Diversity and Anglican Forms of Worship

The goal of becoming a more Diverse Church includes other forms of diversity as well—and not just an embrace of “visible minorities” or communities of diverse sexuality and gender expression. Diversity not only includes welcoming those who look or love differently, it also includes those who may wish to worship in a way that would be recognisably Anglican elsewhere in the Communion. We have the opportunity to intentionally strengthen diverse expressions of Anglicanism in the Diocese of Huron, recognising that differences bring beauty and not threat. We can honour and value what has been characteristic of Huron in the past and allow it to branch out and develop in a way that is authentic to the parish and locality. We will need to discern how the common denominator has shifted in our common embrace of diversity across the Diocese and ensure that our Diocesan services reflect this.

Just as there is space for culturally differently Anglican forms of worship in the Diocese of Huron, there also needs to be room for theological diversity where it remains recognisably Anglican and within the framework of the Lambeth Quadrilateral (see above). We aspire to a generous orthodoxy that embraces our diversity.

There can also be diversity in another different sense. A more Diverse Church will no doubt also arise in terms of how ministry is exercised in a specific context. We have already noted that ordained clergy are not available in all regions and every Sunday in all places. Becoming a more Diverse Church will cause us to reflect on what kind of leadership is needed and what is our unique identity and mission in this community?

Initiatives around Christian unity fall into this category as well. We can build on existing ecumenical cooperation in small centres and arguably elsewhere as well. A basic premise of ecumenism known as the Lund Principle affirms that churches should act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately. This does not mean losing or apologising for our distinctive Anglican ways but actually deepening them, learning more about them, and becoming more secure in our own identity so that we can offer it to others just as we can learn from them. Ecumenism has been called an “exchange of gifts.” Visible cooperation with other Christians as well as Muslims, Jews, and those of other faiths—towards which we also ought to extend the Lund Principle—will be increasingly important in carving out space for healthy religion in the public sphere. This may be assisted in some ways by the increasingly visible place for Indigenous spiritualities in public life.

An overall objective for the Diverse Church is to learn from the already existing diversity in our Church starting with Indigenous Anglicans and extending it to recognize and welcome the incredible diversity of the Anglican Communion in every respect. We aspire to embrace the Dignity of Difference (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks).

Finally, we recognise that diversity also includes inter-generational diversity.