Anglican Church In North America starts to come unglued.

[yeutter]

The Anglican Church in North America is an eclectic mix of Dioceses [which are for the most part non-geographical] and about one thousand parishes. They range from Pentecostal, to general evangelical, to Anglo-Catholic, to Reformed. Many of the Reformed are found in the three CANA [Convocation of Anglicans in North America] Dioceses. The three CANA dioceses had dual citizenship in the Anglican Church in America and the Anglican Church of Nigeria.

The Church of Nigeria had appointed four Suffragan Bishops, to assist with ministering to the Nigerian expats, for one of these Dioceses without consent of the Anglican Church of North America House of Bishops. The aftermath of this action is that such dual citizenship was no longer tolerated. The three CANA Dioceses clarified their status. Two of the Dioceses remained part of the Church of Nigeria. The Diocese of CANA East, under the leadership of the Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs has decided to remain in the ACNA and has rebranded itself the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word.

At least five of the parishes, and clerics, in CANA East were not happy with this decision. The wanted to stay with the Church of Nigeria which does not ordain women, ACNA ordains women. These Reformed Churchmen use 1662 Book of Common Prayer, as does the Church of Nigeria. ACNA has a new Book of Common Prayer. These former CANA East parishes, which are uniformly reformed, were, as I understand, transferred to CANA West. Many of the ethnically Igbo Anglicans in CANA West were delighted that their Reformed friends had decided to join them.

The Rt. Rev. Felix Orjis, the Bishop of CANA West, has reached out to these Reformed brethren, and offered to create a separate Deanery for them, and when they reach critical mass, a dozen or so parishes, spin them off as a separate CANA Diocese.

The question is, how many other reformed Anglicans, now affiliated with the ACNA will join them?

 

[SolaScriptura]

Interesting. Several of my friends (5) are Anglican priests... they're always touting the unity of the church and liturgy, yet they have just as much drama as everyone else.

One of my ACNA priest friends is an open theist. No denomination is sound that allows such egregious error. I've long said to them that any communion that cares more for supposed apostolic worship forms than for fidelity to apostolic doctrine has severely missed the forest for the trees and has horrifically misplaced priorities.

 

[Edward]

The Anglican communion in the US was always a marriage of convenience (or perhaps necessity). Folks knew early on that there was going to be an issue between those who supported the ordination of women and those who did not. (Even without the worship and theological differences). It's no surprise that there is a re-alignment; I just hope that folks have a good enough memory of what happened a few years ago so that all sides behave honorably.

Trivia of the day - the PCA General Assembly this year will be held at the same hotel to which the "Plano Conference" (which launched the Anglican denomination) was moved when facilities proved inadequate in the namesake city.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I've long said to them that any communion that cares more for supposed apostolic worship forms than for fidelity to apostolic doctrine has severely missed the forest for the trees and has horrifically misplaced priorities.

J. C. Ryle was saying the same thing long before any of us. Would that more people had listened to him.