McGee grew up in Denton, and his father was a Methodist minister in the city. When his daughter enrolled at UNT, Denton felt like a much bigger place than it used to ”” like a small town with a growing metropolitan feel.
“Looking at Denton, going from 45,000 to over 100,000 in population, it seemed like it was time to consider doing something here,” McGee said.
That something became Holy Trinity Anglican Church, a local congregation that is organizing for a Sept. 11 launch.
It’s part of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Had to search the website for this. It talks about how the ACNA only formed in 2009. It missed the point that the REC has been around for over 100 years.
The REC is listed under “Resources” but the site says the new church is ACNA. I know Thomas McGee was ordained while he was serving at Transformation Anglican in Rockwall, TX which was an AMiA church at the time. I don’t know if they went with AMiA, or stayed with ACNA when AMiA separated from ACNA.
If not REC, what diocese? Fort Worth?
Bishop Bill Atwood of ACNA. Don’t know the name of his diocese.
Good article! And good for Denton! I hope the new parish thrives!
This should be the road for disaffected Episcopalians — not the RC ordinariate.
From the ACNA “Anglican 1000” website:
[blockquote] Holy Trinity Anglican -Denton
http://www.dentonacna.org
Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Denton, Texas is a new work beginning its formation process. It is a part of the Diocese of Mid-America and is supported by the Anglican churches in the Dallas area. Rev. Thomas McGee is the church planter. The vision of Holy Trinity is “to share the love of God through worship of the heart, the teaching of God’s revealed truth, mutual encouragement, transformation of character, and in ongoing service to the people of Denton and the world.†[/blockquote]
I think diocese of mid-america is currently under +Grote, and it existed as an REC diocese before ACNA.
The Diocese of Mid-America is indeed under the Rt. Rev’d Royal U. Grote and had a long history prior to the formation of the ACNA.
As a Reformed Episcopal priest, one of my humorous frustrations is when people ask when we are going to join the ACNA. I once ran into a friend serving a large nearby parish that had joined the ACNA roughly a year after its formation and when I told him, “Well, I guess we’re finally in the same church now,” he replied, “So you’re joining us?”
Au contraire! The Reformed Episcopal Church was a founding jurisdiction of the ACNA and we’ve been full members literally since before the beginning. When Archbishop Duncan was installed, the Most Rev’d Leonard W. Riches, who was re-elected last week as Presiding Bishop of the REC, was the installing Bishop — since he was consecrated in 1975 he is the senior active bishop in the ACNA.
It is not an either/or but a both/and proposition. I have tried to make that clear on the website of my current cure , but it’s a point that still needs to be made from time to time.
#7
So what’s your answer when someone asks you what’s your denomination? ACNA, REC. I know the REC is part of ACNA, but one is the denomination and the other is something else.
#8. I’ve had two replies, none shorted and one longer, that have disappeared into the ether on my BlackBerry with the BlackBerry browser. I’m going to try this on Opera and if that fails I’ll have to wait until later today.
I answer that I am an Anglican and modify as needed, which it usually is not.
#8 Evan,
Just for Balance, there are some of us in the REC who would answer the question: “What’s your denomination?” with the following.
We are Reformed Episcopalians and the REC is affiliated with the ACNA. We still wear our REC pins and use (at times) the REC Prayer Book. Our bishop is (in our Case) Bishop Morse and our “Primate” is Bishop Riches. We are “affiliated” with the ACNA which is headed by Archbishop Duncan just like we are affiliated with the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas (FACA) and in Communion with the Anglican Province of America. On our Denominational Website we are described as a “Founding Jurisdiction of the Anglican Church North America.”
At the recent General Council of the REC (note: other ACNA bodies only have diocesan councils-we still have a General Council) the REC affirmed our membership in ACNA but also with the caveat that:The Reformed Episcopal retains the right to re-define its relationship with the ACNA through the actions of its General Council and in accordance with Article VIII of the ACNA Constitution retains all powers not granted to the Province by its own consent.
Being translated: “Push us on Women’s Ordination and we are out of here.”
recchip,
I’m with you 100% on WO, but I still regret that the various “jurisdictions,” and “ministry partners” within ACNA that have voice and vote on the governing bodies of ACNA can’t subsume themselves completely into one body. This Balkanization of the orthodox Anglican witness in North America leaves us no better off than the pre-ACNA continuum.
Rev. Drew, I note from your website that you were ordained to the presbyterate by both Bishops James West (REC) and FitzSimons Allison. I know that there is cooperation between the Diocese of South Carolina and the REC but, is this typical?
#10. It goes considerably beyond “affiliation.” We are fully members and our bishops, clergy, and laity participate in various committees and task forces within the ACNA. Again, it is not an either/or but a both/and proposition.
Bishop Riches, for whom I have immense respect, does not now nor has he ever claimed to be a Primate to the best of my knowledge. If you can produce evidence to the contrary, I’d be interested in seeing it.
As for women’s ordination, I have for several years been a member of Forward in Faith–North America. If the ACNA were to push that upon the REC I would certainly concur in leaving. I don’t see that happening.
#11. I think that you are overstating the case and suspect that there will be more and more consolidation as realignment occurs. That having been said, though, the REC with 177 years of history and identity, would probably remain as an entity longer than other groups in the ACNA which are much newer.
Women’s ordination is the largest issue, no doubt about it. There is far more unity than existed in the Continuum, and happily some of those divisions are softening; the FACA is evidence of that.
#12. Bishop Allison has been a friend for some time. When it came time to be priested I asked Bishop West if I could invite him to participate and was told that I could. He did and I was honored that his episcopal hands were laid upon my most unworthy head. There have been other cases of that, yes.
#13 Fr. Drew,
I never said that Bishop Riches CLAIMED to be a primate. (I doubt the REC would even think in those terms) but with the Title of MOST REVEREND he is styled as an Archbishop. He has the same title (which in his case is MUCH MORE LEGITIMATE!!) as the Presiding Bishop of ECUSA/TEC. Thus Presiding Bishop ECUSA=Most Reverend=Primate, then Most Reverend=Presiding Bishop REC=Level of Primate. Isn’t it fun!!
Also, I think that the REC will remain “intact” for a very long time. Since we are planning for the 2014 General Council to be held in Blue Bell, I would assume we plan to be around in 2014. Personally, i think ACNA will start having major problems when ArchBishop Duncan retires. One of two things will happen: 1) An Archbishop who does not recognize women as being priests will be elected, thus those “female priests” will not be in communion with their Archbishop or 2) An Archbishop who DOES “ordain” women will be elected but, since he will not have the stature of Robert Duncan, the anti-WO people will not be willing to “hold their noses” any longer. Either way, I see rough waters ahead.
Just my very humble opinion which is my own and does not reflect the views of my parish, the Missionary Diocese of the Central States or the REC.
#14. “The Most Rev’d” does not automatically indicate a Primate or an Archbishop. The Presiding Bishop of PECUSA/ECUSA/TEC has been so styled since Bishop Allen and is neither a Primate nor an Archbishop. Likewise, the Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Rev’d Peter Jensen, is an Archbishop but not a Primate.
I do agree with you that Bishop Riches is far more legitimate a bishop than Dr. Schori. For one thing he’s a Christian….
I am more optimistic about the ACNA’s future than you are, but agree that it faces challenges.
Thanks for the info, Drew+. So my first comment was right. (And thanks for the laugh, “For one he’s a Christian…”)
Drew,
Thank you for your erudite and very edifying posts (and meaning no disrespect to other people). My impression as an outsider is that ACNA is doing very well, all things considered. Its ability to (thus far) bring together REC, former Continuum, former TEC and other groups (and across the spectrum from anglo-catholic to evangelical and everything in between) is an example to Anglicans all over the world.
The point about WO is a good one. I don’t see it as a communion-breaking issue, but I do believe the scriptures are clear, and I hope that one day all Anglicans will acknowledge this and reject WO. I therefore am glad to see REC taking this principled stand and witness.