100,000 members of the Episcopal Church are breaking away from their current denominational structure and constituting the new Anglican Church in North America. The split between the two groups was catalyzed by the issue of homosexuality in the church, but cuts to the heart of a debate about which group are the “real Episcopalians”. And in that debate, each side could learn a real spiritual lesson from leadership of United Auto Workers of America. Yes, the U.A.W.
Despite the real pain it is causing them, the leadership of the U.A.W. proposed major contract concessions to at least two of the big three auto makers in Detroit. Doing so is entirely out of character for the union and caused real debate about whether or not this departure from past practice constitutes a betrayal of their fundamental identity. Sound Familiar?
The U.A.W. did something quite amazing, something from which we can all learn and certainly something from which both sides of the splitting church can learn. They decided that the preservation of past practice is not the animating purpose of their organization. How often do we all fall into that trap, whether the organization is a union, a church, or a family?

Instead, the union leaders decided that they were in business to provide as many jobs for as many people as possible, even if that meant departing from past practice. Far from being a betrayal of their identities as union leaders, it was a fulfillment of it! That kind of reconnection to a larger purpose is not only great leadership, it is great spiritual leadership and we can all learn from it.
It’s up to Episcopalians to figure out how to resolve the issue of a split in their church. But I hope that each side will reconsider the relationship between their position on a given policy and their commitment to a larger set of principles, the implementation of which can be different in different settings without constituting a betrayal. That’s what the U.A.W. figured out and we will be a stronger nation for it, especially if the big three C.E.O.’s behave similarly. And all religious institutions would be stronger if they too could figure out how to do the same.