
Pray this week for that meeting. Pray for our bishops. Pray for the Province. Pray also, insofar as Acts 1 is an instructive image for us, that what follows the Bishops’ Conclave this week is like hat followed the election of St. Matthias: Pentecost, Fire, Revival, New Wine, Awakening, Mission, Kingdom, the Power of the Spirit. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.