Following their November 25-28, 2015, meeting, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Province of South Sudan and the Sudan, announced that they have formally recognized the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
They also recommended that the Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul, Archbishop of the Church of South Sudan and the Sudan, forge a closer relationship with the Anglican Church in North America.
The decision to recognize the Anglican Church in North America was made in conjunction with a decision to end formal ties with The Episcopal Church (TEC). In a letter published following their meeting, the Sudanese House of Bishops pointed in particular to two resolutions passed by The Episcopal Church this past summer that redefine marriage. “In our view such innovations are not in conformity with the Scriptures,” the bishops wrote.
The Episcopal Church of Sudan recognized ACNA back in 2011, and the Khartoum Archbishop was at Beach’s Investiture. Many readers of this blog will also recall the revoked invitation for KJS to visit the Sudanese province, which caused quite a stir.
Perhaps the biggest news from the November announcement was this: “the bishops noted that there are Sudanese ‘diaspora congregations’ that are originally from the Church of South Sudan and the Sudan, but are currently under TEC dioceses and parishes that support same-sex blessings and marriages. The Sudanese House of Bishops encouraged these congregations to join the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) wherever possible.”
Oops, quick correction: the 2011 ECS statement was that they are “in communion” with ACNA.
Yes, and this most recent statement also says that Sudan continues to recognise dioceses and parishes within TEC that do not concur with TEC’s teaching on same sex marriage.