http://anglicanchurch.net/ en peter.frank@anglicanchurch.net Copyright 2010 2010-08-24T14:50:36+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/153 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/153#When:14:50:36Z Archbishop Robert Duncan was included with the other Anglican primates during the opening Eucharist, and shared in the distribution of communion, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Bishops from all of Africa as well as Anglicans from around the world are meeting together in Entebbe, Uganda, for the Second All Africa Bishops Conference August 23-29.  The conference, which is organized by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), calls together bishops and archbishops from 400 dioceses in Africa.  Invited guests from around the Anglican world are also present. Archbishop Robert Duncan, Bishop Martyn Minns, Bishop John Guernsey and Bishop Bill Atwood are among the Anglican Church in North America leaders who are attending the event.  “The Anglican Church is expanding everywhere in Africa.  There are now some 400 dioceses spread across the continent.  As Archbishop I am here to learn and to stand in solidarity with this vigorous gospel mission,” said Archbishop Duncan.  As the leader of the Anglican Church in North America, Archbishop Duncan was included with the other Anglican primates (leaders of Anglican provinces) during the opening Eucharist, and shared in the distribution of communion, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Archbishop Williams told the gathered bishops that the 21st Century may well be the “African Century.” Archbishop Duncan, as well as Archbishop John Chew of Southeast Asia, have also been invited to sit with the primates of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) during their meetings. To learn more about this important meeting, visit the conference website. Photography courtesy of AnglicanTV. News & Events, Articles 2010-08-24T14:50:36+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/148 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/148#When:16:15:11Z According to the Washington Post, flooding has submerged an area roughly the size of Italy and displaced 12 percent of Pakistan’s people. The Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) is now collecting donations for use in response to the devastating floods in Pakistan.  According to the Washington Post, the flooding has submerged an area roughly the size of Italy and displaced 12 percent of Pakistan’s people. As is the case in most disaster-relief work that ARDF undertakes, they will be partnering with an established and effective organization to quickly provide assistance to flood survivors.  To learn more and to help with this effort, visit www.anglicanaid.net. News & Events, Articles 2010-08-17T16:15:11+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/146 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/146#When:18:12:27Z August 10-11, the Executive Committee called for the formation of a task force on “Islam and interfaith engagement” and approved introduction of a yearly congregational report. Members of the Anglican Church in North America’s Executive Committee wrapped up two days of business sessions with a holy communion service in Ambridge, PA, on August 11. During the meeting, the elected committee of 12 members (six clergy and six laity) that functions as a board of directors for the Anglican Church in North America, heard reports on the church’s mission, finances and organizational work, called for the formation of a task force on “Islam and interfaith engagement” and approved introduction of a yearly congregational report. In calling for the creation of a task force on Islam and interfaith engagement, the Ven. Julian Dobbs, a member of the Executive Committee and archdeacon for the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, said “we need to undertake a prayerful, sensitive and honest approach to the issues involved.”  Bishop John Guernsey agreed. “The Archbishop didn’t get the applause for his call to engage Islam that he got for the call he gave to plant 1,000 churches, but I know God was in it as well,” he explained, referring to Archbishop Robert Duncan’s address at his service of institution in June, 2009.  The Executive Committee unanimously endorsed the naming of the task force by Archbishop Duncan.  The task force will report to the Executive Committee at future meetings. The Executive Committee also approved a draft congregational annual report, which, beginning this year, all congregations of the church will be asked to complete.  The yearly congregational report, which was proposed by the records committee, is intended to strike a balance between simplicity and gathering useful information about every church in the province that will allow leaders to understand and respond to what is happening in the church.  “The general requirement is to ask for as little information as you need,” said Archbishop Duncan.  This year, diocesan bishops will be able to make their reports in electronic format, with the goal to ultimately make it possible for every parish to enter their information online. Mr. Brad Root, Chief Operating Officer for the provincial office, reported on the budget.  He noted that the provincial office finished its first fiscal year with a slight, $30,057 surplus, and has never had a month “in the red.”  Over the last year, giving to support the work of the provincial office has shifted significantly, from being primarily funded by individuals and parishes, to being largely carried by the regular contribution of tithes from the church’s dioceses, he added.  The shift, which is in line with the tithing model laid out in Canon 9, Section 1, does not mean that individual and parish support will not continue to be important and necessary, said Root.  In fact, to make sure that the provincial work of the church is firmly grounded, Root is working to raise $500,000 over the next four months to cover costs associated with the Anglican1000 church planting initiative, provincial communications, outreach to the Sioux Nation and Myanmar, and other provincial level projects.  The campaign, called the “Founders Fund,” is already seeing success, but much more needs to be done, said Root.  Root also called on the Executive Council to consider closely how they might lead the church in supporting and teaching the tithing model.  “People with whom I meet to talk about our needs, ask, almost without exception, what we are doing when it comes to teaching and encouraging the tithe,” he said. Bishop Bill Atwood, of the International Diocese, reported on international relations in the Anglican Communion.  He particularly noted the gathering of the Anglican Bishops of Africa in Uganda August 23-31.  A number of Anglican Church in North America leaders, including Archbishop Duncan, have been invited to attend this gathering.  The Executive Committee has called for prayer and fasting during the meeting. The next Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for February 10-11, 2011.  In discussing sites for future meetings, Archbishop Duncan said “Wherever we go, we need to ask: ‘Do we build up the church?’ and ‘do we see encouraging signs about what is happening in the church?’”  News & Events, Articles 2010-08-12T18:12:27+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/145 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/145#When:18:29:33Z The Executive Committee of the Anglican Church in North America, a body of 12 elected members (six clergy and six laity), formally took their positions and began work on August 10 in Ambridge, PA. The Executive Committee of the Anglican Church in North America, a body of 12 elected members (six clergy and six laity), formally took their positions and began work on August 10 in Ambridge, PA.  The executive committee is chaired by the Archbishop.  Executive Committee members were elected from among the members of the provincial council that met June 7-11 in Amesbury, MA.  They serve as the Board of Directors for the Anglican Church in North America.  Members are Mr. Claus Lenk, Mrs. Diana Lopez, the Rev. Travis Boline, the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, the Rev. Cn. Julian Dobbs, Dr. Michael Howell, Mrs. Nancy Norton, The Rev. Cn. Phil Ashey, the Rt. Rev. Royal Grote, the Rev. Russell Martin, Mr. Samuel Thomsen, and Mr. Tad Brenner.  The elected members of the Executive Committee come from California, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Ontario, Newfoundland, Arkansas, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania.  Officers of the Province are also included in Executive Committee meetings as appropriate.  Officers appointed by the Provincial Council under Canon 1, Section 5 of the Canons, are Mr. Hugo Blankinship, Esq., Chancellor and Deputy Chair; Mr. Scott Ward, Esq, Council to the Executive Committee; Mr. William Roemer, Treasurer; the Rev. Travis Boline, Secretary; and the Rev. Lynne Ashmead, Registrar.  The duties and responsibilities of the Executive Committee, explained under Canon 1, Section 4 of the canons of the Anglican Church in North America, include guiding the province’s financial and property decisions and setting the agenda for the yearly provincial council. The elected Executive Committee replaces a transitional arrangement, laid out in Article VII, Section 10, of the Anglican Church in North America’s Constitution, where the Common Cause Executive Committee also served as the Executive Committee for the Anglican Church in North America until elections could take place.  Under the bylaws of the Common Cause Partnership, the Common Cause Executive Committee was formed by bringing together the lead bishops of each of the member jurisdictions. “This transition is an important milestone for the Anglican Church in North America, said Archbishop Duncan.  The Common Cause Partnership, which ultimately brought together 12 distinct jurisdictions and organizations and birthed our province, was truly a work of the Holy Spirit.  I know I am speaking for all of the leaders of the Anglican jurisdictions who served with me on the interim executive committee when I say we have long prayed for the day when we could hand over what Common Cause began to the elected leaders of our united Anglican Church.” Though their formal work is complete, the members of the transitional executive committee will continue to function as a “cabinet” for Archbishop Duncan.  Their role will be that of a “council of advice,” not a governing body.  “We owe a great deal to the leadership of these bishops.  I am glad we will continue to benefit from their wisdom and advice in the future,” said Mr. Hugo Blankinship, Esq, chancellor and deputy chair of the Executive Committee.  Members of the cabinet are: the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, the Rt. Rev. David Anderson, the Rt. Rev. Bill Atwood, the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, the Rt. Rev. Don Harvey, the Rt. Rev. Jack Iker, the Rt. Rev. Charlie Masters, the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, and the Most Rev. Leonard Riches. “The Lambeth Conference of 1930 described the classic polity of Anglicanism as “episcopally led and synodically governed,” the emerging executive committee/cabinet system honors this distinction.  The Executive Committee carries forward the business, fundraising and operational life of the Province.  The challenges of global Anglican relations beyond the Province, the opportunities of the present ecumenical realignment alongside the Province, and the day-to-day mission of the church as believers confront secularism and Islam by presenting the good news of Jesus Christ within the Province are matters that exceed the mandate of the Executive Committee, yet constantly demand the attention of the Archbishop and the wisdom of the lead bishops in cabinet,” added Archbishop Duncan. News & Events, Articles 2010-08-10T18:29:33+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/143 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/143#When:15:39:02Z News & Events, Video 2010-07-27T15:39:02+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/141 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/141#When:15:35:16Z Planting a church was not on the Rev. Patrick’s Ware’s list of long-term goals, but after participating in the Timothy program at The Falls Church in Falls Church, Virginia, that is exactly the task he and his wife, Jordan, embraced. Planting a church was not on the Rev. Patrick’s Ware’s list of long-term goals, but after participating in the Timothy program at The Falls Church in Falls Church, Virginia, that is exactly the task he and his wife, Jordan, embraced.  The result is Winchester Anglican Church. Patrick started last year by simply driving the several hours between Falls Church and Winchester early in the morning on his day off.  He met people in the community, and spent time praying about what might come next.  “Lord, if this is what you want, here I am,” said Patrick. Slowly, he met families that were interested in being part of an Anglican Church.  The Wares moved to Winchester and began Winchester Anglican Church in July of 2009.  Initially, the church held its weekly worship services at the Wares’ home.  “We worshiped in my house for three months.  I had never preached or celebrated in my kitchen before, that was new,” said Patrick. When Winchester Anglican began meeting, their community included about 15 people.  Now, worship services are regularly attended by 55-60.  Most of the church’s growth has come through word-of-mouth and relationship building, said Patrick.  For instance, particularly in the church’s first months, community meals played a big part in forming relationships between congregation members.  “I’m just surprised by how quickly the community has grown.  We have 75 chairs out now.  We started with 25,” said Patrick. Winchester Anglican Church is also working hard to introduce itself to the broader Community.  On April 30, for instance, the congregation invited passers-bye to watch fireworks with them on the Wares’ lawn.  Congregation members invited their friends to bring their lawn chairs, eat a free meal, and to get know others in the church during the event. Patrick is thankful for the training he received at The Falls Church.  The program, he said, taught him the skills he has needed for leading a congregation as well as helped him discover and refine a vision for ministry in Winchester.  “I feel confident that I have been equipped to lead people with a proficiency that I might not have developed in ten years on my own,” he said. The Falls Church has developed more than 50 leaders who then went on to ordained ministry in Anglican Churches.  The four year old Timothy Program at The Falls Church has launched three new churches in the last three years (Alexandria, Arlington, and Winchester, Virginia) and currently plans to plant up to three more in the next three years. The three year program blends practical mentoring in all aspects of parish ministry with preparation for planting and growing new Anglican churches, particularly in the Washington D.C. Area. “By planting new churches with trained pastors, the Timothy Program has been an effective way for our church to reach out to our neighboring communities, and Lord willing this outreach effort will grow in the future.  “The Falls Church is very pleased that ACNA is making church planting a priority,” said TFC Senior Associate Rector The Rev. Dr. Frederick Wright. To learn more about the Timothy Program, visit the church’s website. News & Events, Articles 2010-07-21T15:35:16+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/140 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/140#When:14:22:01Z Today, there are more than 100 Anglican Church in North America chaplains, officially endorsed either through the CANA for the Anglican Church in North America, or through the Reformed Episcopal Church. When the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) began to endorse chaplains in July of 2007, it had one member of the clergy doing this specialized work. Today, there are more than 100 Anglican Church in North America chaplains, officially endorsed either through the CANA for the Anglican Church in North America, or through the Reformed Episcopal Church.  In recognition of the rapid growth of this ministry, the Anglican Church in North America’s annual council appointed the Rt. Rev. Derek Jones as the suffragan bishop for chaplaincy during its June meeting.  The Convocation’s chaplaincy office, under the leadership of Bishop Jones, is formulating a plan with the Reformed Episcopal Church’s Bishop Royal Grote for a church-wide endorsing office for chaplaincies. Anglican Church chaplains hold posts in the armed services, in hospitals, with police, fire and other emergency responders and in a number of other settings, said Bishop Jones.  “Chaplaincy is its own distinct call with its own distinct set of ministry obligations and opportunities,” he continued. Many chaplains serve in professional settings, such as with a military unit or at a hospital. Army Chaplain (Captain) Rich West, who is with the 31st Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, MI, first experienced a call to military chaplaincy while serving as a Marine.  Initially, Chaplain West resisted.  “But after September 11, I was really praying about where I was at the time, and my heart was really with the soldiers,” he said.  According to West, military chaplaincy involves a good deal of one-to-one counseling with soldiers, leading worship, and what the military calls a “ministry of presence.”  “When we are out with the soldiers, we end up earning the credibility that gives us permission to minister to them,” explained Chaplain West.  Other chaplains have non-traditional ministries.  Tim Trombitas works as an actor at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  In between shows, he has developed a chaplaincy ministry to his co-workers.  “When you make yourself real to them, they want to become real to you.  Every heart is a broken heart,” said Trombitas. According to Bishop Jones, it is hard to keep up with interest in Anglican chaplaincy, particularly among ministers coming from other traditions.  By his count, about half of the Anglican Church’s chaplains have come from other Christian groups.  Bishop Jones believes this trend is driven by the “unique convergence in the chaplain of the three historical streams of worship, sacramental and liturgical, evangelical, and charismatic.”  Anglicanism brings these streams together into a whole. Beyond handling endorsements necessary to work in military or hospital settings, the chaplaincy office is also providing fellowship and continuing education to chaplains.  When chaplains meet together this July, said Bishop Jones, there will be sessions on everything from critical incident stress management to the pastoral challenge of migratory congregant. For more information about chaplaincy in the Anglican Church in North America, visit http://cana-chaplains.org/. News & Events, Articles 2010-07-14T14:22:01+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/139 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/139#When:13:25:21Z According to the Rev. Cn. Dr. Alison Barfoot, who serves as the Assistant to Archbishop Henry Orombi for International Relations, the bombings have had an affect on Uganda similar to that the September 11 terrorist attacks had on the United States. On Sunday, terrorists attacked people in Kampala, Uganda, watching the World Cup final match.  More than 70 people died in the blasts and many others were injured.  According to the Rev. Cn. Dr. Alison Barfoot, who serves as the Assistant to Archbishop Henry Orombi for International Relations, the bombings have had an affect on Uganda similar to that the September 11 terrorist attacks had on the United States. When asked how North American Anglicans might pray for Uganda, Canon Barfoot made four specific requests: 1.  For the families of those innocent victims who are suffering from brutal deaths or injuries. 2.  For those, especially church leaders, who are ministering to the injured, shocked, and frightened. 3.  For the government to respond appropriately and work to keep Uganda and Ugandans safe. 4.  For any other plots to be foiled and the plans of the enemy to be confused. Canon Barfoot went on to say that Archbishop Orombi has called on the people of Uganda to focus on Psalm 46.1, “God is our refuge and our strength.” Archbishop Orombi has also published a pastoral letter in response to the bombings.  It is available here.   News & Events, Articles 2010-07-14T13:25:21+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/134 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/134#When:16:28:36Z News & Events, Video 2010-07-12T16:28:36+00:00 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/130 http://www.anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/130#When:18:26:30Z Delegates to the Provincial Council held June 7-11 approved a 2010-2011 annual budget of $1,362,531.12.  The budget represents a significant increase in mission spending by the Anglican Church in North America.  Delegates to the Provincial Council held June 7-11 approved a 2010-2011 annual budget of $1,362,531.12.  The budget represents a significant increase in mission spending by the Anglican Church in North America.  In total, $263,500 has been earmarked for the Anglican1000 program.  Anglican1000 is the province-wide effort to train and support church planting work.  The budget also funds work among the Sioux Nation and with refugees from Myanmar.  Paying for this new work, much of which focuses directly on helping the province meet Archbishop Robert Duncan’s challenge to plant 1,000 new congregations by 2014, depends on generous giving by individual supporters of the mission and ministry of the Anglican Church, said Mr. Brad Root, Chief Operating Officer. The budget also funds the province’s administrative hub in Ambridge, PA.  The office is responsible for offering services such as insurance and retirement programs to the entire church, supporting the office of the Archbishop, other church leaders and governing bodies and communicating about the work of the church.  The provincial office staff consists of four full-time employees and six part-time employees. “We take seriously the commitment expressed in our Constitution to make the local parish the primary agency of mission. That means the Provincial office performs only those vital functions needed to make the parishes and dioceses effective. It’s a narrow but crucial role that we all depend on and should faithfully support,” said the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, Bishop of the Diocese of the Holy Spirit and a member of the province’s finance committee. In total, the 2010-2011 budget envisions just over $500,000 in expenses that are not expected to be funded by diocesan tithes or regular gifts from individual donors during the 2010-2011 budget year.  To close the gap and move forward with these new projects, the provincial office has launched the Founders’ Fund.  The fund, which aims to provide for the financial establishment of the province, is a major giving opportunity for individuals interested in making a donation of $10,000 or more toward the supporting of these new projects and, more generally, the founding of the Anglican Church. “Since the very beginning, it has been individual donors and congregations who have played an indispensible role in creating and funding the renewal of Anglicanism in North America,” said Root.  For instance, the significant expenses related to the launch of the Anglican1000 movement were borne entirely by a single parish, Christ Church Plano.  The Founders Fund is aimed at building on that tradition of individual gifts during the Province’s first years, as well as making it possible to continue the work that others, such as Christ Church, have generously funded in past years. “Support now, as we establish our provincial identity, makes it possible for us to pursue planting churches and forging relationships with the ecumenical and Anglican Christian world. It makes a real difference,” said Root. A copy of the 2010-2011 budget is available here as a pdf document.  For more information about the Founders’ Fund, please contact Brad Root at (724) 266-9400 or brad.root@anglicanchurch.net. News & Events, Articles 2010-07-01T18:26:30+00:00