HERNDON, Va. (January 7, 2008) ”“ The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) has welcomed ten new congregations into its membership. The Rt. Rev. Francis R. Lyons, the Bishop of Bolivia, commended these U.S. Anglican congregations and their clergy to the oversight of CANA Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with these churches that have been blessed by the leadership in Bolivia and will continue to be blessed by the Holy Spirit. CANA is eager to welcome them on their Christ-centered and faithful mission to serve God and to honor the worldwide Anglican Communion,” said Bishop Minns.
Originally under the ecclesiastical leadership of the Church of Bolivia, the ten U.S. congregations were given CANA oversight “with a profound desire to promote unity in Jesus Christ which issues from his reconciling work on the Cross and an abiding trust in the power of God’s Word written, and with a genuine commitment to support the emerging ecclesiastical structure of faithful Anglicans in North America,” said the Rt. Rev. Francis R. Lyons of Bolivia in a letter to Bishop Minns.
The newest CANA congregations are St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Fairlawn, OH, Church of the Holy Spirit (Anglican), Akron, OH, Anglican Church of the Good Samaritan (Fairhill), Cleveland, OH, St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Bay Village, OH, St. Anne in the Fields, Madison, OH, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Milan, OH, Christ the King Anglican Church, Columbiana, OH, Christ Our King Anglican Church, Lexington, MI, St. Michael the Archangel Anglican Church, Indianapolis, IN, and The Shepherd Church, Evansville, IN.
This strikes me as an interesting move. Is there a motion afoot that Southern Cone will care for dioceses, and CANA for parishes? It still seems odd and makes me wonder if there are details behind it that are not apparent (Did the parishes ask for the transfer? Is CANA intentionally trying to expand into Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan? Is this simply intended as a sign of cooperation between SC and CANA? and such). The fundamental questions are, Why? and Why now?
This had been announced some time ago that it was the intention of ABp Venables to make this move.
It has been the intention, from the beginning, that the primates offering episcopal sanctuary to orthodox Anglicans in North America, intended to provide only temporary episcopal sanctuary.
It is reasonable that a primate providing such temporary sanctuary might feel comfortable in transferring that sanctuary to a representative of a primacy that is physically present in North America and thus achieve greater temporary ‘coalescence’ among North American orthodox Anglicans.
No big deal here. Just one primate providing temporary sanctuary to another primate doing the same thing for the same geographic area.
IMHO Pittsburgh, Quincy, and Ft. Worth will seek shelter under SC…look for all to expand their dioceses’ borders. What isn’t covered by them and San Joaquine will become part of Cana. Should other dioceses in TEC pull out, boarders can be shrunk as needed….the realignment continues….and Common Cause will be a part of this effort, bringing continuing Anglican groups in……I really don’t think a move is being made without complete cooperation of these groups; Common Cause and Southern Cone, and those entities that have pledged help, support, and/or membership to one or both….am I dreaming? Is this too simple?
The Diocese of Bolivia is somewhat of a missionary effort, and it must stretch +Lyon’s resources thin to offer sanctuary and oversight to 10 parishes scattered around the landscape thousands of miles from Bolivia. This is a good organizational move, and will be healthy for the parishes involved.
What the ACO and TEC want is division amongst faithful Anglicans…..
Good to see unity between SC and CANA
As a faithful Anglican in TEC, I see CANA, SC, AAC, and the whole lot of boundary breakers in North America as the division-makers. The more division and conflict they can create in NA, the happier they are. Every AAC press release, and every screed from the Minnoans makes that crystal clear. If the Separatists are successful in creating a united church, God bless them, they are welcome to it. But once they have it, I hope they will stop beating up on us and leave us alone to be the faithful Anglicans we always have been.
Well done +Lyons, #7 the “institutionalists Anglican ” who chose to stay in TEC can say what they want, the Primates of the GS under the leadership of ++Akinola will not listen to them.
#8, and that is one of the major problems: the refusal to listen. ++Akinola’s attitude is “We talk, you listen. And do what we say or else.”
Speaking for myself, I do not “choose to say” in TEC. I returned to TEC after a long hiatus of two decades; returning to Faith, I found home there. My loyalty is not to an institution but to Jesus Christ, whom I worship in the Anglican tradition that is alinve and well in TEC..
#4: Unless I’m mistaken, CANA allows for WO, San Joaquin does not. I’ve read that Bp. Minns is seeking mechanism for respecting both integrities (pro & con WO), but SJ will probably find a better fit elsewhere..but, who knows these days?
Bob,
I think if +KJS allowed a free vote for dioceses and parishes to choose between TEC and a second province then the fighting could end almost imediately. I think TEC admits it is doing a “new thing” and that has proven divisive. TEC keeps wanting everyone to listen but the approach it is taking is non-negotiable for most of the Anglican Communion and Christianity. What do you suggest should be done when TEC does things that cannot be countenanced by other Anglicans.
Bob, this really is over the top (#9). Refusal to listen? You mean like in 2003 when the ABC, the primates, the Romans and the Orthodox all told pecusa not to proceed? Or pecusa’s refusal to listen to the Windsor Report and the Dar es Salaam communique? That kind of not listening? No Bob, pecusa is in no position to tell anyone anything about refusing to listen. As part of the liberal sectarian protestant church formerly known as pecusa, I can understand why you aren’t pleased with the unifying measures that are happening in the Common Cause Partnership. Be prepared for future unifying measures as foreign primates and bishops release parishes to American bishops of the CCP.
#7-Bob from Boone: If you want the “Separatists” to leave you alone, does that stem from the belief that you have been and are now left alone by the Lord to do your own thing within the Body of Christ? The day I gave the reins of my life over to Him was the last day I was ever left alone. He’s been bugging me ever since. 🙂 Why would our fellow Christians, who follow Him, be any different?
And thus it creeps slowly toward Chicago. Any day now, perhaps, I will realize my dream of being able to go to a church within a few steps of an el train, and, most importantly, have communion with a clear stomach and unbitten tongue!