Anglican Church in North America

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Not to be confused with Anglican Church in America.
Anglican Church in North America
ClassificationAnglican
Orientationboth Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic orientations
PolityEpiscopal
ModeratorArchbishop Robert Duncan
AssociationsFellowship of Confessing Anglicans
RegionCanada and the United States
OriginJune 22, 2009
Bedford, Texas, United States
Separated fromAnglican Church of Canada and Episcopal Church USA
Merger ofCommon Cause Partnership
Congregationsc. 766[1]
Membersc. 103,000[2]
Official websiteanglicanchurch.net

The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition with 22 dioceses in the United States and Canada. The church reports that it has 766 congregations and 266 ministry partner congregations serving more than 103,000 Christians in North America.[1][3] In 2009, the Most Reverend Robert Duncan was elected its first archbishop and primate for a period of four years. The ACNA's provincial office is located in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.

The ACNA is not a member of the Anglican Communion, but it is in full communion with the Anglican churches of Nigeria, Uganda, and Sudan[4][5][6] and is affiliated with the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.

History

The Anglican Church in North America was founded by Anglicans who had left the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the United States in response to more liberal teachings and the perception that those churches no longer taught that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.[7][8][9] The new body charges that the two churches "have increasingly accommodated and incorporated un-Biblical, un-Anglican practices and teaching".[10]

Conservative opposition to both the Episcopal Church's liberal-leaning 1979 edition of the Book of Common Prayer and to the ordination of women priests had led to the founding of an earlier wave of independent Anglican churches, often called the Continuing Anglican movement.

Common Cause Partnership

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In June 2004, the leaders of six conservative Anglican organizations—the Anglican Communion Network, the Reformed Episcopal Church, the Anglican Mission in America, Forward in Faith North America, the Anglican Province of America, and the American Anglican Council—sent a public letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, pledging "to make common cause for the gospel of Jesus Christ and common cause for a united, missionary and orthodox Anglicanism in North America".[11] They called their alliance the Common Cause Partnership and drafted a theological statement in 2006.[12]

In September 2007, fifty-one bishops met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to discern direction and to bind themselves constitutionally, saying they intended to found an "Anglican union". Some of the bishops present were foreign bishops, including a retired archbishop.[13][14] Features of note from the result of the initial meeting include a broad sharing of clergy between the varied groups, an intention to be a "missionary" or church-planting entity,[15] and an intention, after a brief time, to seek international organizational recognition.[16]

Key members of the partnership participated in the June 2008 meeting of conservative Anglicans in Jerusalem, the Global Anglican Future Conference, which in turn prompted the formation of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. A final statement issued by the conference stated that: "we believe the time is now ripe for the formation of a province in North America for the federation currently known as Common Cause Partnership to be recognised by the Primates’ Council" of the Anglican Communion.[17]

Establishing the province

In December 2008, the Partnership met at Wheaton, Illinois, as a constitutional convention to form a "separate ecclesiastical structure in North America" for Anglican faithful distinct from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada.[18][19] There the Partnership's executive committee approved a constitution and canons for the new Church which were to be submitted for formal adoption at the new Church's first Provincial Assembly.[18][20]

The members of the Common Cause Partnership at the founding of the ACNA were:

The Anglican Province of America participated in the Partnership until July 2008.

Inaugural assembly

On June 22, 2009, delegates of the ACNA's founding bodies met at St. Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford, Texas, for an inaugural Provincial Assembly to ratify its constitution and canons.[21] At this meeting a number of major steps were taken to officially establish the new province including the election of Robert Duncan, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, as archbishop.[22][23][24]

Rick Warren, a leading American evangelical, and Metropolitan Jonah, leader of the Orthodox Church in America, addressed the audience. Nine provinces in the Anglican Communion sent official representatives to the assembly including the Church of the Province of West Africa, the Church of Nigeria, the Church of Uganda, the Anglican Church of Kenya (Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi), the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone (including Archbishop Gregory Venables), the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, the Church of the Province of Myanmar, the Church of the Province of South East Asia and the Church of the Province of Rwanda.[22]

Other ecumenical observers included Bishop Walter Grundorf of the Anglican Province of America; the Rev Dr Samuel Nafzger of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod; and Bishop Kevin Vann of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.

Leaders from three Anglican provinces (The Most Reverend John Chew of the Anglican Church of the Province of South East Asia, Archbishop Peter Jensen of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, the Most Reverend Mouneer H. Anis, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East) formally announced support for the ACNA.[25] From England, Bishop Wallace Benn and Archdeacon Michael Lawson sent greetings from the Church of England Evangelical Council.[25]

Withdrawal of the Anglican Mission in the Americas

The Anglican Mission in the Americas was a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America and, at the same time, maintained its status as a mission of the Church of the Province of Rwanda. This "dual citizenship" was defined by protocol between the Province of Rwanda, the Anglican Mission, and the ACNA.[26]

However, in a May 18, 2010, communiqué, the Anglican Mission announced its decision to transition from full ACNA membership to "ministry partner" status, a designation provided for in the governing structure of the ACNA, and remain a part of the Rwandan province. Reasons cited for the change were that the "dual citizenship" model had caused "significant confusion within the Anglican Mission and the ACNA regarding membership in two provinces, and more importantly, is inconsistent with the Constitution and Canons of the Province of the Anglican Church in Rwanda".[27]

On December 20, 2011, Archbishop Duncan announced that, due to the resignation of the majority of Anglican Mission bishops from the Province of Rwanda on December 5, the Anglican Mission had lost its "ministry partner" status with the ACNA and that most of AMiA's bishops had lost their status in the ACNA's College of Bishops. [28] Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and Archbishop Duncan of the Anglican Church in North America issued a Joint Communiqué on April 28, 2012, to address the future of the AMiA. Meanwhile, the House of the Bishops of Rwanda decided to establish the Missionary District in North America (PEARUSA) to pursue the same work in the United States. The AMiA members were given three alternatives: to join the PEARUSA, to join another Anglican jurisdiction through letters dimissory, or remain in the AMiA. A deadline of August 31, 2012, was established for the clergy and the congregations of the AMiA to decide their future.[29] In April 29, 2012, Archbishop Henri Isingoma expressed his official approval for the temporary admission of the AMiA at the Anglican Church of Congo until its future was clarified.[30] Bishop Church Murphy, of the AMiA, expressed is will that the fracture between the AMiA and the ACNA could be solved in a answer letter to Archbishop Duncan, on 8 September 2012.[31]

Beliefs

Further information: Anglican doctrine

In its Fundamental Declarations, the Anglican Church in North America declares itself part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, confessing Jesus Christ to be the only way to God the Father.[32] Consistent with this, it identifies the following seven elements as characteristic of the "Anglican Way" and essential for membership:

  • The Bible is the inspired word of God, containing all things necessary for salvation, and is the final authority and unchangeable standard for Christian faith and life.
  • Baptism and the Lord's Supper are sacraments ordained by Christ and are to be ministered with unfailing use of his words of institution and the elements ordained by him.
  • Concerning the seven Councils of the undivided church, it affirms the teaching of the first four Ecumenical Councils and the Christological clarifications of the fifth, sixth and seventh councils, in so far as they are agreeable to the Bible.
  • The Book of Common Prayer as set forth by the Church of England in 1662, together with the ordinal attached to it, is a standard for Anglican doctrine and discipline and, with the Books which preceded it, is the standard for the Anglican tradition of worship.
  • The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of 1571, taken in their literal and grammatical sense, express the Anglican response to certain doctrinal issues controverted at that time, and express fundamental principles of authentic Anglican belief.[32]

The ACNA has both Anglo-Catholic and evangelical members and is considered to be more theologically conservative than the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada.[33][34]

The Church allows dioceses to decide if they will or will not ordain women as priests, although it does not permit women to become bishops.[24] Concerning marriage, it holds that it is between one man and one woman; therefore, it does not bless same sex unions. Concerning abortion and euthanasia, the ACNA holds a pro-life stance, proclaiming "all members and clergy are called to promote and respect the sanctity of every human life from conception to natural death".[35] The ACNA has authorized several different versions of the Book of Common Prayer for use, including the 1979 edition produced by the Episcopal Church. It is in the process of creating a prayerbook for ACNA use.[36]

Structure

File:Anglican Church in North America (provincial flag).gif
ACNA's provincial flag

According to the constitution,[37] the member entities of the Anglican Church in North America are groups of congregations, each group called a diocese, cluster or network. Dioceses can be organized regionally, whereas clusters and networks are groupings led by a bishop and based on some affinity. A member entity has the authority to leave the province if it so chooses.

The Provincial Assembly, meeting at least every five years, is a representative body with delegates from each diocese, cluster, and network. Each jurisdiction is represented by its bishop, two clergy delegates, and two lay delegates. In addition, jurisdictions are entitled to one additional clergy and lay delegates for every 1,000 constituents, calculated by average Sunday attendance. The assembly's duties include electing the Provincial Council from among the members of the assembly and ratifying all constitutional amendments and canons adopted by the Provincial Council. Measures not adopted by the Provincial Assembly are returned to the Provincial Council for revision.[38]

The Provincial Council, meeting at least annually, is the governing body of the province. Every jurisdiction is represented on the council by a bishop, a clergy member, and two lay persons; and the council may also appoint up to six other persons as members. The Provincial Council elects 12 of its members, 6 clergy and 6 lay members, to the executive committee of which the archbishop is chairman. The executive committee acts as the board of directors of the Church.[39]

All bishops in active ministry are members of the College of Bishops. The college elects the archbishop, the presiding officer of the Church, who convenes the Provincial Assembly, the Provincial Council, and the College of Bishops. The college also has authority to approve diocesan elections of bishops, or in some cases actually elect bishops. There are 35 active bishops sitting in the college.[40] The archbishop has a cabinet composed of leading bishops within the church which functions as a council of advice.[41] The Provincial Tribunal is an ecclesiastical court empowered to rule on constitutional and canonical disputes.

Local congregations hold their own property and the province disavows any claim on the property of local congregations. Existing property-holding arrangements within the founding member entities are not affected by their relation to the province. The province also disavows any authority to control the member entities' policies regarding the question of the ordination of women as deacons or priests.

The constitution and canons specify that other non member groups (such as a seminary, monastic order or ministry organization, or a diocese, congregation or other entity) may be considered for association as ministry partners.[42] Ministry partners may have representation in provincial and sub-provincial bodies as determined by the archbishop or bishop with jurisdiction. Ministry partners may withdraw from affiliation or have their affiliation ended with or without cause. ACNA affiliated ministries include Anglican Global Mission Partners (a missionary organization), Anglican Relief and Development Fund, and Anglican1000 (a church planting initiative).

Dioceses

See also List of dioceses of the Anglican Church in North America, List of bishops of the Anglican Church in North America.

The Anglican Church in North America is organized into the following 22 dioceses:[40]

The College of Bishops is currently formed by 45 active bishops.

A unique aspect of ACNA polity is the possibility that a diocese or group of dioceses may be under the dual jurisdiction of the ACNA and a province of the Anglican Communion. The Dioceses of Quincy, Pittsburgh, San Joaquin, and Fort Worth were formed when majority factions in the corresponding dioceses of the Episcopal Church voted to secede from that body in order to align themselves with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. The Anglican Mission, a founding member of the ACNA but later a ministry partner, until December 2011, during its membership possessed "dual citizenship" with the ACNA and the Church of the Province of Rwanda.

Statistics

  • June 2009: 703 congregations;[43] average Sunday attendance: 69,167[44]
  • April 2010: 809 congregations

After the decision of the Anglican Mission in the Americas to change from full membership to the status of a "ministry partner":

  • June 2010: 614 congregations[3]

Relations with other churches

Anglican churches

The ACNA's constitution expresses the goal to seek recognition as a province of the Anglican Communion.[45] A total of nine Anglican provinces sent formal delegations to the inaugural assembly.[25] The Anglican Church in North America has not yet requested formal recognition by the Anglican Communion office as a province recognized by the instruments of communion. The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury has said it would take years for the ACNA to possibly gain official recognition from the rest of the Anglican Communion.[18]

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans primates' council has said that the new church is "fully Anglican" and called for its recognition by existing provinces of the Anglican Communion.[46] In April 2010, Archbishop Duncan presided at the Eucharist with primates and representatives from 20 Anglican provinces at the fourth Anglican Global South to South Encounter in Singapore. The Global South Encounter called for all Anglican provinces to be in "full communion" with the Anglican Church in North America.[47]

In March 2009, the Anglican Church of Nigeria declared itself to be in full communion with the Anglican Church in North America,[4], followed by the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Uganda in June 2009, and the Episcopal Church of Sudan in December 2011.[5][48] Inasmuch as these churches report approximately 30,500,000 members,[49][50] and the Anglican Communion reports over 80,000,000 members,[51] the ACNA is in communion with churches comprising somewhat one-third of the membership of the Anglican Communion. The Diocese of Sydney passed on the final day of its 2009 synod a resolution welcoming the creation of the ACNA and expressing a desire to be in full communion.[52] The resolution also called for the diocese's standing committee to seek a general synod motion affirming the Anglican Church of Australia to be in full communion with the ACNA.

In 2010, the General Synod of the Church of England affirmed "the desire of those who have formed the Anglican Church in North America to remain within the Anglican family" and called upon the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to report back to the synod after further study in 2011.[53][54] Published in December 2011, the Archbishops' follow up report recommended "an open-ended engagement with ACNA on the part of the Church of England and the Communion" but also stated that a definitive outcome would be unclear for sometime.[55][56]

Other churches

At the ACNA's inaugural assembly in June 2009, Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church in America, while recognizing theological differences, said that he was "seeking an ecumenical restoration".[57] An agreement was announced between Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary and Nashotah House, an Anglican seminary, to guide ecumenical relationships and "new dialogue" between the two churches.[57]

The ACNA is in dialogue with several Lutheran groups. In March 2010, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod announced that it and the ACNA would hold discussions to "explore dialogue". The ACNA is the first non-Lutheran denomination to enter into any sort of dialogue with LCMS.[58] The ACNA has approved a request from the North American Lutheran Church to share clergy where there are vacancies. In addition, there is a Lutheran group which has requested to be admitted into the ACNA as a diocese.[59]

The ACNA has been involved evangelical movements such as the Laussanne Conference on World Evangelism and has observer status with the National Association of Evangelicals. It is working to begin dialogue with the Presbyterian Church in America and the Assemblies of God USA. The ACNA is also partnering with Messianic Jewish groups.[59]

In October 2009, ACNA's leadership reacted to the Roman Catholic Church's proposed creation of personal ordinariates for disaffected traditionalist Anglicans by stating that although they believe that this provision will not be utilized by the great majority of its affiliated laity and clergy, they will happily bless those who are drawn to participate in this proposal.[60]

Interfaith

In August 2010, the executive committee approved the creation of a task force on "Islam and interfaith engagement". Regarding the task force, Julian Dobbs, a member of the executive committee and archdeacon for the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, stated, "we need to undertake a prayerful, sensitive and honest approach to the issues involved".[61]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Anglican Church in North America.Church Locator. Accessed February 16, 2009.
  2. ^ [1] Anglican Church in North America Statistics for 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Council Recognizes Two New Dioceses". ACNA, June 14, 2010. Accessed June 16, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Church of Nigeria in full communion with Anglican Church of North America". Dallas Morning News.
  5. ^ a b Church of Uganda. "Church of Uganda Declares itself in Full Communion with Anglican Church in North America".
  6. ^ "Advent Letter from Archbishop Duncan". Retrieved 2011-12-16.
  7. ^ Staunton, Denis (2008-12-05). "Anglicans escalate split with plan for rival group". Irish Times. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  8. ^ Helfand, Duke (2008-12-04). "Conservatives who fled liberal views of Scripture have formed a breakaway church in North America". LA Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-05. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Nowicki, Sue (2010-11-20). "Breakaway Anglican diocese wins appeal". LA Times. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-12. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ ACNA: Our Genesis
  11. ^ "Network announces common cause with others in Anglican Tradition". Anglican Communion Network. Retrieved 2009-04-19.[dead link]
  12. ^ Theological Statement and Articles of the Common Cause Partnership. Revised March 28, 2007. Accessed April 15, 2010.
  13. ^ Virtue, David (2007-09-29). "PITTSBURGH: List of attendees at Common Cause Announcement of new Ecclesiastical Structure". virtueonline.org.
  14. ^ Schjonberg, Mary Frances (2007-09-28). "Common Cause Bishops Pledge to Seek Anglican Recognition". Episcopal News Service.
  15. ^ "Anglican Bishops Take First Steps to New Structure". Common Cause Partnership. 2007-09-28. Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  16. ^ Banerjee, Neela (2007-09-30). "Groups Plan New Branch to Represent Anglicanism". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  17. ^ GAFCON final statement, 2008-06-29
  18. ^ a b c Christian Today (April 23, 2009). "Rick Warren to address breakaway Anglicans".
  19. ^ Waring, Steve (2008-11-16). "Convention Planned to Form New Anglican Province". The Living Church Foundation.
  20. ^ "Provisional Constitution" (PDF). The Common Cause Partnership.
  21. ^ Christian Newswire (June 22, 2009). "Anglican Church Assembly Begins". Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  22. ^ a b Anglican Church in North America. "Anglican Church in North America officially constituted".
  23. ^ Rodgers, Ann (June 23), "Archbishop Duncan shepherds Episcopal spinoff", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  24. ^ a b Conger, George. "New US Province is formed". Religious Intelligence.
  25. ^ a b c "More Anglican Leaders Join Supporters of the Anglican Church in North America"
  26. ^ Protocol between Rwanda, the Anglican Mission, and the ACNA. Accessed May 21, 2010.
  27. ^ The Anglican Mission’s Relationship with the Anglican Church in North America, May 18, 2010. Accessed May 21, 2010.
  28. ^ Archbishop Duncan, "A Pastoral Letter", December 20, 2011. Accessed December 21, 2011.
  29. ^ Joint Communiqué from Archbishop Rwaje of P.E.A.R. and Archbishop Duncan of the Anglican Church, April 28, 2012, Anglican Ink
  30. ^ Congo to give a temporary home to the AMiA, The Church of England Newspaper, April 29, 2012
  31. ^ PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC: AMIA Leader Responds to Archbishop Duncan's letter, 8 September 2012
  32. ^ a b Anglican Church of North America (2009), Constitution and Canons, Article I, p. 2-3.
  33. ^ An Introduction to the Constitution and Canons - By Bishop Robert Duncan
  34. ^ Pat, McCaughan."North American Anglican group holds inaugural gathering". Episcopal Life Online. June 25, 2009.
  35. ^ Anglican Church of North America (2009), Constitution and Canons, Title II Canon 8 p. 12.
  36. ^ Member Resources, Anglican Church in North America, accessed October 28, 2011.
  37. ^ Anglican Church of North America (2009), Constitution and Canons, Articles IV-XIV, pp. 3-7.
  38. ^ Anglican Church of North America (2009), Constitution and Canons. Title I Canon 2, pp. 2-3.
  39. ^ Anglican Church of North America (2009), Constitution and Canons, Title I Canon 1, pp. 1-2.
  40. ^ a b Anglican Church in North America (October 2011), October 2, 2011.
  41. ^ Anglican Church in North America (August 10, 2010), "Elected Executive Committee Begins Work". Accessed February 21, 2011.
  42. ^ Anglican Church of North America (2009), Constitution and Canons, Title I Canon 7, pp. 6-7.
  43. ^ "One Hundred and Six New Anglican Congregations in Nine Months". Anglican Church in North America. April 13, 2010. Accessed April 15, 2010.
  44. ^ ACNA Dioceses and Delegates Fact Sheet. June 2009. Accessed April 15, 2010.
  45. ^ Anglican Church in North America (2009), Constitution and Canons, Article III, p. 3.
  46. ^ "GAFCON Communiqué issued - ACNA recognized". GAFCON / Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.
  47. ^ "Global South Encounter - Fourth Trumpet". Global South Encounter.
  48. ^ [2]
  49. ^ "ENUGU CONSECRATION: 'Serve and Suffer for Christ'". Church of Nigeria (estimate)
  50. ^ 2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census, Bureau of Statistics (PDF)
  51. ^ Anglican Communion: Welcome
  52. ^ Russel Powell. "We See Them and Embrace Them". Sydneyanglicans.net, October 28, 2009.
  53. ^ General Synod - Summary of Business Conducted on Wednesday 10th February 2010, accessed 21 January 2012.
  54. ^ Mackay, Maria (February 10), "Church of England Recognises Breakaway US Anglicans", Christian Today, archived from the original on 13 February 2010, retrieved 2010-02-10 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  55. ^ The Church of England and the Anglican Church in North America, report of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the General Synod of the Church of England, December 2011, accessed 21 January 2012.
  56. ^ CofE report generally open to new Anglican Church, February 24, 2012
  57. ^ a b "Orthodox Church Leader Rekindles Relationship with Anglicans"
  58. ^ Hoops, Linda C. (March 3, 2010). "CTCR Adopts Environment-Stewardship Report". Reporter. Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  59. ^ a b Ray Sutton (November 2011), The Apostle: Anglican Church in North America's Ministry in Review Report, p. 14. Accessed 10 December 2011.
  60. ^ Anglican Church in North America responds to Vatican offer
  61. ^ Anglican Church in North America, Executive Committee Calls for Task Force on 'Islam and Interfaith Engagement'". Accessed July 13, 2011.

External links

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