Once upon a time, the Anglican Church was a powerful presence in the U.S.A. known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. or more recently as The Episcopal Church. It claimed a large percentage of the population (16% in 1789) and an even larger representation among the leaders of our great nation.
The language of its liturgy shaped much of our culture and its cathedrals and churches were a witness to the community. Today however, it is wracked with internal conflict, shrinking numbers (less than three-tenths of one percent of Americans regularly worship in Episcopal Churches) and is known more for its rejection of biblical authority and its willingness to litigate against its own clergy and congregations than for its passion for Christ. But that isn’t the end of the story.
A growing number of Anglican Christians have realized that they cannot continue down this path. On December 3, as the Bishop of CANA (the Convocation of Anglicans in North America) I joined the bishops and representatives of 14 other Anglican dioceses and networks to introduce the provisional constitution of a new Anglican Church in North America.
We are making a new start. This new Church already represents more than 700 congregations across the nation with a diverse leadership that is committed to the centrality of Christ and the trustworthiness of the Bible as we seek to live out our faith in an authentic way.
A tiny nitpick.
Bp. Martyn writes,
[blockquote] Once upon a time, the Anglican Church was a powerful presence in the U.S.A. known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. or more recently as The Episcopal Church[/blockquote]
My understanding is the official name of the organization being discussed is the “Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.”
It’s an interesting commentary that they first removed “Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society,” then “Protestant,” then “the United States of America.” I wonder how long it will take to remove “church” and then “episcopal”?
The DFMS is the corporate legal entity of the church. All members of TEC are members of the DFMS. The official name of the church remains the PECUSA, although the preamble to the constitution adds the phrase “otherwise known as The Episcopal Church” and the title page ot the 1979 BCP only uses the name, ‘The Episcopal Church”.