| U.S. News

Bishop Duncan has emerged as the leader of a movement within the Episcopal Church in the United States to realign Episcopalian doctrines with those of traditional Christianity.

The disagreements between the American church and the worldwide Anglican Communion have capture headlines around the world. He is one of 110 diocesan bishops and numerous laity within the Anglican Communion who were dismayed with the ordination of a bishop who is living an openly homosexual lifestyle. The movement for realignment includes about 900 of the 7,000 congregations within the U.S. Episcopal Church.

In the following interview, Bishop Duncan shares insights about this “realignment” and offers a courageous example for all faithful Christians to truly live their faith, even when it is unpopular.

Our Sunday Visitor: Would you describe the movement to realign the Episcopal Church with the traditional doctrines of Christianity?

Bishop Robert Duncan: The movement that I lead has been called the Anglican Communion Network. The Episcopal Church, during the last four decades, has been headed on a path of innovation. As these years have passed it’s become clearer and clearer that the Episcopal Church, if it hadn’t previously stepped outside the boundaries, it would at one point do that clearly enough for all to recognize.

That point of great clarity came in August 2003, when the Episcopal Church agreed to a bishop who had been married, divorced and was in a long-term same-sex relationship. The movement that I lead is a movement that’s attempting to hold to the truth that the church has received and has always taught, as opposed to the innovations that are being held up now.

We’re in the midst of a reformation of our tradition, and, in fact, we think we’re actually in the midst of a major Christian reformation. Pope Benedict XVI wrote, when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, that the Western church will not be fruitful again until it was severely pruned – referencing John 15. We’re in the midst of a significant pruning, and not only of the Anglicans but also of the whole of the Western Christian church.

That’s what we’re in the midst of. And again, it’s affecting all of the churches in the West, it must do so because God always reforms his church, and in the words of our lady, in her song, which we sing daily at vespers, he’s always casting the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly, because the mighty think somehow they’re God, and so God always realigns his church.

Our Sunday Visitor: You are considered by many to be a leader of a “conservative” faction of the Episcopal Church. Is what you stand for a “conservative” viewpoint, or do you see it in a different light?

Bishop Robert Duncan: My understanding is that it’s simply what the gospel says, and that it is what the mainstream of Christianity has always held. All of the great Christian traditions, all of the major streams of Christianity would teach precisely what we teach on these issues. And again, it’s what the ages have always taught as well.

So, is this conservative? Well, it is conserving. And, of course, Christianity is a revealed religion. It’s not a religion that keeps unfolding.

We have the “word made flesh” as a definite center point in history, into which and from which and at the end of which all things must submit and against which must be judged. That incarnate Word also has inspired, through the Holy Spirit, the revealed word, and all we’re doing is saying, “Well, this is what the revealed word says.”

Our Sunday Visitor: I’ve read that some of the more “progressive” elements within the Episcopal Church are very critical about you and your work for doctrinal realignment. What words would you offer in response to such criticism?

Bishop Robert Duncan: Well, the harshest of this criticism began in the fall of 2003, after I led 20 other bishops to stand before our triennial synod and protest that the action the convention had taken had departed from the mainstream of the Christian faith.

When I stood, and led others to stand that fall, the Lord gave me a passage from my local synod, which was taken from 1 Corinithians 16, the 13th and 14th verses, where St. Paul says, “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong,” and then he says, “Let everything you do be done in love.”

And for those who would stand, the New Testament is utterly consistent. Folks often criticize me for breaking the unity of the Church, and they often quote John 17. In fact, if you look at this chapter of John, it says exactly what these two verses in 1 Corinthians say. It says that Jesus is consecrated in the truth, and in the truth people will be one. So, it’s always truth and love. And it’s not just love and it’s not just truth.

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