The Anglican Church in North America has " approved applications for membership of 28 dioceses and dioceses-in-formation." While that list has not yet been published there are now some groups that have made it clear that they are among those listed.
A group of parishes called "The Association of Western Anglican Congregations" has formed itself into the Diocese of Western Anglicans. On their website they have posted the following"
"As of 11:45 a.m. CDT on April 24 the Diocese of Western Anglicans is now a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. May God's Name be praised. In fact we were the first diocese to be so approved. Please forward this information to your parish's delegation to Western Anglican and to the congregation as a whole. I want you all to know what a privilege it is to be the Collegiate Vicar of Western Anglicans during this exciting time. Your brother in Christ, Fr. Bill Thompson+"
WESTERN ANGLICANS SELECT BISHOP CANDIDATES FOR NEW DIOCESE.
At the Special Meeting of the House of Delegates of the Association of Western Anglican Congregations, held on March 14th, three candidates for Bishop of the future “Diocese” of Western Anglicans to the Anglican Church in North American (ACNA) were announced. The candidates are: The Rev. Donald L. “Don” Kroeger, Rector of St. John’s Anglican Church, Fallbrook, California, The Rev. Jose Poch, Rector of St. David’s Anglican Church, North Hollywood, California, and The Rev. William A. Thompson, Rector of All Saints’ Church, Long Beach, California. In other business, the House of Delegates selected the name for the new diocese of Western Anglicans. With a nearly unanimous vote, the House selected the name, The Diocese of Western Anglicans as the official name."
ACNA already has a rousing number of bishops. It would appear that the new dioceses in formation will be electing new bishops and that among the first agenda items on the Archbishop-elect's calendar will be a number of consecration services.
Where is the list of these 28 dioceses and dioceses in formation? It would appear that the decision has already been made as to who they are. So, why no list? Perhaps they are somewhere, but they do not seem yet to be on the Common Cause Partnership pages. I suspect there is a new spiffy website for ACNA in the works. They will no doubt be posted there. We shall see.
5/16/2009
17 comments:
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Lord Chancellors were cheap as sprats,
ReplyDeleteAnd Bishops in their shovel hats
Were plentiful as tabby cats -
In point of fact, too many.
W. S. Gilbert - "The Gondoliers"
Don't forget the august title of collegiate vicar. Sheesh, where do they get this stuff!
ReplyDeleteThey have nothing better to do than invent titles, vestments and rubrics for themselves and their friends.
ReplyDeleteAfter all TEC wouldn't give them what they wanted. So they've created their own Church and are giving themselves grand titles.
Gilbert and Sullivan would have had such fun with choruses of ersatz bishops, archbishops and metropolitans.
I see lots of bishops and people with lengthy titles, but I wonder about the peasantry beneath them? How much laity is there behind all the newly minted ecclesiastical nobility?
ReplyDeleteI suspect that instead of hordes of disaffected Episcopalians, many, if not most, are probably from the many old splinter groups. Perhaps, like the congregations at Truro and Falls Church they could bring in a lot of Baptists and other evangelicals who don't mind bishops and the Book of Common Prayer.
Based on the titles, and the fact that they aren't a church recognized by any group except themselves, one get's the distinct impression that these folks are children playing dress up - or in this case, playing church.
ReplyDeleteOne thing is certain, they will be a "community" of "diocese" without property.
Seriously, what is the percentage of laity/clergy to bishops? Sounds like a lot of people in purple.
ReplyDeleteHey folks, they tell ¨falsehoods¨ about the numbers...don´t even try guessing but look through some of their websites and it appears nobody washes their hair and joy is in the eyes of the mischiefmakers...lots of ¨odd duck¨ stuff with a few stunned looking ladies hanging around vaguely nervous about edgy about queers.
ReplyDeleteI think I have said this before on other posts on ACNA: why are you bothering to say anything about them?
ReplyDeleteACC has now shut the door on ACNA being able to sign up to the Covenant anytime soon, ergo they cannot become a formal alternate Anglican Communion entity for North America anytime soon.
According to the comments here, ACNA is a bunch of rascals, deceiving in all kinds of ways, grossly over-bishoped, and generally a bunch of property-less losers.
Yet they are worth repeated posting on and commenting on: do they have some chance of success? Is that what is worrying Episcopalians?
Peter,
ReplyDeleteI cannot comment on what worries all or even most Episcopalians. I can tell you what troubles me. First I actually do not want anyone to leave TEC. Second, the constant drum beat of false witness against TEC does damage it, even if it is scurrilous.
Finally, I worry about them. The hate they internalize and the small minded view of boundaries they adopt are corrosive. These are after all humans, and even if I think they are horrible wrong and tragically misled, it is my job to love and care about them.
Peter, the members of ACNA are former Episcopalians, our brothers and sisters in Christ who chose to leave us, rather abruptly, and then take everything with them as they went. It would be inhuman and unChristian NOT to be concerned with where they are, what they do, and how they are operating.
ReplyDeleteAs to their "chance of success", I'm not sure what you mean.
Success in stealing the property of TEC? No, the courts have smacked them down over that time and time again in state after state -- enough so that the oft-touted hordes of conservatives seem a bit reluctant to come out of their closets or to take off willy nilly at this point.
Success in having TEC expelled from the AC? I'm not sure we won't leave of our own accord first so that's hardly a concern though it is a painful parting. I personally look forward to supporting new TEC missions around the world for the children of God that the orthodox reject and heap scorn upon, if not outright encourage violence against and imprisonment for being who they are, because they hunger and thirst for God's love. Remember, TEC Welcomes You! What a powerful statement of God's hospitality!
Success in finding a back door into AC and having their multitude of bishops recognize? Could be, They've certainly worked hard enough for it and thrown everything but the kitchen sink at it, to no avail.
I doubt that any of these kinds of "success" will mean much at all to most Episcopalians in the pews.
Since the ACNA's have taken the position that dioceses and bishops rule everything (except those things they don't approve of or don't support their positions) of course they are all becoming bishops. Their pastoral care will be amazing, I'm sure, with a 1 bishop for every 10 parishioners. They certainly won't need many presbyters in that situation.
I wish them well and Godspeed. And I will certainly want to keep up on their comings and goings. It's part of being in a family, no matter how disordered that family may be.
God bless!
I just got back from the Anglican Men's Retreat west of LA. The theme was holiness. ABp Orombi was the featured speaker and borrowed alot from 1 Peter. In stark contrast to Katherine Jefferts Schori, you know that Henry Luke Orombi is a Christian after three words exit from him. He is not ashamed of the Gospel. The participants were on fire for our good Lord and left with renewed bonds of friendship and deep reverence. One of the most spiritually moving times was Saturday night when we had a campfire where we were asked to throw a notecard with our sins written down on it into the fire and there were prayer teams set up who did a fantastic job. Incredibly moving.
ReplyDelete(+)+Bob Duncan was announced as next year's featured speaker. All are invited!
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Several corrections:
Jase, the western diocese is recognized by more Anglicans then the diocese of LA, etc.
Grossly overbishoped? The model for bishops is based on the African model where the bishop isn't dead weight (being a huge burden to the microdioceses of the TEC), but he pastors his own church, too.
Priscilla, God bless you for your irenic words.
"I just got back from the Anglican Men's Retreat west of LA. The theme was holiness. ABp Orombi was the featured speaker and borrowed alot from 1 Peter. In stark contrast to Katherine Jefferts Schori, you know that Henry Luke Orombi is a Christian after three words exit from him."
ReplyDeleterobroy
Well, isn't that special! let's see, robroy just gets back from a men's only (girls keep out) retreat and leads with the above quote. Good thing they learned "holeyness".
My secret word is drotti as in robroy, that is a bunch of drotti.
"Grossly overbishoped?" That's right, RR. A combination of self-importance and, in those provinces that already are, or stand a cat in hell's chance of becoming, members of the AC (so this comment does not, obviously, apply to ACNA) it is also an effective method of ballot-stuffing come voting time on partisan Lambeth 1:10-type issues.
ReplyDeleteWhere, pray tell, is writing your sins on notecards and burning them in THE BIBLE? Such innovation! Such paganism! Such, such, well, non-orthoxy! I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked!
ReplyDeleteOh, well, for a moment I thought some charity and genuine concern for the lost Anglicans of ACNA had entered this comment thread. But then scorn and sarcasm came back in. Pray tell: is scorn and sarcasm a general attitude of Episcopalians to Anglicans, or confined to just one or two?
ReplyDeleteWas just surfing the net and randomly came across an Episcopal church website where it was talking about an upcoming women's retreat. I guess Fred wouldn't object to that because that's OK in an emasculated church.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the leader of that portion of the program was one of the bishop candidates, Father Jose Poch. Wow, I thought we were in the presence of a reincarnated J.C. Rile - except I don't believe in reincarnation - unlike a lot of Episcopalians. OK, that last bit was just a little teasing!
Seriously, next year's Anglican Men's Weekend promises to be great. All are invited and I am quite sure their faith will be strengthened. It will be a father-son meeting. The new diocese is doing great things.
"I guess Fred wouldn't object to that because that's OK in an emasculated church." robroy
ReplyDeleteWell sir, here is your definition:
Emasculation is the removal of the genitalia (castration) of a male, notably the penis and/or the testicles.
So, women being equal is something that threatens your masculinity? Need to hide and get spiritual sustenance from people that hate, i.e., Archbishop Orombi and soon to be crowned, currently only Mr. Bobby Duncan.
How about we begin to look at a culture that is equal -- none that dominates.