Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, who led the network of hundreds of congregations that broke from The Episcopal Church for the past five years under the banner of the Anglican Communion Network, will be installed as the new church body\u2019s first archbishop on June 24 at Christ Church in Plano, Texas. Visiting bishops from as far away as South America, Africa and Asia, representing millions of Anglicans, are expected to attend the June 22-25 assembly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to celebrating the miracle that is the formation of a biblical, missionary and united Anglican Church in North America,\u201d\u009d Duncan said in the days leading up to the assembly. \u201cThis meeting is historic because it heals decades of division and represents the answer to many years of prayer. It will be a momentous time for orthodox Anglicans everywhere.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Leaders in the Anglican Communion Network \u201d\u201c which will cease operation when the new province launches \u201d\u201c had been calling on The Episcopal Church to repent and to get back in line with traditional Anglicanism and Scripture since it consecrated an openly gay bishop in 2003. But over the past couple of years, Duncan and other conservative bishops saw little hope that the U.S. church body would change direction from what breakaway Anglicans claim to be a departure from Christian orthodoxy.<\/p>\n