The Anglican Congregation of St Alban

[Argyll]

The XXVII Congregation of the Anglican Church of Gunnlandia
Chapter House, St Alban Cathedral, St Alban, Argyll​

The four archbishops of St Matthew, St Mark, St Luke and St John were lined up in front of the elegant Gothic entrance to the Chapter House at St Alban Cathedral. The gargoyles and sculptures of saints and monsters stared down from the intricate facade of the building and they smiled warmly for the small group of reporters who had gathered. Informally referred to as 'the Gospel' each archbishop represents an archdiocese under which falls a diocese for each province of the Commonwealth. They are the four most senior members of the Anglican Church of Argyll and were here today to try and repair a schism that was growing ever wider between the broadly liberal church in Argyll and the much more conservative, celtic church in [MENTION=1187]Ivernia[/MENTION].

Just two days ago the Houses of Bishops, Laity and Clergy all voted with large majorities to allow the ordination of women into the clergy. The reaction in Argyll had been broadly muted except for those on the right of the church itself who had met last night to discuss secession, possibly to the Scotian Catholic church. Wilem York, the Archbishop of St Mark has within his province the capital city of St Alban and this therefore puts him forward as the de facto leader of the Church of Argyll. He was stood in a brown corduroy jacket with a green clerical shirt, his dog collar poking through below his neck. He opened his mouth to speak and just as he did a raucous sound erupted from behind the gathering of reporters. A man's voice boomed around the vaulted cloister.

"1 Corinthians 14" was bellowed by a dishevelled looking priest before he threw an entire container of eggs toward the assembled archbishops. There was a crack and a splat as the eggs flew through the air and landed across the torso of the leaders of the church and then a scuffle broke out as reporters tried to restrain the perpetrator. Wilem tried to compose himself, smiled at the reporters who were somewhat in shock and remarked, "I believe we will clean-up and then return to you with a statement later". As they were herded out of the cloisters and into the chapter house the archbishops looked at one another, "an ominous start to the day" remarked Alfred Bunce. "Indeed" came the reply from Wilem.

 

[Ivernia]

The Ivernish Archbishops had not been to the Commonwealth of Argyll in some time. While travel between the two nations between the commonfolk was common and often, many of the Bishops, older and frailer had retreated to the warmth of comfort of the Ivernish southern cities, as the climate of the celtic peoples was a harsh one, particularly in the winter.

But today was different, the beginning of June and the beginning of Summer. Today was a bright and beautiful day across Gunnlandia, and many of the mos Senior Archbishops have found the warmth in their bones and vigor in their step to find their way to this Great Conference.

Many of the Ivernish Clerical Delegation, had been in their power and seats for a very long time. Whereas the Argyllic Church was certainly seen as progressive and forward moving, this brought fear into the hearts of the old brigade within Ivernia. These new positions and rules were certainly devoloping what has been named the ''Theological Fissure'' between the Celtic Congregation.

The Archbishops of the largest Congregations of the Holy Church of Ivernia attended, along with a cadre of Bishops in tow. Archbishops from Partholóin, Fomhóire, Fir Bholg, and Milesia attending, being led of course by their Primate, Ragnall Mac Cloud, the Archbishop of De Dannaan - which held Alderburgh the primate city of Ivernia.

St. Alban, was a beautiful church to behold by the Ivernishmen. It's grandeur and Gothic build certainly one of the defining pieces of Gunlanndian historical architecture. It felt familiar, as it was architecture very reminiscent of Ivernia's. Much of what had been seen in Argyll, it's people, it's buildings, even it's language was a stark reminder of what the two nations help as deeply similar. All but for their Churches. The Archbishops of Ivernia walked into St. Elban with this stark reminder; whatever happens they must be open, open to their Argyllic brethren and their ideas and opinions on this meeting. It would be the deepest of shames, if two nations so closely intertwined, were to split in their beliefs, when God is to be the great unifier of men and Christians.

As the men entered the atrium, they were met with the Blessed Archbishops of Argyll, The four archbishops of St Matthew, St Mark, St Luke and St John. They greeted them warmly, hoping for a spirited and lively theologic debate between the two Churches and the future of the entire Gunnlandian Northern Church. However not all are inspired in such ways. As the Ivernish Archbishops were assembling themselves in the Cloister, and the Lead Argyllic Archbishops, the right honorable Wilem York stood to make a sentence, he was suddenly pelted with eggs.

As the perpetrator was taken away many Bishops began to mutter and gossip the event between themselves. The Archbishop of De Dannan, Dr. Mac Cloud, Primate of Ivernia, was no such man resistant to following suit.

''Can you believe that vagabond? And a senior priest no less. Hardly in the spirit of the events to be sure.''

''I can hardly believe it. There'll be time for egg throwing later!'' The Partholóinian Archbishop, Dr. Fergus Mulligan jokingly muttered back. ''It's to be words first, then eggs when words fail I believe.''

He was right of course. Allowing that senior priest to gain gravitas for his actions would only lend weight to his divisive cause to disrupt men from discussing a topic he was afraid of. The Ivernish Archbishops did not wish to be painted in such a light.

Dr. Mac Cloud stood up after the man was escorted. ''Gentlemen and Esteemed Blessed Colleagues, let us forget about the argument that man has presented before us. One of violence, protest, radicalism and force. No words, no discussion. Do not think we have come from Ivernia to simply throw eggs! At least not yet anyways!'' the Archbishop laughed a little, hoping to raise the spirits of the cloistered men.

''Most Reverend Wilem York, you were preparing to make a statement? Please, good sir, do go on. Perhaps we should lay out on the table, why we are here today.''

 

[Argyll]

Wilem stood in front of the assembled party of Bishops and began his statement

"My most reverend brothers, we are gathered today to discuss the very nature of the ongoing Nordican church. We have all come here in a spirit of prayer, thoughtfulness and hope but we must speak frankly with one another, I will not hold my words, I care too much for my church and my flock to do that. For years now we have seen the churches in Ivernia and Argyll move apart, we all know it and, to an extent we all accepted it, but we have reached a crisis point now where we are at risk of no longer being a Nordican congregation but of being two separate bodies under two separate doctrines.

The Church of Argyll has moved forward, it is a progressive body, we take the words of our Lord, his love and grace and inclusive heart and we've applied them to our church and reformed it to look more like his. We believe in progression, inclusion and in love and forgiveness. In doing this we have increased our congregations year-upon-year, we have bought the love of Christ to thousands of new souls, we have bought women into our church and allowed them the glory of ministry. We have done all of this knowing that the church in Ivernia disapproved but we have been powerless to discuss it openly with you. We still have the same fundamental values, believe in the same God and the same Saviour so why is that you have found it so difficult to embrace our differences and work with us to embrace our similarities?"

Wilem smiled wryly at The Archbishop of De Dannan as he took his seat. He wanted to get to the heart of the issue and to speak bluntly with the Ivernian delegation, he feared a conference of dancing around the edges of subjects and speaking in generalities. Frankness was needed and so was courage. It was time the Nordican Congregation was reinvigorated and re-born.

 

[Ivernia]

Wilem had laid his heart on the line, that much was clear to Dr. MacCloud as the Argyllic Archbishop brought forward the cause of the Argyll Northican Church.

MacCloud could see that some of his fellow bishops were indeed moved by the words of Archbishop Wilem, however the majority were clearly still unemphatic. It was MacCloud's role to retort and retort he would,

''Archbishops of Argyll, the Primacy of Ivernia does agree of course of the divide. But let us look back on what the Northican Church is? We are a combined united Church. Argyll and Ivernia alike. We both reformed the teachings during the Gunnlandian Reformation. We both followed those teachings.

The Ivernish Church has diligently spread the faith that was laid down by our Church. The Argyll branch has chosen to move beyond those United teachings, on it's own self appointed desire. Well meaning desires of course, the Ivernish Church does not doubt that Argyll is still a nation of faith - however some in our Church may call it hubris - in which the Argyll Church has consistently reformed it's own personal branch with larger and more changing rules, to the point where the Argyll branch is less and less alike the very Northican Church it is a part of.

Remember we share this Church, Argyll and Ivernia. Ivernia abides by our shared rules, and Argyll does not. Such a rule as extreme as allowing the ordination of Female members of the Clergy, was done without the consent of your other half in this Church!''

''Hear hear!'' Shouted one or two or the older more disgruntled Bishops from the Ivernish side of the Congregation.

However Mac Cloud pressed on without recognizing this accolade.

''These new rulings by your Church created the fissure. It is now the opinion, from your words Wilem and the words of your peoples, that this is not merely a fissure between the Clergy of the Northican Church, rather a fissure between the people themselves.

Your decisions, while called progressive in Argyll would certainly be called radical in Ivernia by Ivernish commonfolk. What we have here is a divide spiritually that is actually a natural divide. How we address this today shall define and decide the fate of the Northican Church forever. Do we enfore Argyll to follow the core tenets and principles? To we bring the decisions of Argyll to Ivernia for ''progressions'' sake? Do we create a two-speed Northican Church? Do we simply divide up our Church, and end this Holy Congregation?

I believe, gentlemen, that these points should be addressed, with these options put to a vote.''

 

[Argyll]

For Wilem it really was like looking back in time when he looked over at the Ivernish bishops in their dark, celtic robes. Even Mac Cloud, a man Wilem held a great deal of respect for, spoke like the professor of a Clerical College in 1912. It had taken the clergy in Argyll years to moderate their speech and dress and mannerisms to be more 'modern', it hadn't been a conscious decision but as congregations got younger, churches fuller and less rigid it was a natural thing to do. Wilem had to ensure he used the right language not to offend the Ivernian bishops, he had to maintain the vestiges of the high Northican society that were so unfashionable in Argyll.

The Argyllian clergy wore pastels shirts with their dog collars, their rich red, green and gold vestments stayed locked in the vestry, bought out for special occasions and photo ops with the Royal family. Wilem didn't want to drag his Church back to the 1900s just to please his priggish neighbours, he had hoped very distantly that some of the Ivernian bishops may have come to him in private and asked him how they could bring their church forward to be more like the Argyllian church. That never happened of course, Wilem could scarcely imagine a group of more pious and correct men than the congregation from Ivernia. A divide could potentially be a positive thing for both the domestic Church and the greater Northican congregation. At home the troublesome conservative clergy and their flocks would have somewhere to go, they could practice in the Ivernian high church tradition, report to bishops from the High Northican Church and slowly die out in the next few generations leaving the Church of Argyll with even more autonomy and freedom to reform and to grow.

With the prospect of a vote looming Wilem bought together the three other archbishops and the lay representative and there was a pretty quick realisation that an official distinction between High and Low churches was the best option allowing each national church to retain their dignity. There was little love lost amongst them for the current Northican Congregation with its fusty annual meetings and turgid liturgy that had to be awkwardly inserted into every service. The decision was made.

"The points my learned brother makes have been considered prayerfully by myself and the highest members of the Argyllian clergy. We have decided to back a motion to create official factions within the Northican Congregation allowing those of the high church tradition and those of the low church movement to continue to practice their beliefs freely under a separate leadership that is united by their theological beliefs. A clear delineation will allow the faithful in all Gunnlandian nations to worship in a church that clearly reflects and retains their beliefs but also, ostensibly maintains the over-arching historic authority of the Northican church."

 

[Ivernia]

Before the conference began, when the Ivernish were calling for it's inception with the Bishops of Argyll, it was completely the opinion of the Bishopery of the High Kingdom that the Argyllic Bishops, while well meaning, were radical, and simply following the trends of the day, then sticking with the hard forged gospel. The Ivernish believed, even as this conference began, that they would be able to convince, to persuade the Argyllan Bishops to return to the folds of the traditions long held by the Northican Church. To return them to sense, and to sensibility.

However, this was not the case. The Coference went on as many Bishops voiced their concerns, but also their views of the Church. The Church of Argyll it seems, was steadfast. The Bishops were certain and absolute. This was no mere ''trend'' or flight of fancy, the Argyllic Bishops were resolute that their new path, their new cause and guide for the Church was the future of the Northican Church. That this was not mere radicalism but true and honest progressive change.

While there were some in Argyll, many of the older and more senior of their clergy, who still would find themselves aligned with Dr. Mac Cloud and Mac Clouds entourage's reasoning for traditional values it was quite clear that the clergy of Argyll was united. They were as one in their cause, and who was Mac Cloud? To stand in their way?

It was a tenable agreement, but one that will be fostered and one that will grow healthy and strong. The divide is not a forceful painful divide, but merely looking at the Northican Church through a new lens, that there are two separate and clear parts to it - and there always have. The two Churches which both proudly profess their Northican Heritage, but now finally allowed levels of autonomy never seen before.

The High Church as it will be called, shall follow the traditions and hard line scriptures that it always has. The majority of the Ivernish Clergy shall fall into this branch - at least the good Reverend Doctor Mac Cloud is strongly convinced of such - and thus Ivernia may continue along it's path, for the most part, unhindered by the changes made by the congregation from Argyll. There shall also be a new congregation named the Low Church, which shall retain all the changes made thus far by Bishops in Argyll. These two churches shall both be present in Argyll and Ivernia, however shall clearly have dominance along national lines, following the cultures of the two Gaelic peoples.

Dr Mac Cloud did not get what he was searching for. He did not 'reign in' the Argyll Church. But perhaps what he got, what Ivernia and Argyll, and all of Gaeldom has gained, was far better, and far more important. The Northican Church is now more defined, more clear, more precise and is set along a strong path. Doctor Mac Cloud realizes that in these Churches, Argyll and Ivernia can retain their spiritual unity.