Anglican realignment
Encyclopedia
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
. Two major events which contributed to the movement were the 2002 decision of the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada to authorise a rite of blessing for same-sex union
s and the ratification by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the election of Gene Robinson
, an openly gay non-celibate man, as Bishop of New Hampshire
the following year.
The current realignment movement differs from previous ones in that some Anglicans are seeking to establish different ecclesiastical
arrangements within the Anglican Communion rather than separating themselves from it. Some Anglican provinces
, particularly in Nigeria
, Kenya
, Rwanda
and the Southern Cone, are seeking to accommodate them. A number of parishes that are part of the realignment have severed ties with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada and associated themselves with bishops from these other national Anglican provinces. Some other American dioceses and parishes (approximately 800 out of some 7,000 Episcopal Church parishes) still officially remain within those two provinces whilst exploring their future options.
The conventions of four dioceses of the Episcopal Church voted in 2007 and 2008 to leave that church and to join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America. Twelve other jurisdictions, serving an estimated 100,000 persons at that time, formed the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) on December 3–4, 2008. ACNA is seeking official recognition as a province within the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Church of Nigeria
declared itself in communion with the new church in March 2009 and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
has recognized it as well. In June 2009, the Anglican Church of Uganda
also declared itself in full communion with ACNA.
. At that time, the movement manifested itself as an effort to accommodate conservative parishes or dioceses that did not want to accept the authority of female bishops or bishops who ordained women by providing pastoral oversight from a bishop who shared this theology. The most thoroughly developed example of this involved the appointment of provincial episcopal visitor
s in the Church of England
, beginning in 1994, who attend to the pastoral needs of parishes and clergy who do not recognise that holy orders
can or should be conferred on women. The movement continues today primarily because of a very similar controversy regarding gay and lesbian members of the church, particularly the church's role in same-sex marriage and the ordination of homosexual clergy.
Under canon law a diocese and a province have geographical boundaries and no other diocese or province can exercise jurisdiction within those boundaries. If the Anglican realignment movement succeeds, some dioceses will be defined by a common theological perspective: thus, a geographically distinct area may have multiple Anglican dioceses recognized by the Anglican Communion.
, a historic church in Boston that was Anglican when founded in 1686. A century later, in 1785, a clergyman with Unitarian ideas took his congregation and formed an independent Unitarian church. To this day, King's Chapel believes itself to be both a Unitarian church and an extramural Anglican church as it uniquely uses the Book of Common Prayer According to the Use in King's Chapel in its worship.
In Canada, the first rupture with the incipient national church came in 1871, with the departure of the Dean
of the Diocese of British Columbia, Edward Cridge, and many of the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral over the issue of ritualism. Cridge and his followers founded a church under the auspices of the US-based Reformed Episcopal Church
, and continued to use the Book of Common Prayer
.
For the most part, extramural Anglican churches are linked by the common use of forms of the Book of Common Prayer in worship. Like the example of King's Chapel, some use unique or historical versions. Over the years, various parallel Anglican denominations have broken with Anglican Communion churches over many, sometimes transient, issues.
and divorce
, denouncing capital punishment
, and recognising the autonomy of provinces in the ordination of women
to the diaconate
and priest
hood. Despite the determination of the 1897 conference that Communion provinces were autonomous, and that no other province had jurisdiction within another, some provinces have sought to associate with others. Although Lambeth had not indicated support for the ordination of women to the priesthood at the time, some provinces began ordaining women to this order before Lambeth reconsidered the matter in 1978, just as some provinces have begun consecrating women bishop
s although there is likewise no international consensus.
The ordination of women
priests in the United States in 1976 led to the founding of the Continuing Anglican Movement
in 1977. Its Affirmation of St. Louis
declared the ordination of women (by the Episcopal Church in the USA and the Anglican Church of Canada) to be a matter of schism and to have caused a break with Apostolic Succession
. The "Anglican Continuum," therefore, saw itself as perpetuating (i.e. continuing) the line of valid ordination so essential to Anglican Christianity. In 1992, the Episcopal Missionary Church
was established after its leaders first attempted to reform ECUSA from within. It is usually considered to have joined the Continuing Anglican Movement
. Unlike the Anglican Realignment movement, the churches of the Anglican Continuum do not seek to be accepted into the Anglican Communion.
Further developments within Anglicanism led the province of Rwanda, along with the province of Southeast Asia,
to form the Anglican Mission in America (now called the Anglican Mission in the Americas) as a mission jurisdiction.
2002
2003
2004
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Anglican Communion Network
The Anglican Communion Network currently lists ten dioceses of The Episcopal Church as members.
Six dioceses remain affiliated with TEC:
Four dioceses have declared independence from TEC and claim membership in the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. None of these is listed by the Anglican Communion office as being part of the Province of the Southern Cone..
Anglican Communion
The 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...
. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
. Two major events which contributed to the movement were the 2002 decision of the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada to authorise a rite of blessing for same-sex union
Same-sex union
Same-sex unions are legal or religious unions between two persons of the same sex.In legal contexts, their recognition varies based upon the region in which the union is formed. Some regions allow same-sex marriage, civil marriage between two persons of the same sex. Others recognize civil unions...
s and the ratification by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the election of Gene Robinson
Gene Robinson
Vicki Gene Robinson is the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Robinson was elected bishop in 2003 and entered office in March 2004...
, an openly gay non-celibate man, as Bishop of New Hampshire
Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , covers the entire state of New Hampshire. It was originally part of the Diocese of Massachusetts, but became independent in 1841. The see city is Concord...
the following year.
The current realignment movement differs from previous ones in that some Anglicans are seeking to establish different ecclesiastical
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
arrangements within the Anglican Communion rather than separating themselves from it. Some Anglican provinces
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
, particularly in Nigeria
Church of Nigeria
The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as "over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 140 million.Since 2002...
, Kenya
Anglican Church of Kenya
The Anglican Church of Kenya is part of the Anglican Communion, and includes 30 dioceses. The Primate of the Church is the Archbishop of Kenya.-Official name:...
, Rwanda
Church of the Province of Rwanda
The Church of the Province of Rwanda is a province of the Anglican Communion, covering 9 sees in East Africa. The current primate of the province is Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, consecrated Dec. 12, 2010.-Official names:...
and the Southern Cone, are seeking to accommodate them. A number of parishes that are part of the realignment have severed ties with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada and associated themselves with bishops from these other national Anglican provinces. Some other American dioceses and parishes (approximately 800 out of some 7,000 Episcopal Church parishes) still officially remain within those two provinces whilst exploring their future options.
The conventions of four dioceses of the Episcopal Church voted in 2007 and 2008 to leave that church and to join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America. Twelve other jurisdictions, serving an estimated 100,000 persons at that time, formed the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) on December 3–4, 2008. ACNA is seeking official recognition as a province within the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Church of Nigeria
Church of Nigeria
The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as "over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 140 million.Since 2002...
declared itself in communion with the new church in March 2009 and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is a global network of traditionalist Anglican Churches which formed in 2008 in response to an ongoing theological crisis in the worldwide Anglican Communion...
has recognized it as well. In June 2009, the Anglican Church of Uganda
Church of Uganda
The Church of the Province of Uganda is a member church of the Anglican Communion. Currently there are 34 dioceses which make up the Church of Uganda, each headed by a bishop....
also declared itself in full communion with ACNA.
Introduction
This movement that involves secession from local dioceses or provinces and yet seeks to remain within the Anglican Communion has been criticised by opponents who claim that, under historic Anglican polity, such a move is not possible. The concept of alternative episcopal oversight first arose a generation ago with the debate over the ordination of womenOrdination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
. At that time, the movement manifested itself as an effort to accommodate conservative parishes or dioceses that did not want to accept the authority of female bishops or bishops who ordained women by providing pastoral oversight from a bishop who shared this theology. The most thoroughly developed example of this involved the appointment of provincial episcopal visitor
Provincial episcopal visitor
A provincial episcopal visitor is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who do not in conscience accept the ministry of women priests....
s in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, beginning in 1994, who attend to the pastoral needs of parishes and clergy who do not recognise that holy orders
Anglican ministry
The Anglican ministry is both the leadership and agency of Christian service in the Anglican Communion. "Ministry" commonly refers to the office of ordained clergy: the threefold order of bishops, priests and deacons. More accurately, Anglican ministry includes many laypeople who devote themselves...
can or should be conferred on women. The movement continues today primarily because of a very similar controversy regarding gay and lesbian members of the church, particularly the church's role in same-sex marriage and the ordination of homosexual clergy.
Under canon law a diocese and a province have geographical boundaries and no other diocese or province can exercise jurisdiction within those boundaries. If the Anglican realignment movement succeeds, some dioceses will be defined by a common theological perspective: thus, a geographically distinct area may have multiple Anglican dioceses recognized by the Anglican Communion.
Historical context
Since 1785, there have been disputes within the Episcopal Church that have led to departures of clergy and congregations. An early and notable example is King's ChapelKing's Chapel
King's Chapel is "an independent Christian unitarian congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association" that is "unitarian Christian in theology, Anglican in worship, and congregational in governance." It is housed in what was formerly called "Stone Chapel", an 18th century...
, a historic church in Boston that was Anglican when founded in 1686. A century later, in 1785, a clergyman with Unitarian ideas took his congregation and formed an independent Unitarian church. To this day, King's Chapel believes itself to be both a Unitarian church and an extramural Anglican church as it uniquely uses the Book of Common Prayer According to the Use in King's Chapel in its worship.
In Canada, the first rupture with the incipient national church came in 1871, with the departure of the Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of the Diocese of British Columbia, Edward Cridge, and many of the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral over the issue of ritualism. Cridge and his followers founded a church under the auspices of the US-based Reformed Episcopal Church
Reformed Episcopal Church
The Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
, and continued to use the Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
.
For the most part, extramural Anglican churches are linked by the common use of forms of the Book of Common Prayer in worship. Like the example of King's Chapel, some use unique or historical versions. Over the years, various parallel Anglican denominations have broken with Anglican Communion churches over many, sometimes transient, issues.
Development and growth
Initial developments for the Anglican Realignment started through progressive tendencies of the Lambeth Conference. Beginning with Lambeth Conference, international Anglicanism has wrestled with matters of doctrine, polity, and liturgy in order to achieve consensus, or at least tolerance, between diverse viewpoints. Throughout the twentieth century, this led to Lambeth resolutions allowing for contraceptionContraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
and divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, denouncing capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, and recognising the autonomy of provinces in the ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
to the diaconate
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
hood. Despite the determination of the 1897 conference that Communion provinces were autonomous, and that no other province had jurisdiction within another, some provinces have sought to associate with others. Although Lambeth had not indicated support for the ordination of women to the priesthood at the time, some provinces began ordaining women to this order before Lambeth reconsidered the matter in 1978, just as some provinces have begun consecrating women bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s although there is likewise no international consensus.
The ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
priests in the United States in 1976 led to the founding of the Continuing Anglican Movement
Continuing Anglican Movement
The 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...
in 1977. Its Affirmation of St. Louis
Affirmation of St. Louis
The Affirmation of St. Louis is the founding document of the Continuing Anglican Movement churches. It was first presented to the Congress of Saint Louis, the 1977 meeting of former members of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and the Anglican Church of Canada who approved the...
declared the ordination of women (by the Episcopal Church in the USA and the Anglican Church of Canada) to be a matter of schism and to have caused a break with Apostolic Succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
. The "Anglican Continuum," therefore, saw itself as perpetuating (i.e. continuing) the line of valid ordination so essential to Anglican Christianity. In 1992, the Episcopal Missionary Church
Episcopal Missionary Church
The Episcopal Missionary Church is a Continuing Anglican church body in the United States and a member of the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas...
was established after its leaders first attempted to reform ECUSA from within. It is usually considered to have joined the Continuing Anglican Movement
Continuing Anglican Movement
The 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...
. Unlike the Anglican Realignment movement, the churches of the Anglican Continuum do not seek to be accepted into the Anglican Communion.
Further developments within Anglicanism led the province of Rwanda, along with the province of Southeast Asia,
to form the Anglican Mission in America (now called the Anglican Mission in the Americas) as a mission jurisdiction.
2002
- At its diocesan synodSynodA synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
in May, the Diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church of Canada voted for the third time to permit the blessing of same-sex unions. After having withheld consent to the motion on two previous occasions, Bishop Michael Ingham agreed to it, as it the benchmark of garnering more than 60% majority of votes by delegates. In response, nine parishes withdrew from diocesan life, and the priests of two of the parishes lead members of their congregations into churches affiliated with the Church of the Province of RwandaChurch of the Province of RwandaThe Church of the Province of Rwanda is a province of the Anglican Communion, covering 9 sees in East Africa. The current primate of the province is Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, consecrated Dec. 12, 2010.-Official names:...
. Two additional parishes returned to diocesan involvement after their dissenting rectors left. Five remain outside the ambit of the diocese.
2003
- Gene RobinsonGene RobinsonVicki Gene Robinson is the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Robinson was elected bishop in 2003 and entered office in March 2004...
— a divorced priest openly living in a committed gay relationship — was consecrated as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New HampshireEpiscopal Diocese of New HampshireThe Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , covers the entire state of New Hampshire. It was originally part of the Diocese of Massachusetts, but became independent in 1841. The see city is Concord...
in the Episcopal Church of the United States. This event precipitated actions by dissenting Episcopal bishops and priests at the diocesan and parish level to disassociate themselves from the Episcopal Church and align themselves with other Primates of the Anglican Communion, including the Primates of Nigeria, Rwanda, and Bolivia. The Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
has not recognized such realignments as legitimate.
2004
- On January 11, the Rev. Dr. Foley Beach of Monroe, Georgia resigned his church and departs the Episcopal Church to start a new congregation, Holy Cross Anglican Church, under Bishop Frank Lyons of the Province of the Southern Cone and the Diocese of Bolivia.
- This began an exodus of clergy and congregations under a special provision of temporary episcopal pastoral oversight approved in the Communique issued from a called meeting of the Primates of the Anglican communion the previous October 15-16th.
- Two parishes in Washington state left the Episcopal Diocese of OlympiaEpiscopal Diocese of OlympiaThe Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, also known as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Washington state west of the Cascade Range. It is one of 17 dioceses and an area mission that make up Province 8. The diocese started as a missionary district in 1853...
.. The two churches are now affiliated with the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of the Americas.
2006
- On November 4, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts SchoriKatharine Jefferts SchoriKatharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...
, previously Bishop of NevadaEpiscopal Diocese of NevadaThe Episcopal Diocese of Nevada is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America comprising the entire State of Nevada. The fourth and current bishop of the Diocese is Dan Thomas Edwards, ordained bishop on 5 January 2008....
, was invested at the Washington National CathedralWashington National CathedralThe Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
as the new presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA. She is the only national leader of a church in the Anglican Communion who is a woman. The Seattle Times reported in Virginia, "Parishioners there weren't upset only by Bishop Peter James Lee's vote in 2003 to accept an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire; many of the members still object to female priests and the new female bishop who leads the U.S. church". Her election is a point of division within some provinces of the Anglican Communion, which does not universally accept the ordination of womenOrdination of womenOrdination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
.
- In the Anglican realignment movement, the Anglican Mission in AmericaAnglican Mission in AmericaThe Anglican Mission in the Americas or The Anglican Mission ; formerly Anglican Mission in America is a Christian missionary organization active in the United States and Canada which emphasizes church planting...
, which has women priests, has decided that women will in the future will be ordained deacons but not priests or bishops. The two women priests in AMiA will continue to serve.. The Anglican Communion NetworkAnglican Communion NetworkThe Anglican Communion Network is a theologically conservative network of dioceses and parishes working toward Anglican realignment.-Goals and structure:...
, which includes parishes with women clergy and those that are opposed to women's ordination, has made it a policy to respect both positions.. CANAConvocation of Anglicans in North AmericaThe Convocation of Anglicans in North America is an Anglican body in the United States primarily comprising Anglican and Episcopal churches that have disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . CANA was initially a missionary initiative of the Anglican Church of Nigeria...
is studying whether women newly aspiring to ordination should be approved."...CANA policies regarding the ordination of new female aspirants will be developed from a biblical and pastoral perspective." The American Anglican CouncilAmerican Anglican CouncilThe 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...
issued a statement, on the election of Bishop Schori which in part said "Jefferts Schori’s election will obviously present problems for those who do not recognize the ordination of women priests".The AAC'sAnglican Communion NetworkThe Anglican Communion Network is a theologically conservative network of dioceses and parishes working toward Anglican realignment.-Goals and structure:...
"Statement of Faith: A Place to Stand: A Call to Mission" explicitly says under "Ministry in the Anglican Communion" that in regards to "practices contrary to biblical, classical Anglican doctrine and moral standards, we must not and will not support them."- On December 12, a small group of evangelical leaders within the Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
met with the Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
and presented "A Covenant for the Church of England"—a controversial document requesting alternate church structures to lend support and, possibly, oversight to evangelical parishes presently under theologically liberal bishops. The prominent evangelical bishop Tom WrightTom Wright (theologian)Nicholas Thomas Wright is a leading New Testament scholar and former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. His academic work has usually been published under the name N. T...
, Bishop of Durham repudiated the document in a Church Times article. - Also on December 12, the Anglican Church of TanzaniaAnglican Church of TanzaniaThe Anglican Church of Tanzania is a member of the Anglican Communion based in Dodoma. It consists of 26 dioceses headed by their respective bishops. It seceded from the Province of East Africa in 1970, which it shared with Kenya...
issued a declaration breaking its ties with the Episcopal Church stating, "the Anglican Church of Tanzania shall not knowingly accept financial and material aid from dioceses, parishes, bishops, priests, individuals and institutions in the Episcopal Church (USA) that condone homosexual practice or bless same-sex unions." - On December 16 the two parishes which originally left the Episcopal Diocese of OlympiaEpiscopal Diocese of OlympiaThe Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, also known as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Washington state west of the Cascade Range. It is one of 17 dioceses and an area mission that make up Province 8. The diocese started as a missionary district in 1853...
reached an agreement with the Episcopal Diocese of OlympiaEpiscopal Diocese of OlympiaThe Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, also known as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Washington state west of the Cascade Range. It is one of 17 dioceses and an area mission that make up Province 8. The diocese started as a missionary district in 1853...
to share the church buildings between the Diocese and themselves. - On December 17, two parishes in Virginia—Truro Church and The Falls ChurchThe Falls ChurchThe Falls Church historically refers to the church from which the City of Falls Church, Virginia, near Washington, D. C., takes its name. The parish it originally served was established in 1732 and the brick meeting house preserved on site dates to 1769....
— voted unilaterally to sever ties to the Episcopal Church and placed themselves under the jurisdiction of the Church of NigeriaChurch of NigeriaThe Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as "over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 140 million.Since 2002...
as part of its mission, the Convocation of Anglicans in North AmericaConvocation of Anglicans in North AmericaThe Convocation of Anglicans in North America is an Anglican body in the United States primarily comprising Anglican and Episcopal churches that have disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . CANA was initially a missionary initiative of the Anglican Church of Nigeria...
(CANA). Nine additional Virginia parishes followed their lead within weeks by voting to leave the Episcopal Church and joining CANA; another former Episcopal parish in Virginia, Church of the Messiah in ChesapeakeChesapeake, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
, had voted to join CANA in October 2006. The Diocese of VirginiaEpiscopal Diocese of VirginiaThe Diocese of Virginia is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing 38 counties in the northern and central parts of the state of Virginia. The diocese was organized in 1785 and is one of the Episcopal Church's nine original dioceses. However, the diocese has...
has taken the first steps to maintain its claim on the church buildings and land of the two parishes.
- On December 12, a small group of evangelical leaders within the Church of England
2007
- On June 25, 2007, the Court of Appeals of the State of California overturned a lower court ruling and affirmed that where a hierarchical church — such as the Episcopal Church — has determined that the real and personal property of subordinate bodies must be used and maintained for the benefit of the larger church, the courts in California must respect and enforce that determination.. The case involved three parishes that left The Episcopal Church in August 2004 — now named St. James Anglican ChurchSt. James Anglican ChurchSt. James Anglican Church is a church in Newport Beach, California. It is a parish in the Diocese of Western Anglicans of the Anglican Church in North America...
, Newport Beach, CA; All Saints’ Anglican Church, Long Beach, CA; and St. David’s Anglican Church, North Hollywood, CA—and joined the Church of UgandaChurch of UgandaThe Church of the Province of Uganda is a member church of the Anglican Communion. Currently there are 34 dioceses which make up the Church of Uganda, each headed by a bishop....
. Each parish maintained that it was entitled to keep parish property and not turn it over to The Episcopal Church and its respective dioceses. The Episcopal Diocese of Los AngelesEpiscopal Diocese of Los AngelesThe Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is a community of 85,000 Episcopalians in 147 congregations, 40 schools, and 18 major institutions, spanning all of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and part of Riverside County....
, citing church canons which place all parish property in trust for The Episcopal Church and Diocese of Los Angeles, asserted that it was entitled to retain the property. The ruling of the Court of Appeals was a decisive decision for The Episcopal Church in California.. - On August 30, 2007, the Archbishop of Kenya, Benjamin Nzimbi, with several other archbishops from Africa, South America, the West Indies and the Indian Ocean region consecrated two conservative American priests of The Episcopal Church as bishops. The new bishops pledged allegiance to Archbishop Nzimbi and intend to lead 30 American congregations out of The Episcopal Church.
- In November, Gregory VenablesGregory James VenablesGregory James Venables is a British-born Anglican bishop and served as the Primate of the Southern Cone in South America from 2001 until 2010...
, Primate of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, offered to place Canadian parishes under his jurisdiction. Two retired Canadian bishops relinquished their licences in the Anglican Church of Canada, becoming bishops of the Southern Cone in anticipation of what they hope will either be the creation of a parallel province of the Anglican Communion in Canada, or the successor province to it. - On December 8, 2007, the convention of the Episcopal Diocese of San JoaquinEpiscopal Diocese of San JoaquinThe Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , located in central California with its headquarters in Modesto.-Secession from Episcopal Church:...
voted to leave ECUSA and join the Province of the Southern Cone as the Anglican Diocese of San JoaquinAnglican Diocese of San JoaquinThis article is about the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin in the Anglican Church in North America . For the diocese of the Episcopal Church, see Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin....
. The split created two dioceses, both claiming to be Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. The one associated with the Southern Cone had more members and control of diocesan property.
2008
- March 29, 2008 Those in the Diocese of San Joaquin who remained in the Episcopal Church hold a reorganizing convention. .
- On April 24, 2008 the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin filed a suit to recover the diocesan property from Bishop Schofield and those affiliated with the Province of the Southern Cone.
- On September 18, 2008 the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church voted to depose Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittburgh for abandonment of the communion of the Church. The sentence was officially declared by Presiding Bishop Schori on September 20, 2008.
- On October 4, 2008, the convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh voted to leave the Episcopal Church and join the Province of the Southern Cone. Those who did not leave the Episcopal Church immediately reorganized the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and were recognized by the Episcopal Church immediately. This effectively split the diocese leaving two bodies. The group leaving the Episcopal Church had about two-thirds of the parishes and slightly over half of the membership.
- On November 8, 2008, the Synod of the Episcopal Diocese of QuincyEpiscopal Diocese of QuincyThe Diocese of Quincy is an Anglican diocese in western Illinois, United States. It is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
voted to leave the Episcopal Church and join the Province of the Southern Cone. A small group, of parishes led by the Cathedral remained in the Episcopal Church and began planning for reorganization. The same day in Pittsburgh a Special Convention called by those who had left the Episcopal Church elected Robert Duncan as their bishop, returning him to the office he had held before September 20. - On November 15, 2008, the convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth voted to leave the Episcopal Church and align with the Southern Cone. Those who wished to remain in the Episcopal Church immediately organized and began planning for a Special Convention. This resulted in two organizations in Fort Worth both claiming to be the Episcopal Diocese. Litigation over the name and property resulted.
- On December 4, 2008, leaders from the Dioceses of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Quincy, Illinois; Fort Worth, Texas; and San Joaquin, California along with leadership from groups that left the Episcopal Church earlier (some as long ago as 1873) unveiled the draft constitution and canons of the new Anglican Church in North America.
- The Anglican Church in North America was established at a convention on December 3–4, 2008.
2009
- On January 5 2009 the California Supreme Court issued an opinion that the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles was the owner of the church properties of those parishes in its diocese that had left the Episcopal Church. The decision was widely seen as providing a precedent covering all such property suits in the state.
- The Anglican Province of Nigeria declared itself in communion with the Anglican Church in North America in March 2009.
- The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth of the Episcopal Church files suit to recover church property from the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth that was part of ACNA.
- On April 16, 2009, the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans recognized the Anglican Church in North America
- In May 2009 the Anglican Consultative Council met in Kingston, Jamaica with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada in full participation. ACNA was not added as a member or recognized in any way.
- On June 23, 2009, the Church of the Province of Uganda declared itself in communion with the Anglican Church in North America.
- On July 23, 2009 the Superior Court of Fresno ruled that the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin was Jerry Lamb, the person recognized by the Episcopal Church and that he should have control of diocesan property.
- In October 2009, the Court of Common Pleases issued an opinion granting all diocesan property to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (i.e. the group that remained in the Episcopal Church). On January 29, 2010 a implementation order directed the ANCA diocese headed by Archbishop Duncan to turn over all diocesan property to the Episcopal group.
- on October 28, 2009 the Diocese of SydneyAnglican Diocese of SydneyThe Diocese of Sydney is a diocese within the Anglican Church of Australia. The majority of the diocese is Evangelical and low church in tradition and committed to Reformed and Calvinist theology....
, AustraliaAnglican Church of AustraliaThe Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
, welcomed the Anglican Church in North America and declared its desire to be in full communion with it.
2010
- On February 10 2010, the Church of England Synod changed a resolution that would have put the Synod clearly on record as requesting full communion with ACNA so that it instead simply recognized the desire of ACNA to remain with in the "Anglican Family," recognized the problems that this created and asked the Archbishops to make a further report in 2011.
- On April 12, 2010, Archbishop Ian Ernest of the Province of the Indian Ocean chair of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, said he felt "constrained by my conscience … to forthwith suspend all communication both verbal and sacramental" with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada "until such time as they reverse their theological innovations."
- On April 23, 2010, representatives from 20 Anglican provinces, meeting in Singapore, called on the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada to "Show genuine repentance" for actions that "show they continue in their defiance as they set themselves on a course that contradicts the plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures on matters so fundamental that they affect the very salvation of those involved."
2011
- In January 2011 the Primates of the Provinces of the Anglican Communion met with Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori in attendance. Several Primates refused to attend. At the meeting no action was taken to recognize ACNA and Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori was elected to the Standing Committee of the Primates.
- February 2, The Commonwealth Court of Appeals in Pennsylvania upheld the decision to return all diocesan property to those who remained in the Episcopal Church. The same day one of the largest ACNA parishes signed a settlement with the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh allowing it to purchase its building and agreeing that it would disaffiliate from the ACNA diocese for a minimum of five years or during the term that they were still making payments to the Episcopal Diocese.
- On February 8, 2011 the District Court in Tarrant County, Texas issued an partial summary judgment declaring those that stayed in the Episcopal Church the rightful owners of all diocesan property of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. The order was stayed however, pending further arguments and appeals.
Anglican realignment associations
American Anglican CouncilAmerican Anglican Council
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...
Anglican Communion Network
Anglican Communion Network
The Anglican Communion Network is a theologically conservative network of dioceses and parishes working toward Anglican realignment.-Goals and structure:...
The Anglican Communion Network currently lists ten dioceses of The Episcopal Church as members.
Six dioceses remain affiliated with TEC:
- Diocese of AlbanyEpiscopal Diocese of AlbanyThe Episcopal Diocese of Albany is part of Province 2 of the Episcopal Church.-History:The Church of Englandarrived in 1674 with a chaplain assigned to the British military garrison at Albany, New York. In 1704 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel sent two missionaries to the Mohawk...
- Diocese of DallasEpiscopal Diocese of DallasThe Episcopal Diocese of Dallas is a diocese of the Episcopal Church USA which was formed on December 20, 1895, when the Missionary District of Northern Texas was granted diocesan status at the denomination's General Convention the preceding October. The Rt. Rev...
- Diocese 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...
- Diocese of South CarolinaEpiscopal Diocese of South CarolinaThe Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America covering an area of 24 counties in the eastern part of the state of South Carolina. Its see city is Charleston, home to the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul and Diocesan House. There are...
- Diocese of Central FloridaEpiscopal Diocese of Central FloridaThe Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida is a diocese in Florida in Province IV of the Episcopal Church. It is bounded on the north by the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the dioceses of Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida and on the west by the...
- Diocese of the Rio GrandeEpiscopal Diocese of the Rio GrandeThe Episcopal Diocese of Rio Grande is the Episcopal diocese in New Mexico and southwest Texas, the portion of the state west of the Pecos River, including the counties of El Paso, Reeves, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio, Terrell, Hudspeth and Pecos. The total area of the diocese is ....
Four dioceses have declared independence from TEC and claim membership in the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. None of these is listed by the Anglican Communion office as being part of the Province of the Southern Cone..
- Anglican Diocese of San JoaquinAnglican Diocese of San JoaquinThis article is about the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin in the Anglican Church in North America . For the diocese of the Episcopal Church, see Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin....
- Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh
- Diocese of Quincy (Southern Cone)
- Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth (Southern Cone)Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth (Southern Cone)The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America, is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and comprises 58 congregations. The diocese is led by Bishop Jack Iker, SSC...
Other unaffiliated Episcopal / Anglican organizations in North America
There are a number of other Episcopal / Anglican churches in the United States and Canada. Those that play a role in the Anglican realignment debate are listed in the next section:Seminaries
- Reformed Episcopal SeminaryReformed Episcopal SeminaryThe Reformed Episcopal Seminary was founded in 1887 in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with support from a trust created by Harriet Benson in 1886. The seminary offers a Master of Divinity program as well as programs leading to certificates in a variety of theological fields. A diploma program...
- Cranmer Theological House
- Andrewes Hall
- Cummins Memorial Seminary
Organizations associated with other provinces
- Anglican Mission in the Americas—founded jointly by and affiliated with the Province of Rwanda and Province of South East Asia
- Anglican Coalition in CanadaAnglican Coalition in CanadaThe Anglican Coalition in Canada is a Canadian Anglican group that is part of the Anglican Mission in the Americas.It is under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda. Many of the 17 congregations used to be in the Diocese of New Westminster; Others are located in Vancouver...
—now affiliated with the Province of the Southern Cone - Anglican Province of AmericaAnglican Province of AmericaThe Anglican Province of America is one of a number of "Continuing" Anglican churches in the United States. This church considers the Episcopal Church in the USA to be heretical, thus it maintains a church separate from that body in order to follow what it considers to be a truly Christian and...
—independent, non-Canterbury. Now affiliated (intercommunion) with Province of Nigeria through the Anglican Church in North America. - Convocation of Anglicans in North AmericaConvocation of Anglicans in North AmericaThe Convocation of Anglicans in North America is an Anglican body in the United States primarily comprising Anglican and Episcopal churches that have disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . CANA was initially a missionary initiative of the Anglican Church of Nigeria...
—founded as a missionary diocese of the Province of Nigeria. - Reformed Episcopal ChurchReformed Episcopal ChurchThe Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
—independent, non-Canterbury. Now affiliated (intercommunion) with the Province of Nigeria through the Anglican Church in North America.
See also
- 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...
- Anglican Church in North America
- Federation of Anglican Churches in the AmericasFederation of Anglican Churches in the AmericasThe Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas is an association of six Anglican jurisdictions with nearly 600 parishes in the New World. The Federation, which was founded in 2006 to enable a closer association of these and other jurisdictions, does not include any provinces of the Anglican...
- Ellen BarrettEllen BarrettEllen Marie Barrett was the first openly lesbian priest to be properly ordained by the Episcopal Church, shortly after the General Convention approved the ordination of women in 1977. Barrett's candor about her homosexuality caused great controversy within the church...
- Seal of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort WorthSeal of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort WorthThe seal of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is the symbol of the diocese. The seal was designed at the creation of the diocese by splitting the western counties from the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas in 1983. The Rt. Rev. A...
External links
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WWN-509Y43M-1&_user=10&_coverDate=07%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=8&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%237135%232010%23999599996%232229848%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=7135&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=18&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=3fbaf4bad12173bb27eafe087d4692b8&searchtype=aConstructing the boundaries of Anglican orthodoxy: an analysis of the Global Anglican Future Conferene (GAFCON)] a discussion of Anglican realignment and the evolution of the transnational orthdodox Anglican movement