In 2010, AMiA’s leadership chose to distance themselves from the newly started ACNA. Where AMiA was once an organization with “dual citizenship” within the ACNA as well as Rwanda, it pulled out of the ACNA, changing its status to “mission partner.” Some inside the AMiA were disappointed by this distancing and wanted the opportunity to officially reconnect with the ACNA; now the establishment of PEARUSA by the Archbishop of Rwanda, Onesphore Rwaje, has rekindled hopes for those who want to be structurally within the ACNA.
The Rev. Clark Lowenfield, Rector of Hope Pointe Anglican Church near Houston, Texas is among those formerly in AMiA who are now in PEARUSA and would like to join the ACNA. Lowenfield says there are a number of parishes in his region alone that desire as much, however “there is a very high value on doing things decently and in order” within the group. That’s good news for a mission organization that has been through such turmoil in recent months and is made up of churches that may be headed in different directions.
I certainly hope the PEARUSA parishes will choose to completely assimilate into ACNA and not retain dual affiliation with Rwanda. If the goal is for a UNITED Anglican witness in North America, the demise of the old AMIA is a good thing. The sooner these various dually aligned jurisdictions go away and one united province emerges, the better.
What a colossal mistake the Pawley’s Island group made. They’re out their on their own. There’s no room for them in ACNA’s tent given ACNA’s close relationship with Rwanda and no other Anglican province has stepped forward to give them cover. If a significant number of their parishes decide to join ACNA or PEARUSA the financial impact will be devastating. While reconciliation is still a hope, face saving at this stage will be a huge impediment.
The present AMiA situation should be no surprise to those who read Anglican Curmudgeon’s March 10, 2010 post “South Carolina: a Case Study in How to Tear a Church Apart”, based on “When Conscience and Power Meet”, the memoir of Eugene N. Zeigler, Jr, diocesan chancellor to Bishops Allison and Salmon. Haley quotes Zeigler’s account of Murphy confronting Bishop Salmon at the 1997 diocesan convention, at All Saints, Waccamaw:
“Suddenly there was a commotion on the floor of the convention, and I saw the Reverend Murphy striding down the center aisle shouting at Bishop Salmon. A bitter exchange took place between them with regard to what had been said while they were [both] attending the [General C]onvention in Phoenix [in 1991, where they had apparently quarreled]. It was never clear to me what the Phoenix conversation was about, but I gathered it had to do with the diocese’s position opposing the national church on same sex relationships. At one point the Reverend Murphy said in a loud voice that reverberated throughout the church, “That’s a lie!” The acrimonious exchange went on for several minutes before three hundred startled delegates.”
There is much more at A S Haley’s blog – http://accurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/03/south-carolina-case-study-in-how-to.html
[blockquote] “As of yet, it remains to be seen how many of the AMiA’s 150+ churches will follow Murphy and leave their ecclesiastical relationship with the Church of Rwanda to establish a new mission society.” [/blockquote]
That is the important question. So far I’ve only seen anecdotal comments from a few members of different AMiA parishes, and they often are uncertain about what their particular church will do. Ah well, we will know soon enough.