All Over Bar the Flouncing Out

Enjoyed Andrew Brown's article on the Archbishop of Canterbury's summit and the funeral of the Anglican Communion.

It's like a very long, unpleasant divorce from a marriage that unaccountably involves 16 people. It goes against all the natural church instincts that think we're better together, that unity is important.

But it's like I said when I kicked the Grand Guinea Pig of Stewartby in the pond last week. It's not you, it's me. I my case I have to admit that it's time I stopped feeling sorry that we ate all the guinea pigs once, thinking they were tapas. Yes, it happened. But we move on. They'd all be dead by now, anyway.

In the case of the Anglican Communion - the former colonies have grown up. They can make their own decisions. If they want to ordain sheep, good luck to the Episcopal Province of Los Angeles. If they want to continue to encourage laws against homosexuality - well, they're not England's problem. If they want to poach a few English congregations - good luck to them. We know the sort of congregations they'll get. If they want to set up their own organisations in England - well, let them. England has a few thousand denominations. The Methodists were, after all, an Anglican schism. It happens. Let's go with it.

So forget the Lambeth Conference. Forget the Anglican Communion. Let everyone Plough their own furrow, in their own field. OK. The bishops will get fewer photo opportunities and less free coffee. They will have fewer ethnic stoles as well. So overall, everyone wins.