When I interviewed Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns of the Convocation of Anglicans of North America (CANA) this week, he was already in Jerusalem a week before the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCon) which will gather 300 conservative bishops representing 35 million Anglicans, more than half of those in the world.
Most are from the “Global South,” such as Africa, Asia, South America, Australia. However, many are “missionaries” from those countries to the U.S., such as Minns, who has attracted 55 conservative congregations, most of which have fled the increasingly liberal Episcopal Church. Another 250 have left for such groups as the Anglican Mission in America.
The gathering of GAFCon bishops is almost revolutionary, because only weeks later, the Archbishop of Canterbury will preside over Lambeth, a conference for the world’s Anglican bishops. The Global South bishops decided not to attend Lambeth, but to hold their own gathering instead.
Does this mean there will be split in the Anglican Communion?
Minns thought not: “We are in a process of realignment. When children grow up, you have to re-do your relationship, and begin to relate as equals. They are no longer kids and want to share in the leadership of the family. Institutional change is difficult.”
That column was invisible to me using Safari. When I switched to Camino I could see it.
This passage was really telling:
[blockquote] “For the first time we feel free from denominational restrictions to plant churches.”
Restrictions? The diocese refused to allow Falls Church to create daughter congregations because some Episcopal churches in Northern Virginia were only half full. And probably half dead with unbiblical preaching. “We have started five congregations and have another in the works! [/blockquote]
A church being told NOT to start new congregations! Incredible.
Jim Elliott
Spot on, libraryjim. It reminds me of the parable of the sower. In the instance where the word of God is snatched from the hearts of the hearers by the enemy, nothing grows. Where the seed of the word falls on good soil, it “brings forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.”