When the Anglican Church in North America launched last year, founders were clear on what they didn’t want to be: the Episcopal Church.
But as the ACNA marks its first anniversary with a meeting here this week, members are finding that carving out a new identity requires a good dose of patience, and more money than they have on hand.
The ACNA knows what it wants to be: a church-planting, soul-saving province officially recognized by other churches and leaders in the 77-million-member Anglican Communion.
Leaders reported some progress on those goals this week, but fiscal hurdles remain.
One wonders how different diocesan canons of the new ACNA diocese are from the TEC model?
#1. Glendermott,
ACNA is not a diocese. Many churches in the ACNA are still defending themselves in law suits filed by TEC. It is a divorce with rancor. Both TEC and ACNA could be putting the funds to better use.
The biggest disappointment has been AMIA’s refusal to institutionally merge with ACNA. That aloofness undermines ACNA’s effort to be a unified church and any hopes for provincial status within the Anglican Communion. Personally, I think their attitude is indefensible.
But predictable. Replay 1976.
Yes, there are growing pains, to be sure. I’m not at all surprised that the obstacles for the ACNA to really get off the ground and soar are still large and daunting. That’s only to be expected.
Instead, what impresses me is how much has already been accomplished. I’m particularly happy to hear that two new regional dioceses have been formed in the ACNA, based in Atlanta and Chicago. No one likes bureaucracies, but any group that’s going to endure or have much impact must nonetheless develop structures that facilitate its impact (rather than impeding it). It’s clear that the ACNA’s leaders are well aware of the dangers of merely taking over unconsciously some unhealthy aspects of the TEC heritage and are seeking to gaurd against that. Not least by maintaining a clear focus on evangelism and church planting.
As for the lack of money, well, that’s always a perennial challenge for start up groups. But the ACNA leadership seems determined to “seek first the kingdom of God,” trusting that everything else needed will be added unto them. Since God is faithful, and has unlimited ways of supplying what’s needed, I’m sure the future of our new movement remains bright. As bright as the promises of God.
David Handy+
Maybe if the focus was not what [b]They[/b] want to be and just preach the Good News, seek and follow God’s direction and wisdom and put the Church back into His hands and just focus on doing the work and not try to control it themselves the growth & money will flow and the time will fly.
It is not about their time but God’s
The comments are very interesting after the article. They shed some light on the conference from someone who attended.
Fr. Handy,
The two new dioceses formed are in Atlanta and Ohio. Last month a group of parishes in Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota formed a Midwest Deanery. We are looking to attach to a diocese, and eventually, given growth by God, to form a separate diocese (or three if we’re dreaming big – one for each state). We are already working together in some ways and have plans for such things as clergy retreats, joint worship services, and fellowship.
So, hopefully at some Provincial Council in a few years, we will be talking about a Chicago based diocese (just not yet)!
6. TLDillon:
“Maybe if the focus was not what They want to be and just preach the Good News…”
I have sympathy with your post but Saint Paul doesn’t state what order there is to be in the Church, only that there is to be order. Their very job is to determine what God wants them to “BE” at this time and in their location.
I know that the temptations are endless, pitfalls without number; but our job is to pray – theirs is to order. My prayer is that they would discipline themselves to God’s order.
They continually state the high purpose and goal of evangelism. God help them to meet their own defined goal.
Don
TEC has a devilishly clever strategy. Keep the ACNA churches in court. If TEC wins, the ACNA is broke and has no property and TEC can sell the property (NOT to ACNA) and replenish the coffers. If TEC loses, ACNA has the property but is financially poor and unable to grow. And given the court record so far, it looks like TEC may win in CA, VA, TX, and Il. Statmann