Joe Wilhelm has a lovely observation tucked away in his “Top 10 Things You May Not Have Expected About GAFCON”
2. Bishops, bishops everywhere – but not a mitre to be seen. While Archbishops Welby and Wabukala wore their bishops’ mitres at a Sunday morning service before the conference began, the purple-shirted crowd has eschewed mitres and most other obvious episcopal accessories. Perhaps out of willingness to meet other bishops halfway, low-church Sydney bishops have been spotted wearing collars, a rare sight.
A fairly rare sight. But Joe doesn’t know the half of it. The real wonder of GAFCON was to see Sydney clergy in the same attire! 😉
So it’s right to do this in order to meet our African Anglican brethren halfway but not ok to do it for our older Sydney Anglicans who just aren’t gospel minded if they expect collars at church on Sunday?
i’m not sure I’m saying that at all, Glenn.
I am sure you weren’t saying that. But there does seem to be a certain hypocrisy regarding the “ok-ness” of clerical collars in one context and the non wearing of them being an article of faith in others.
One place my former• very Sydney Senior pastor always wore his collar was in local council meetings when the church had a development application going through. It guaranteed the Catholic vote.
(My current pastor was at Gafcon with you, David)_