Bits I didn't cut from my essays

[The Church of South India] accepted the historic episcopate as necessary for the shepherding of the Church.

(about the CSI) "What began as a genuine union ... has become ... an Anglican church. There is little of Methodism, Presbyterianism, or Congregationalism left in the CSI except in memory.

Another view: episcopacy was not scriptural and therefore unacceptable.

... unity talks are certainly no longer a priority, probably unnecessary and even counter-productive. The evidence is that they distract from mission and take energy away from real ecumenical initiatives

.... there existed an order of Jewish priests in the Old Testament ... [but] no-one is advocating a hereditary order of Methodist presbyters ...

... there is no priestly caste, ( first published in Clause 4 of the Deed of Union, 1932: " ... no priesthood differing in kind from that which is common to all people ...")

Let us celebrate the past, without feeling that it must be recreated in the present or the future.