The Valentine Appeal

"Hello, my name is Andrew, I am from Illinois in the Diocese of Christ our Hope. I would first like to thank you all for this opportunity to speak and ask questions during this time. Earlier this week, with the help of others online, I have a verified petitionary collection of signatures from many ACNA lay people and clergy who have agreed for me to ask this on behalf of them at this hour. As someone representing such a significant number of ACNA laypeople - especially Gen-Z members and younger clergy, I appreciate the focus on fostering healthy communities free from sexism and abuse.

However, I and many others are deeply troubled by trends that appear to undermine the Anglican faith and formulary’s orthodoxy when it comes to Holy Orders. Thursday, February 26th, is the “Imago Dei in the Church” meeting between lay-leaders and clergy. This event seems to promote Andrew Bauman's book Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities (Baker Books, 2025), which critiques traditional complementarian views on male-only priesthood as 'misogyny cloaked as theological truth,' 'cult-like kool-aid,' and inherently abusive patriarchal structures.

Such framing risks equating faithful adherence to the historic Anglican position (rooted in Scripture and the Fathers.) with abuse, potentially alienating orthodox Anglicans and eroding unity in our church, more than previous incidents relating to women's ordination already have.

Additionally, serious concerns persist about accountability relating to such matters: On September 13, 2025, Bishop Chris Warner of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic ordained his wife, Catherine Warner, to the priesthood at Truro Anglican Church, an event announced by the diocese and widely discussed, including video clips showing the oath of obedience taken amid apparent laughter. This raises questions of nepotism, conflict of interest, and favoritism in a province that already navigates tensions over women's ordination. Why has no public disciplinary inquiry or action been taken to address this, especially when similar actions in other contexts would provoke scrutiny?

As someone part of the next generation of our Church, I am severely worried to see our Church fall to the same fate as The Episcopalians. As Saint Paul said in Ephesians 5:11, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

How will ACNA leadership ensure that resources and events do not marginalize or deem abusive those who uphold the historic male-only priesthood, and that genuine accountability applies across the Church to preserve the orthodox Anglican teaching against women’s ordination as defended by our historic formularies and martyrs?