The International Diocese, led by Bishop Bill Atwood, has a church in the region – St. James, Oklahoma City (The Rev. Tere Wilson, Rector).  Bishop Atwood assures us that this parish will be a good relief command post – our local point of contact in directing donations for tornado relief. 

You can give through the Anglican Relief and Development Fund – either immediately online or by mailing in a check.  ARDF will send the funds to the International Diocese for distribution.

Donate now by credit card by going to this link for ARDF:
http://weblink.donorperfect.com/OklahomaTornado

Checks can be sent to:
Anglican Relief and Development Fund
PO Box 3830
Pittsburgh, PA 15230-3820
Please note: “Oklahoma Tornado Relief” in the memo line.

Thank you for your generous giving. May God bless those affected by this disaster.

“O merciful Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men: Look with pity upon the sorrows of thy servants for whom our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy, nourish their souls with patience, comfort them with a sense of thy goodness, lift up thy countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The renowned theologian and author J.I. Packer adds:  “Sound, Stimulating, Satisfying.  A first-rate introduction to real Anglicanism.”

Anglicans comprise the third largest Christian group globally, yet very few lay people here in North America can explain Anglicanism effectively. How to get people up-to-speed about Anglicanism in reasonably short order? Even inspire one to dig deeper into it. Books? Teachings? Well, of course. But how about a little technology? A DVD perhaps. But not the infomercial sort of thing. What if an entertainment answered the question “What is Anglicanism?” Helped people to tell others “Why I’m an Anglican?” What if there were, well, a one-act stage play? One that wasn’t “churchy” at all, though accurate and entertaining. Maybe add a little Gershwin music for good measure. And a prickly media lady – we’ll call her Merrily Inclement – to confront historical Anglicans C.S. Lewis, Thomas Cranmer and Richard Hooker. What if Hollywood got involved – filmed a great performance by professional actors, producer, director, cinematographers, film editors, sound people . . . the Hollywood cinematic works? Well, it’s happened! Surprising Merrily is now a 45 minute DVD that can be enjoyed by a Church congregation or by anyone at home or with friends.

Thomas Cranmer renovated the English Church during the Great Reformation, producing the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549. Richard Hooker (1554-1600) refined Cranmer’s legacy. C.S. Lewis came to faith some 400 years later. He wonderfully expounded the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith in our time.

Though Merrily Inclement and her Surprising Merrily television show are fictional, the four characters meet in a literary form called the supposal where – as they explore Anglicanism – we are reminded that a personal encounter with “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” has a way of producing its own surprises.

View the Trailer:

Trailer for Surprising Merrily from Joe Russell on Vimeo.

You may purchase a copy a DVD at Amazon.com -OR- Anglican House Publishers will gift one copy to churches who promise to screen the play for their congregation.  To request your free copy, send an email to merrily@ahpub.org

Bishop Lowenfield will oversee the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast (DWGC), a diocese in formation of the Anglican Church in North America, currently comprised of congregations throughout Louisiana and Texas.

The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in North America was the chief consecrator.  The Rt. Rev. Nathan Gasatura, under whom Lowenfield previously served, was also in attendance as a representative of the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, The Most Rev. Dr. Onesphore Rwaje.  The Rt. Rev. Terrell Glenn preached the ordination sermon.

Archbishop Duncan was assisted in the consecration by Bishops Jack Iker (Diocese of Fort Worth), Royal Grote (REC Diocese of Mid-America), John Guernsey (Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic), Bill Murdoch (Anglican Diocese in New England), Neil Lebhar (Gulf Atlantic Diocese), Steve Wood (Diocese of the Carolinas), Bill Thompson (Diocese of Western Anglicans) and Quigg Lawrence (PEARUSA).

The service included a time for “One Mission Pastors” to pray over the newly consecrated bishop.  Comprised of local senior pastors from various Christian denominations throughout The Woodlands, One Mission Pastors began meeting together in 2010 in Gospel partnership to reach their community with the love of Jesus Christ.  As one of the founding members, Lowenfield said he will continue to be part of the group.

“What God has done in The Woodlands is that he has caused a number of churches to realize that we’re not supposed to be divided,” Lowenfield said.  “We might worship differently on some things, but we’re called to be the church together.”

For more information on the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast (DIF), visit their website at http://www.dwgc.org.  For information on One Mission Pastors, visit http://www.one-mission.net.

March 31, 2013

To the Faithful of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and friends

from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya
and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

The resurrection of our Lord Jesus should never fail to move us to the deepest sense of awe and adoration. The empty tomb of Jesus is a great and glorious fact, not simply because of an absence, but also because of a presence. The astounding truth of the resurrection is that is a reality which changes the whole created order, yet at the same time is deeply personal. The risen Christ is the one who makes all things new (Rev 21:5) and he is also the one who makes me new.

In his resurrection from the dead there is the glorious ‘yes’ of the fulfilment, actual and yet to come, of the promises and purposes of God. Through repentance and faith we share in his risen life and at its heart, our calling is to simply say the ‘Amen’ and glorify the God who has triumphed over sin and death.

GAFCON exists as a mission movement to celebrate this great ‘yes’ to the glory of God. It is because of this ‘yes’ that we who say the ‘Amen’ are bound also to have to say ‘no’ to ungodly innovations in the Church which substitute human effort and speculation for divine grace and revealed truth.  It is a profound contradiction to say this ‘Amen’ and then go on, as some do, to deny the real physical resurrection of Jesus. When we have to say ‘no’, it is for the sake of the ‘Amen’; there can be no more positive a movement than one which gives an unqualified ‘Amen’ to the fulfilment of all God promises in Jesus Christ.

As a movement we are focused on seeing that work of new creation which God achieved by the death and resurrection of Jesus become a living reality across the world. The proclamation of the gospel is the exposition of the ‘Amen’, a declaration that sin and death have indeed been defeated. The resurrection is not simply a display of superior spiritual power, but the vindication of God’s justice, that through the death of Christ, the guilty are acquitted and those alienated through sin are now reconciled by God himself.

We are delighted that one of the major achievements of the GAFCON movement has been to facilitate and recognise the formation of a new Province, the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). We give thanks for this new thing that God has done, a church which is unswerving in its ‘Amen’. It’s relief agency, the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) works to change lives physically and spiritually and has competed projects in 34 countries, often working in some of the most difficult and needy areas of the world with current projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

It also has a bold vision for church growth known as Anglican 1,000, originally set out by Archbishop Duncan in 2009 to plant 1000 new congregations within a five year period and 700 church planters were present at the Anglican 1,000 Summit held earlier this month. A basic element in this church growth strategy is teaching believers to have a straightforward and robust understanding of biblical faith through the use of a catechism, echoing a practice of the early church when people were being converted from pagan backgrounds. We are delighted that the ACNA is pioneering a way to say the ‘Amen’ in a culture which is increasingly alienated from its Christian roots.

It is of course not only in North America that faithful believers are under pressure and struggling with hostile ideologies and my vision is that as we prepare for ‘GAFCON 2’ here in Nairobi next October, our Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans will experience itself in a new and wonderful way as a truly global network in which we encourage one another in the work of mission to which we have been called, with one voice saying the ‘Amen’ and putting our whole trust in the great promises of God’s Word.

PHOTO Caption: Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council, at the Anglican Church in North America’s Assembly 2012 in Ridgecrest, NC.

Beloved in the Lord,

The Psalmist declares:

As I write this letter to you it is Wednesday in Holy Week.  I am travelling to Juba in South Sudan to spend the Great Three Days (The Sacred Triduum) with Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, his clergy and his people.  I am to be away from all the things that are familiar, except that the Church is one throughout the world, and the old, old story does not change (yet changes everything).

Flying today I could see the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays (Kent Island, Cape Henelopen, Cape May), places associated with boyhood and early ministry.  Hours later there were Cape Trafalgar and Gibraltar and the North Coast of Africa, places I had never been but about which my historical studies and interests caused me to reflect over lots of years and lots of learning. 

Easters have been spent mostly with the Church communities I have known well and with those who are family (blood, marriage and church) whether in New Jersey or Connecticut or New York or North Carolina or Delaware or Western Pennsylvania.  One Easter, Nara and I spent at Canterbury, which was to be surrounded by things we knew (the cloud of witnesses, the music, the architecture) and those we did not know (the worshippers we were present with.)  I know that this Easter in South Sudan will be all at once different and the same. 

The seventeenth century poet and pastor George Herbert left us with two poems he entitled “Easter.”  The second of the poems ends:

This Easter I am looking back.  Like Lady Julian of Norwich in the 14th century, I am asking, “What does it all mean?”  Whether in Juba or in Pittsburgh – and wherever you find yourself – what I testify is that the Gospel is my strength and my song, and that Jesus has become my salvation.  Easter is the day that lights and gives meaning to all the others, wherever I – we – spend it and with whomever I – we – spend it.  The tomb is empty.  The world, the flesh and the devil are defeated.  Jesus is alive.  In Him, the alien becomes familiar, loss becomes gain, sorrow becomes joy, and death becomes life.  This Easter I am also looking around and looking ahead. 

May the Father’s love, the Son’s victory and the Holy Sprit’s power overwhelm you, penetrate you and those surrounding you, as they continue to do in me, with the Easter perspective that changes and transforms everything. 

Faithfully in Christ,

Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church in North America

“The Lord said I’ll give the power,” continued the Archbishop. “Indeed that’s what the movement has been about since the first day.”  The theme of Summit 2013, “The Church: The Pillar and Foundation of the Truth” was repeatedly expressed by the speakers and breakout session leaders.

During Morning Prayer, Dr. Wesley Hill referenced I Timothy 3 which refers to the church as “the pillar and buttress of the truth” (ESV).  Dr. Hill observed the irony in the relationship of the Church and Christ.

“Strangely, we are called to be a pillar for the very thing which is our pillar and buttress. It isn’t we who support Christ.  It is Christ who supports us.”

Plenary speaker Alan Hirsch honed in on the example that Christ gave to church planters and leaders, emphasizing the fact that we were designed with everything that we need to unleash the potential of Christ’s Church.  Furthermore, the Church that Christ designed is missional and intended for world transformation.

In order to be a transformational and missional church, though, The Rev. Dr. Joel Scandrett discussed the importance of catechesis in the formation of individuals who have developed godly habits though the mastering of essential elements of the Christian faith.

“One of our key tasks as a missional church is the recovery or a culture of Catechesis,” Scandrett said, “If the church’s mission is God’s mission, and formation is essential to mission, and Catechesis is the means of formation, then we must catechize.”

Following the plenary sessions on Monday morning, more than 30 breakout sessions and special initiative workshops were offered on subjects ranging from the practical nuts and bolts of church planting to leveraging social media in ministry. 

On Wednesday morning, the Anglican 1000 team comprised of the Revs. Alan Hawkins, Dan Alger, and Jeff Weber laid out the 1,2,3 Challenge.  In essence, Anglican 1000 calls every church in the Anglican Church in North America to plant “1” church, in the next “2” years, using one of “3” planting strategies: Jurisdictional, Congregational, and Pioneering.  You can learn more about the 1,2,3 Challenge by visiting http://anglican1000.org/123-challenge. 

“In calling for 1000 churches, Archbishop Duncan gave the ACNA the gift of a systemic change in how we ‘do business’” said Hawkins. “Anglican 1000 is not about 1000 churches…it’s about the first 1000!”

The Anglican 1000 team reaffirmed their commitment to advance the work of church planting.  They are experienced church planters coming alongside other planters to provide resources and tools to encourage, equip, and catalyze our leaders as they go out to do the Lord’s work.

In order to practically encourage, equip, and catalyze the work of church planting, we need to take the wisdom and leadership resources of the Province and get them as local as possible.  Locations for upcoming regional events include Chicago, Atlanta, New England, Seattle, Ottawa Canada, Phoenix, and Boston.  Visit the Anglican 1000 website for details.

During his charge to the attendees at the Opening Eucharist, Alan Hawkins quoted an anonymous 1976 graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in nearby Deerfield, IL who prophetically wrote the following:

“If you want to see something last for a season, plant flowers.
If you want to see something last for a lifetime, plant trees.
If you want to see something last throughout eternity, plant churches.”

Summit 2013 concluded with a Commissioning Service where leaders of the ACNA prayed for and sent out those responding to those sensing a call to plant a church under the 1,2,3 Challenge.

The statement calls for a “bi-partisan solution on immigration that: Respects the God-given dignity of every person, Protects the unity of the immediate family, Respects the rule of law, Guarantees secure national borders, Ensures fairness to taxpayers, Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents.”

There is some hope that this could become a reality this year as President Obama announced earlier this month there was, for the first time in several years, bi-partisan support for overhauling our nation’s broken immigration system.

Archbishop Duncan has been a keynote speaker at the first two conferences on Hispanic Anglican Ministry as part of the Caminemos Juntos! initiative of Greenhouse and Anglican 1000. There are currently 50 Hispanic congregations within the Anglican Church in North America. Many of our brothers and sisters in these congregations are undocumented and face a multitude of challenges.

It is estimated that currently there are 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, many from Mexico, though over 40% of undocumented immigrants are from other countries of origin such as Poland, India and the Philippines.  Most live in the shadows and have no recourse or path to change their legal status or pursue citizenship.

For more information see: http://www.welcomingthestranger.com and http://www.undocumented.tv.

Arzobispo Duncan Firma Declaración de Principios Para Una Reforma Inmigratoria

Esta última semana Arzobispo Duncan se unió a mas de 24 líderes de denominaciones evangélicas en firmando la una declaración de principios para una reforma inmigratoria en Estados Unidos (en Ingles “Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform”). Otros que firmaron fueron Leith Anderson, el Presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Evangélicos (NAE) y Jim Daley, Presidente de Focus on the Family (“Enfoque en la Familia”).  Clave para el desarrollo de esta declaración fue Mathew Soerens, autor del libro Welcoming the Stranger y miembro de la parroquia Church of the Resurrection, una iglesia Anglicana en Wheaton, IL.

Esta declaración hace un llamado hacia una solución a la crisis inmigratorio y para los 11.5 millones de inmigrantes indocumentados en Estados Unidos.

Muchos tienen esperanza que puede lograrse a cabo una reforma este ano después de la declaración del presidente Obama esta última semana.

Arzobispo Duncan ha sido un conferencista en las últimas dos conferencias de ministerio Hispano Anglicano llamado Caminemos Juntos! .Actualmente hay 50 congregaciones Hispanas dentro de la Iglesia Anglicana en Norte América (ACNA). Muchos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas feligreses en estas iglesias son indocumentados y necesitan de nuestro apoyo como la iglesia.

Se piensa que hay actualmente 11.5 millones   de inmigrantes indocumentados en Estados Unidos. Muchos provienen de México, pero más de 40% son de otros países como Polonia, India y las Filipinas.  Muchos viven en las sombras y no tienen como cambiar su estatus inmigratorio.

Para mas información véase : http://www.welcomingthestranger.com and http://www.undocumnted.tv.

“I assure you, Bishop Duncan, of my heartfelt prayers for all those taking part in [the] convocation.  The significance of your meeting is sensed far beyond Plano, and even in this City from which Saint Augustine of Canterbury was sent to confirm and strengthen the preaching of Christ’s Gospel in England.  Nor can I fail to recall that, barely 120 years later, Saint Boniface brought the same Christian faith from England to my own forebears in Germany.

“The lives of these saints show us how in the Church of Christ there is a unity in truth and a communion of grace which transcend the borders of any nation.  With all this in mind, I pray in particular that God’s will may be done by all those who seek that unity in truth, the gift of Christ himself.”

The letter was signed “with fraternal regards.”  We shall truly miss this brother, and father, in God.  May God grant His Holiness a fruitful retirement to the life of prayer he envisions.  May God give him joy as he reflects on the ministry he has had, and may there still be some seasons left for the theological and spiritual writing with which he has blessed so many. 

Click here to view the text of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation.

Speaking to a reporter during the event, Bishop John Guernsey who issued the invitation to his brother bishops, noted: “The active participation in the March for Life of more than a third of our bishops is a very public demonstration that a commitment to life is at the core of who we are as Anglican Christians.”  This commitment is reflected in the founding documents (Constitution and Canons) of the province:

“God, and not man, is the creator of human life. The unjustified taking of life is sinful.  Therefore, all members and clergy are called to promote and respect the sanctity of every human life from conception to natural death.” (Constitution and Canons, Title II, Canon 8, Section 3)

Anglicans for Life, under the leadership of Georgette Forney, also played a key role in the event. Mrs. Forney organized testimonies from individuals representing the Silent No More Campaign, which helps women and men who have experienced abortion “to find healing, forgiveness and reconciliation through the love of Christ.”

The March for Life was founded in 1974 by Nellie Gray, who died last year at the age of 86, and has been held annually for the last 39 years. 

Read a Living Church Magazine article on the March: http://www.livingchurch.org/acna-bishops-join-march

PHOTO 1: Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America during the March for Life on January 25, 2013
PHOTO 2: Bishop John Guernsey speaks during the ecumenical worship service.

Both Cameron and Jamal are from California. Cameron, who grew up in Temecula Valley, was unchurched but came to faith while in high school.  He first experienced a call to ordained ministry while in school at Westmont College where he also met his future wife, Jenelle.  Subsequently, he attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts where he was drawn to Anglicanism.

“I loved the spirituality of the Anglican church and the way in which the tradition holds in tension Pentecostal and evangelical threads – both were part of my background,” explains Cameron.  “I came to the Lord in a Pentecostal tradition but also worshipped in Presbyterian and Congregationalist settings.” 

After graduating and moving back to California, the Lemons affiliated with a large, predominantly African American Baptist Church and were drawn to both cross-cultural ministry as well as church planting.  They moved to an under-resourced area and began a discipleship house.  Later, he crossed paths with Jamal Scarlett.

Growing up in San Diego until he was 13, Jamal’s family attended church, but had no sense of having a personal faith. He heard the Gospel message in a powerful way at a youth convention, walked away for a time and re-embraced his faith in 2000 at a funeral service of a friend.  He married his wife Janice three years later and was discipled at Mountain View Community Church where he attended for five years.

“I was nurtured, grew in the faith and devoured the Word,” says Jamal. 

He too felt a call to ministry and entered Fuller Theological Seminary in the Fall of 2005. “I was really captured essentially by church history and the understanding that there was a church before the Reformation.  This reality summoned me to see what the larger Church was all about.  I saw the fullness of these ancient roots expressed in the beauty of the Liturgy and the centrality of the Word and Sacrament, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I really sensed a need to become part of a community with ancient roots.”

Jamal contacted Cameron and the two discovered their mutual love of the Anglican tradition as well as a commitment to cross multi-cultural and multi–ethnic lines.  With the help of Bishop Bill Thompson and MDP Chairman Fr. Jose Poch, the two young leaders were connected with and mentored by Fr. Donald Kroeger, Fr. Brian Capanna, and other clergy from the San Diego Anglicans.

Ultimately, Cameron and Jamal joined forces.  St. Paul’s was planted as a multi-ethnic evangelical church with an appreciation for church history.  For the past two years it has grown as a grassroots effort, ministering to the community’s tangible and practical needs in the Southwest Riverside County Area. 

Following Cameron and Jamal’s ordination, the church was re-launched on January 6 as an Anglican congregation.  The ordination service itself represented the vision for St. Paul’s as well as the worship backgrounds of the pastors.

“I consider myself from the catholic evangelical side of things, while Cameron is more evangelical charismatic,” Jamal says.  “It has been really good for us over the last year to work on a church plant. It has more of a ‘broad church’ feel with cassocks and stoles but also with a blend of music—hymns, contemporary and old gospel spirituals.  We talk seriously about the Word of God, the impact of preaching and discipleship, and the significance of the Sacraments.”

“As we planned the ordination service, we desired to have worship that reflects the infinite diversity of church,” explains Cameron. In addition to traditional chanting of the Psalm, St. Paul’s invited an African American Gospel choir to open worship.

The Venerable Canon Dr. Jack Lumanog, Canon to the Archbishop, Anglican Church in North America, preached at the service.

“The service was more than just a celebration of new ministry—it was also what can best be described as an ‘Anglican revival meeting’ as the service was held at an Assembly of God church (the denomination I served as District Evangelist for the State of Iowa as well as a Pastor prior to my journey back to the historic Christian Church as a deacon and then later as a priest) and punctuated by music from the African American Pentecostal tradition,” Canon Jack describes.

“The sermon was met with moments of applause, loud shouts of ‘amens!’ and ‘hallelujahs!’ as we had so many guests from Cameron and Jamal’s former churches with us to celebrate their ordination.  Even some of our Anglican brothers and sisters were moved by the Holy Spirit’s presence among us and remarked that this was unlike any ordination they had been to before – that they recognize that this was the future of the Anglican Church in North America, and they are so excited to see it unfolding before our very eyes!”

St. Paul’s faces some challenges.  Those coming to faith do not necessarily have the ability to financially support the congregation, and some of the new members do not understand the concept of weekly, regular worship and showing up in the same place at the same time.

“As we transition to having a more distinct Anglican identity in the community, we are intentionally seeking to build bridges between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots,’” Cameron notes.  “We want to establish a DNA of being socially conscious. The church name is significant – we really do want to be a church for the city.”

In order to make that dream a reality, St. Paul’s is hosting a Theology on Tap series in January and February at a local pub.  The evenings will feature “good spirits” and a talk on “God and Work.” 

“We are also offering a mid-week healing prayer service so we can expose people to a more charismatic form of Anglican spirituality,” Cameron says.  “We are reaching out in numerous practical ways to the under-resourced in our community.  In addition, we place a strong emphasis on the arts and are exploring things like utilizing poetry, special arts nights and music in our worship space. Locals are intrigued by what the Lord is doing in our midst.”

Jamal notes: “St. Paul’s will have a different feel.  You will see African Americans, Asians, Whites, young and old.  We have 35-40s as well as some more seasoned saints. It’s definitely a church that lives into the tradition it has been given, but speaks into the culture in which it stands.”

Real partnership marks Cameron and Jamal’s approach to ministry.  They have big hearts for the Lord and for each other.

“We are committed to the picture and call God has given us,” Cameron said.  We want to stay the course and are blessed to partner in mission.”

Jamal agrees. “I think time has really helped us,” he says.  “We started this journey two years ago as youth ministers in two churches.  Initially when you think about planting a church, you think about you and how you want to do it. But we made the transition from this being ‘Jamal’s show’ or ‘Cameron’s show.’  We are continually learning to take ‘self’ out of the equation—it’s God’s thing and He’s doing it, not us.”

PHOTO 1: The Lemons Family (left) with The Scarlett Family (right)
PHOTO 2: (left to right) The Rev. Cameron Lemons, The Ven. Canon Dr. Jack Lumanog, The Rev. Jamal Scarlett

During their time together, the College approved a Method of Procedure for the Theological Task Force on Holy Orders.  As originally reported in the communique from the College of Bishops, the Method of Procedures includes the following steps:

• Phase 1 of this five-phase procedure was to identify and appoint bishops and other scholars to the Task Force. This is now complete. At each subsequent phase, there will a report to and dialogue with the full College of Bishops.
• Phase 2 now begins. The Task Force will explore how the Authority of Scripture functions in the Church, addressing hermeneutical issues and the role of the Church’s Tradition in biblical interpretation.
• Phase 3 will explore the nature of the Church, clarifying the meaning of ordained Ministry and considering how the structure of the Church’s ordained Ministry relates to the whole.
• In Phase 4 the Task Force will discuss the arguments, pro and con, related to the ordination of women, considering the relevant Scriptural texts and historical arguments, and reviewing studies conducted within and without the Anglican tradition.
• In Phase 5 the Task Force will submit a report to the GAFCON/FCA International Theological Commission (ITC).
• Following a review of comments received from GAFCON/FCA, the ITC and the ecumenical partners of the ACNA, the final report and recommendations of the Task Force will be submitted to the College of Bishops.

Subsequent to the approval of this Method of Procedures, members of the Theological Task Force on Holy Orders met for the first time on 17 January via conference call.  During the call, they began to discuss the focus of Phase 2 by identifying important questions regarding the interpretation of Holy Scripture.

Leading the Task Force is the Rt. Rev. David Hicks, REC Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

“The Task Force members are deeply mindful of the great privilege and responsibility that they have in assisting the College of Bishops in this very important discussion,” said Bishop Hicks.

The members of the Task Force are the Rt. Rev. Kevin Allen, Diocese of Cascadia; Mrs. Katherine Atwood, Diocese of Ft. Worth; The Rev. Dr. Leslie Fairfield, Diocese in New England, Trinity Seminary (Ret.); The Rev. Canon Mary Hays, Diocese of Pittsburgh; The Rev. Tobias Karlowicz, Diocese of Quincy; and The Rt. Rev. Eric Menees, Diocese of San Joaquin.

Bishop Hicks requested the prayers of the Province in support of their work, “Please pray for God’s wisdom and guidance as we pursue our work and for safe travel when we gather together in the coming months.”

“Prof. Noll is an authority on the Anglican Communion and the theological compromises that have torn the fabric of the Communion,” notes Archbishop Duncan.  “Along with this new advisory position, he will also serve as the North American member of the GFCA International Theological Commission.”

“For many years I have been concerned about matters of Anglican identity and the wider Anglican Communion, a concern that was deepened during my ten years living in Uganda,” Prof. Noll stated. 

Dr. Noll expressed enthusiasm about his appointment. “I believe ‘the Anglican Way,’ particularly as described in the Jerusalem Declaration, has an important witness to make in the wider Christian church, and the Anglican Communion is strategically placed to serve Christ’s Great Commission worldwide,” he said. “While the current heterodoxy in parts of the historic Communion is regrettable, God is, I believe, raising up a new locus of Anglican identity, rooted in, but not exclusive to, the Global South.”

“Though dynamic and committed to Anglican orthodoxy, this movement has its own practical, theological, and missiological challenges in presenting the Gospel in various cultures, many of which are non-Christian, anti-Christian and post-Christian,” he continued. “It is important that the churches of this movement work together in facing these challenges, and I am pleased and honored to assist in any way I can.

The Rev. Canon J. Phillip Ashey, Chief Operating Officer of the American Anglican Council (AAC), has been named as “Canon for Special Initiatives.”  He is an elected member of the Executive Committee of the Province and has agreed to undertake special assignments as requested by the Archbishop.

“Canon Ashey directs a number of programs through his work at the AAC and is an authority on canon law,” said Archbishop Duncan.  “He is also well known in international circles and will be a strong asset.”

“I am grateful to Archbishop Duncan for this appointment,” Canon Ashey said.  “Through the work of the American Anglican Council, I am already involved in a number of special initiatives—leadership and congregational development, coaching new dioceses and developing structures and relationships that will enable Anglicans to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission in North America and throughout the Anglican Communion.  I look forward to pursuing strategic opportunities and initiatives as they arise that will help us become one, united, biblical and missionary Anglican church for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom.”

Prof. Noll is currently visiting professor at Uganda Christian University in Mukono, Uganda, where he served as Vice Chancellor from 2000-2010.  Previously he was Academic Dean at Trinity School and is the author of a number of books and articles.  In addition, he was a key figure at the first GAFCON.  He served as a member of the Theological Resource Group of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and the Statement Committee at GAFCON 2008.

Prior to joining the staff of the American Anglican Council, Canon Ashey served in a number of congregations and planted South Riding Church in Virginia. He is a Consultant for the Primates’ Council of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and the Lawyers Network for the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and has held a number of leadership positions for the Common Cause Partnership as well as the Anglican Church in North America.

The Anglican Church in North America’s College of Bishops dedicated a week to meet together in Orlando, Florida under the leadership of the Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop and Primate, to worship, pray, take counsel together and do Bible study. The College was blessed to have a number of special guests, including two dozen of the bishops’ wives. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali served as Biblical expositor, focusing on Ephesians and how it shapes our ministry to share the transforming love of Jesus Christ in North America. The College was also honored by the presence and witness of Bishop Azad Marshall of the Anglican Diocese of Iran.

Throughout the week, the Bishops pursued healthy ways of working together that foster greater unity in Christ while honoring the diverse styles and ministries of the dioceses. The College received reports from task forces on a variety of topics:

Theological Task Force on Holy Orders
The College of Bishops approved a Method of Procedure for the Theological Task Force on Holy Orders. It includes the following steps:

• Phase 1 of this five-phase procedure was to identify and appoint bishops and other scholars to the Task Force. This is now complete. At each subsequent phase, there will a report to and dialogue with the full College of Bishops.
• Phase 2 now begins. The Task Force will explore how the Authority of Scripture functions in the Church, addressing hermeneutical issues and the role of the Church’s Tradition in biblical interpretation.
• Phase 3 will explore the nature of the Church, clarifying the meaning of ordained Ministry and considering how the structure of the Church’s ordained Ministry relates to the whole.
• In Phase 4 the Task Force will discuss the arguments, pro and con, related to the ordination of women, considering the relevant Scriptural texts and historical arguments, and reviewing studies conducted within and without the Anglican tradition.
• In Phase 5 the Task Force will submit a report to the GAFCON/FCA International Theological Commission (ITC).
• Following a review of comments received from GAFCON/FCA, the ITC and the ecumenical partners of the ACNA, the final report and recommendations of the Task Force will be submitted to the College of Bishops.

The Task Force is committed to perform its mandate thoroughly and in a timely manner.

Development of Prayer Book Liturgies
The College of Bishops encouraged and supported the ongoing work of the Prayer Book and Common Liturgy Task Force. The College worshiped using the Task Force’s draft liturgies and guided and gave specific comment on the important and prayerful work the Task Force has done thus far. The College used and discussed two draft Holy Communion liturgies and drafts of both Morning and Evening Prayer.

The College also received Draft 3.0 of the proposed Ordinal for Bishops, Priests and Deacons. The College was encouraged by adjustments the committee had incorporated as a result of comments arising out of the College’s provisional use of the Ordinal. Further adjustments of style still need to be made. The expectation is that the Ordinal, once approved, will be used in its entirety and not combined with other ordinals.

The College reaffirmed the commitment expressed in the Constitution of the Province to permit use of all the authorized prayer books and liturgies of the founding jurisdictions of the Province.

The Task Force will submit the draft liturgies to our ecumenical partners for their review and comment.

The College continues to commend the work of the Task Force and prayerfully looks forward to the day when the Province will have its own Book of Common Prayer.

Overlapping dioceses
The report on overlapping dioceses brought into focus both the excitement of the growth of this new missionary province in North America and the challenges of bringing us into conformity with historic Anglican practice. The goal of the work is to organize each region for the long-term sustainability of the movement in recognizable, godly Anglican Church structures.

Mission development has been structured through both geographical and affinity based dioceses and networks. A map of all 951 churches of the Anglican Church in North America helped the bishops to identify 11 regions of overlapping mission work among the various jurisdictions of the Province. Bound together by the Holy Spirit in historic faith and Gospel mission, we trust that these challenges will result in enhanced collaboration, responsive structures and ministry oversight, with better sharing of resources, clearer communication and more profound unity in the mission that we share.

The Ecumenical Relations Task Force
The Ecumenical Relations Task Force, chaired by the Rt. Rev. Ray R. Sutton, reported a number of exciting new developments. In its work with catholic jurisdictions, the Task Force was told by the second highest ranking bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church, the Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, that Orthodox dialogue with the Anglican Communion in North America would be directed through the Anglican Church in North America. In addition, Archbishop Robert Duncan and Bishop Sutton were invited with Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Anglican Primate of Kenya and Chair of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON/FCA), to have a public audience in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI on November 28, 2012. The delegation was cordially and graciously received and it was an occasion for good conversation. It is hoped that this visit will foster enhanced relations between Anglicans and Roman Catholics.

On the evangelical side of the kingdom of God, new efforts have begun with Messianic Jewish brothers and sisters. CMJ-USA, whose National Director is the Rev. Canon Daryl Fenton, former Canon to Archbishop Duncan, is partnering with ten ACNA congregations to launch pilot programs for reaching Jewish people with the Gospel. Already Messianic Jewish congregations have begun to meet in several ACNA parishes. In other work with evangelicals, the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey related how a new ecumenical coalition of confessing Christians has formed, with representatives from Evangelical Presbyterians, Good News Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans and other evangelical groups. This coalition adopted an agreed upon statement: “Jesus Christ: Our Common Ground and Common Cause.” (See the Anglican Church in North America website).

Relationships, Reconciliation, and Election of New Bishops
There was deep, honest, and profound conversation among the bishops as the College pursued Biblical patterns of reconciliation. There were apologies, conversations, tears and prayers for healing. One result was the restoration of Bishops Thad Barnum, Terrell Glenn and Todd Hunter back into full fellowship of the College.

Meeting in consecrated space, the College also approved the consecrations of the Rev. Quigg Lawrence (Atlantic Regional Network of PEARUSA), the Rev. Ken Ross (Western Regional Network of PEARUSA), the Very Rev. Clark Lowenfield (ACNA Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast in Formation).

In addition, the College confirmed the election of the Rt. Rev. Charlie Masters as Bishop Coadjutor of the Anglican Network in Canada, and received into the College the Rt. Rev. Frank Lyons, former Bishop of Bolivia, as Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

These elections confirm both the wonderful growth and the healing of relationships that are taking place in the Anglican Church in North America. “The ministry of the new bishops will provide episcopal care and oversight in regional networks for clergy and parishes and sustain and expand our mission as a growing movement of healthy, reproducing Anglican churches,” said Bishop Steve Breedlove of PEARUSA

Catechesis Task Force
The Catechesis Task Force, chaired by the Rev. Dr. Jack Gabig, presented a first draft of a new Catechism. The College was greatly encouraged by this work and offered direction to ensure that the Catechism fully expresses the transforming work of the Gospel, the sacramental life of the Church and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Anglican1000
The Rev. Alan Hawkins, Vicar of Anglican1000, reported on the exciting work of church planting, sharing the plan by which fulfillment of the vision of planting 1000 churches in five years is a real possibility.

Anglican Relief and Development Fund
Mrs. Nancy Norton, Executive Director of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund, shared about the important work of ARDF. In addition to the dynamic growth of ARDF in the U.S., ARDF-Canada and ARDF-Australia have been established.

International Relations
We noted the communication of the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) concerning the recent decision of the House of Bishops in the Church of England to allow those in civil partnerships to be eligible to serve as bishops. This impacts both the doctrine of marriage and that of episcopacy. The Nigerian bishops wrote:

“When the Church of England failed to exercise its legal and moral right to opt out of the civil partnerships legislation in 2005 warnings were given in England and around the Anglican Communion that this was a first step towards the recognition and institutionalization of behaviour contrary to the plain teaching of scripture and reaffirmed for all Anglicans by the 1998 Lambeth Conference in its Resolution 1.10. Sadly those warnings were ignored and we now face the next step in a process that could very well shatter whatever hopes we had for healing and reconciliation within our beloved Communion….

“As a House of Bishops, while we acknowledge that we all fall short of God’s call to holiness, we dare not compromise the clear teaching of our Lord on faithfulness within Holy Matrimony and chastity outside of it. Sadly we must also declare that if the Church of England continues in this contrary direction we must further separate ourselves from it and we are prepared to take the same actions as those prompted by the decisions of The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada ten years ago.”

The College agreed with the principle articulated in the Windsor Report that “what affects the communion of all should be decided by all.” The experience in North America has been that that the theological departures from historic Anglican norms have brought devastating consequences. The admonishment from the Nigerian Bishops will, if heeded, avoid further anguish.

The Task Force on Religious Freedom and Islam
This January marks the 40th remembrance of legalized abortion in the United States. For a country so rich in Christian heritage, the reality of 55 million aborted children scars our land and demands our attention. When the foundations of the Anglican Church in North America were laid, we acknowledged the sanctity of life and the sin of abortion (Canon II.8.3-4). This January, the Archbishop and at least fourteen bishops of the Anglican Church in North America will participate in the March for Life in Washington, DC and attend the ‘Silent No More’ program at the United States Supreme Court.

In additional to matters of religious freedom, the College heard from Bishop Azad Marshall and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali who spoke about challenges of resurgent Islam and addressed issues of suffering, persecution and mission. We were encouraged as Bishop Marshall shared inspiring reports of ministry in the Gulf, Pakistan and Iran.

Caption 1: Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali
Caption 2: The bishops praying for each other
Caption 3: Bishop Azad Marshall

“God has brought the world to our doorstep.  New immigrants are a mission field we dare not ignore,” says Bishop Stephen.

AMMiC’s ministry also includes offering resources for ethnic ministry in North America.  Immigrants of all ethnicities have common needs and concerns, such as a widening language and cultural rift between generations. To address these needs, AMMiC has already held two conferences, both at Regent College in Vancouver, BC and future conferences are also being planned.

In addition, AMMiC organizes mission trips to Asia.  The 2013 team will minister to abandoned and disabled children living in a welfare centre in Sanmenxia, China, July 16-31. 

“Just as Jesus focused on the marginalized in His ministry, so we seek to serve immigrants in our communities,” says Bishop Stephen.  “May God give us hearts for the “stranger” in our midst and a growing vision for working together across the ACNA to reach ethnic communities.” 

For more information or to connect about ministry to immigrants and ethnic ministry in your area, contact Bishop Stephen here.