Bishop of Springfield Withdraws from Upcoming ACNA Assembly

From The Living Church-

As a result of developments in the Diocese of Springfield, Bishop The Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith, Bishop of Springfield, will not be attending the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) Assembly which is scheduled to begin tomorrow at St. Vincent’s Cathedral in Bedford, Texas.

Bishop Beckwith was previously reported to be among the list of attendees at the meeting composed largely of former members of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada by Episcopal News Service. The group is seeking official recognition as another North American province of the Anglican Communion. Bishop Beckwith said he had been invited and that he had intended to attend solely as an observer and that his association with the AAC was limited to being a “liaison to the Ecumenical Relations Task Force,” adding that “[i]n no sense is he a structural part of either the Task Force, or the ACNA.”

In a statement released June 19, Bishop Beckwith sought to clarify his association with the ACNA: “Notwithstanding suggestions to the contrary, Bishop Beckwith remains a faithful Christian within The Episcopal Church (TEC) as the Bishop Diocesan of Springfield, and intends to keep that status intact. Bishop Beckwith has also served as the vice president of the American Anglican Council (AAC) for a number of years. A majority of [the] AAC’s membership consists of communicants of The Episcopal Church. It is in this capacity that he has been involved in the Anglican Communion Network (ACN) and the Common Cause Partnership (CCP). Any involvement in the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) Assembly scheduled for next week in Bedford, Texas, would be limited to being an observer.”

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/6/21/bishop-of-springfield-withdraws-from-upcoming-acna-assembly