(Press Release)
The congregation of Christ Church, An Anglican Community for the Four Corners, has unanimously affirmed its vestry’s decision to come under the spiritual oversight of the Anglican Church of Uganda. Bishop John Guernsey of Dale City, Virginia, will serve as the new bishop for Christ Church.
Christ Church joins the former Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, The Rt. Rev. Terence Kelshaw, the Church of the Epiphany in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and St. Peters Anglican Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, in recently coming under the oversight of the Church of Uganda.
Christ Church was established in February 2007 by a significant core of lay leaders, formerly with St. John’s Episcopal Church, Farmington, New Mexico. By March of that year, other lay leaders, vestry members and the pastoral staff from St. John’s Episcopal Church joined this core group. The Rev. Carl Brenner, Rector of St. John’s Church for almost eight years, was called as Sr. Pastor for Christ Church in July of 2007. Deborah Gregory, former Minister of Worship for St. John’s, was also called to serve as the Lay Pastor for Worship and Administration at Christ Church.
While oversight by the Province of Uganda is considered temporary until an orthodox structure for Anglicans is formed in the United States, Christ Church is eager to build an even stronger partnership with the Church of Uganda.
Along with the churches from Fort Collins and Cloudcroft, Christ Church has been teamed with the Karamoja Diocese in Moroto, Uganda. The poverty and strife of the area provide many opportunities for Christ Church to give support to this host diocese. Yet Christ Church members know they will receive far more in the exchange.
Six members of Christ Church traveled to Uganda on a Solar Light Mission’s trip in August of 2005. They were immediately captivated by the joy of Ugandan Christians, who transcend lives of poverty and disease through a vibrant faith that they quickly share with everyone they meet. That faith is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the hope and guidance of Holy Scripture as God’s inspired word for the life and ministry of the Church.
Although the parish leadership is seeking property to establish a physical presence in the community, Christ Church has found a temporary home at Maranatha Fellowship Church, 618 West Arrington, Farmington. Services are being held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday evenings in the Anglican tradition, with a twist that involves strong lay participation and contemporary praise and worship. For more information regarding the ministry of Christ Church, please contact us by email at christchurch4corners [at] mail [dot] com
I have for some time been wondering why certain congregations and groups have chosen to come under Uganda rather than CANA or AMIA. Is it a matter of a preexisting relationship on the part of their clergy and lay leaders with that province or does it say something about the way they want to relate to the wider Church?
[url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com]Catholic and Reformed[/url]
#1: Might it have something to do with WO?
Quite possible. The historian in me feels that the process of extra-provincial (if I may so term it) affiliation that’s been taking place in recent years isn’t quite as random as it sometimes appears from the outside. Women’s ordination is obviously a significant part of the equation.
Jeremy (#1),
I’m sure that there are multiple reasons that may vary from congregation to congregation. But the open stance of Uganda on Women’s Ordination is probably a factor in some cases (yes, I know CANA allows it, even though Nigeria does not, but Uganda unambiguously supports WO; AMiA of course opposes it).
Also, Uganda is handling episcopal oversight differently than CANA or AMiA. Churches in the Ugandan network are regarded as coming under different specific Ugandan dioceses and bishops. For instance, Eternity Anglican in Richmond, VA is part of the Diocese of Luweero and under the oversight of Bp. Evans Kisseka. Though +Kisseka delegates some matters to Bp. John Guernsey. Other Ugandan congregations are under different Ugandan bishops, and +Guernsey, +Fairfield, and +Kelshaw assist them all.
And then, there is the fact that Ugandan parishes have the tremendous advantage of having an American as a key member of ++Henry Orombi’s staff. Namely, my friend the Rev. Alison Barfoot is the Primate’s “Assistant for International Affairs.” She is doing a great job, helping to coordinate things in Kampala.
Then there’s the fact that some of us know +Guernsey better than +Martyn Minns or +Chuck Murphy etc. And some of us even think that +John Guernsey is the finest Anglican cleric we’ve ever known.
So there are lots of potential reasons for re-aligning with Uganda. But hopefully, in a relatively short while (2 years?), all these groups under foreign jurisdiction as an emergency measure will have come together in a new province recognized by a growing GAFCON movement, and the separate structures of AMiA, CANA, Uganda, Kenya, and the Southern Cone will have disappeared. There is already LOTS of cooperation and goodwill among the groups.
David Handy+
Congratulations Four Corners!
Now you can say: OUR BISHOP ROCKS! 🙂 like the rest of us Ugandans.
#4, I hope very much to see that good will and cooperation continue. The new province will have to take the recent sad history of the CofE under advisement and resolve to do better.
David (#4),
Thank you. It is precisely this sort of information that should be documented (even when there may be a relatively short period of transition to a new territorial province) if for no other reason than for the various groups to understand from whence they and their neighbors come as well as where they are headed.
As someone with an obviously wide circle of acquaintance, I hope you’re keeping good notes as you go.
Fr. Brenner was much criticized when he and members of St. John’s Farmington, at the time of Steenson’s consecration, protested in the Cathedral Church of St. John. History in the short term, IMO, affirms their action. May the planted seed bear much fruit.
Jeremy – greetings from Butte! I would suggest, in addition to Fr. Handy’s excellent summary, relationships are a primary reason for varying affiliations. We had members (including myself) who had worshiped at Christ Church Overland Park. D.O. Smart was an acquaintance and was, incidentally, Dean of our particular convocation in the ACN. He came to vacation nearby when we were considering leaving our Episcopal home and forming a new church. Some of us had heard ++Orombi speak (in Pittsburgh, no less). Therefore, there was little reason for us to be under anything BUT the Province of Uganda. There were various other reasons why Uganda fit us better than other options (including that CANA wasn’t formed yet), but the relational ones are primary.
Your question is an excellent one for history and ecclesiology – one which bears some research and publication.
I neglected to write above that Christ Church Overland Park had long-standing relationships with the people of the Province of Uganda – mission relationships, visitations and even the transfer to Uganda of Alison Barfoot+ – again, it was all about relationship. Our relationship with CC-OP put us in relationship with Uganda (by proxy, I suppose).