Primates of the conservative Anglican group GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) have recognised the newly formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), made up of breakaway churches from the Episcopal Church.
ACNA was formed late last summer in response to GAFCON’s call for an “orthodox” church in the USA and Canada, where arguments about the inerrancy of Scripture and homosexuality have divided the Anglican Church.
The Rt Rev Bob Duncan, formerly the Episcopal Bishop of Pittsburgh, has become the leader of ACNA. Bishop Duncan was deposed by the leadership of the Episcopal Church for taking his diocese out of the denomination.
In a progress report to GAFCON, Bishop Duncan said that ACNA had 100,000 members from 700 churches in 28 dioceses. He added that on an average Sunday 80,000 people attended services, around 10 per cent of the Episcopal Church.
Before the formation of ACNA, churches and dioceses which opposed the liberal leadership of the Episcopal Church joined “protectorates” of conservative provinces in Global South countries such as Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya.
Bishop Duncan said that ACNA had prepared a constitution and canons that looked “recognisably Anglican”, after consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury. He added that the church was now focused on “reaching North America with the transforming love of Christ”, after a decade of division, reports Church Times.
He went on to say that ACNA was not an attempt to break away from the Anglican Communion, “I’m a cradle Anglican. My grandfather was a boy chorister ... My theological views haven’t changed. The problem is that folks who have become the leadership of the Episcopal Church in the United States have pulled the rug out from under me. The person who is our Presiding Bishop, she didn’t begin as an Anglican. I did. She represents something very different. I don’t think I’m a breakaway.
More-
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/i.have.not.divided.the.church.says.bishop/23082.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment