AMIA’s Chuck Murphy Comments on the Move of two AMIA Bishops to ACNA

Posted by Kendall Harmon

I am extremely thankful to Archbishop Isingoma for offering ongoing canonical residence to our bishops and clergy, and I look forward with anticipation to a long-term relationship with him, a desire he expressed in London as well. In the near future, I expect other jurisdictions will also invite clergy to be canonically resident in their provinces, mirroring the Anglican Mission's original model of oversight and connection to the Global South through the provinces of South East Asia and Rwanda. In addition, I am pleased that an agreement has been reached allowing Bishop TJ Johnston and Bishop John Miller to be received temporarily into the Anglican Church of North America and to serve as assisting bishops within two dioceses. These bishops will continue to oversee Anglican Mission congregations with written permission from their bishops, Neil Lebhar and Foley Beach. This decision demonstrates our commitment to being a multi-jurisdictional entity. Bishops Johnston and Miller will also continue their conversations with Bishops Riches and Masters regarding a future connection with the Anglican Church in North America. There is no need for parishes to make any choice about jurisdictional relationships. Congregations will, of course, remain in the Anglican Mission unless they choose to disaffiliate and join with some other group or entity.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • - Anglican: Latest News • Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) • Anglican Provinces • Anglican Church in Congo/Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo • Church of Rwanda • The Anglican Church in South East Asia • * Theology • Ecclesiology • Pastoral Theology

2 Comments
Posted May 2, 2012 at 7:31 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. A Senior Priest wrote:

Being in TEC is bad enough. I don’t think I could bear to live in the roller coaster which is the AMiA.

May 2, 11:21 am | [comment link]
2. MichaelA wrote:

The more I read and re-read this message, the harder it is to work out what it means.

At least, it is good that we no longer appear to be in the situation of a few months ago, where major decisions were being made without clergy or congregations in AMiA knowing anything about it, often for weeks afterwards.

There is a reference to a “decree” being issued by five primates (two serving and three retired).  I have never heard of primates (in the Global South or elsewhere) issuing “decrees”.  Isn’t that what emperors do when they require all the world to be taxed, or something?

I am also a little curious that there has been no other news about this “decree”, although it seems to amount to no more than a board to work on mission in certain areas so perhaps it just wasn’t noticed.

“The latest developments in London allow us to move up our time frame considerably, and we now expect to complete the process and have a mission society up and running within 40 days.”

I thought AMiA was already a mission society…?

“There is no need for parishes to make any choice about jurisdictional relationships. Congregations will, of course, remain in the Anglican Mission unless they choose to disaffiliate and join with some other group or entity.”

This doesn’t seem to gel with the recent joint letter by ++Duncan and ++Rwaje. They have said that congregations in AMiA have to choose whether they are in ACNA, Rwanda (PEAR USA) or the AM (presumably Congo).  They surely have a right to do this - ACNA is entitled to say who is affiliated to it and who is not. Same for Rwanda.  So doesn’t that mean there will have to be a choice? Surely +Murphy also wants clarity on whom he is spiritually responsible for, and whom he isn’t?

Curious.  No doubt more detail will emerge soon.

May 2, 12:20 pm | [comment link]
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