American Anglican Council
Encyclopedia
The American Anglican Council is an organization which exists to allow theologically conservative Anglicans to network with one another. It was incorporated in 1996 and is one of several key organizations in the movement for Anglican realignment
and is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America.
, a lack of "Christian ethical principles" in "the public life of the nation", "abortion
, unwanted pregnancy, and end-of-life illness", and questions of sexual ethics.
It works directly with orthodox Episcopal Churches and Episcopalians who are committed to remaining in the Episcopal Church for the foreseeable future, and those orthodox Anglican Churches and individuals who are in the process of leaving the Episcopal Church, and
those orthodox Anglican Churches and individuals who are outside or never affiliated with the Episcopal Church. This ministry to all three areas will continue into the anticipated future.
As a freestanding orthodox Anglican advocacy organization the AAC is neither in nor out of TEC, but entirely separate from it. Some have charged that the AAC sees itself as forming the nucleus of a replacement Anglican jurisdiction. Any future restructuring of the provincial status of North American Anglican churches will not involve the AAC being a nucleus of the replacement, since the AAC is not an ecclesial body itself.
Anglican realignment
The term Anglican realignment refers to a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada...
and is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America.
Mission
According to their website, the American Anglican Council is "a network of individuals, parishes, dioceses and ministries who affirm biblical authority and Christian orthodoxy within the Anglican Communion" whose mission is "to build up and defend Great Commission Anglican churches in North America and worldwide through advocacy and counsel, leadership development and equipping the local church."Positions
The AAC believes that "Christian mission is rooted in unchanging biblical revelation." Presently it sees "specific challenges to authentic faith and holiness [...] which require thoughtful and vigorous response." These challenges include moral relativismMoral relativism
Moral relativism may be any of several descriptive, meta-ethical, or normative positions. Each of them is concerned with the differences in moral judgments across different people and cultures:...
, a lack of "Christian ethical principles" in "the public life of the nation", "abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, unwanted pregnancy, and end-of-life illness", and questions of sexual ethics.
Ecclesiastical status
The American Anglican Council is not an ecclesial body, but rather claims to be an orthodox Anglican advocacy organization with ministry involving education, communication, strategic planning, diplomacy, counsel and resource networking with other Anglican bodies domestically and internationally.It works directly with orthodox Episcopal Churches and Episcopalians who are committed to remaining in the Episcopal Church for the foreseeable future, and those orthodox Anglican Churches and individuals who are in the process of leaving the Episcopal Church, and
those orthodox Anglican Churches and individuals who are outside or never affiliated with the Episcopal Church. This ministry to all three areas will continue into the anticipated future.
As a freestanding orthodox Anglican advocacy organization the AAC is neither in nor out of TEC, but entirely separate from it. Some have charged that the AAC sees itself as forming the nucleus of a replacement Anglican jurisdiction. Any future restructuring of the provincial status of North American Anglican churches will not involve the AAC being a nucleus of the replacement, since the AAC is not an ecclesial body itself.
Leadership
The AAC is governed by a Board of Trustees. The current leaders are:- The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, President and CEO
- The Rt. Rev. Peter H. Beckwith, (retired) Bishop of SpringfieldEpiscopal Diocese of SpringfieldThe Episcopal Diocese of Springfield is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is located in the state of Illinois and includes the area east of the Illinois River and south of the Counties of Woodford, Livingston, Ford, and Iroquois...
, Vice President
See also
- Anglican realignmentAnglican realignmentThe term Anglican realignment refers to a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada...
- Anglican CommunionAnglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
- Anglican views of homosexualityAnglican views of homosexualitySince the 1990s, the Anglican Communion has struggled with controversy regarding homosexuality in the church. In 1998, the 13th Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops passed a resolution stating that homosexual acts are "incompatible with Scripture". In 2002, the Diocese of New Westminster, in the...
- Confessing MovementConfessing MovementThe Confessing Movement is an Evangelical movement within several mainline Protestant denominations to return those churches to what the members of the movement see as theological orthodoxy....
- Continuing Anglican MovementContinuing Anglican MovementThe term Continuing Anglican movement refers to a number of churches in various countries that have been formed outside of the Anglican Communion. These churches generally believe that "traditional" forms of Anglican faith and worship have been unacceptably revised or abandoned within some...