News for Week Ending 1/23/2012

English archbishops suggest ‘engagement’ with ACNA

Episcopal News Service reported January 20, 2012, that the Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop of York have written a document for the upcoming General Synod of the Church of England advocating “an open-ended engagement” of that church with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). As we reported here, the February 2010 General Synod passed this resolution, which began as a resolution declaring that the Church of England actually desired to be in full communion with ACNA:

That this Synod, aware of the distress caused by recent divisions within the Anglican churches of the United States of America and Canada:

a) recognize and affirm the desire of those who have formed the Anglican Church in North America to remain within the Anglican family

b) acknowledge that this aspiration, in respect both of relations with the Church of England and membership of the Anglican Communion, raises issues which the relevant authorities of each need to explore further; and

c) invite the Archbishops to report further to the Synod in 2011.

In the report from Rowan Williams and John Sentamu, the English archbishops “encourage an open-ended engagement with ACNA on the part of the Church of England and the Communion,” while asserting that the “Church of England remains fully committed to the Anglican Communion and to being in communion both with the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church.” Archbishop Robert Duncan is quoted in an ACNA story as follows:

We are encouraged by the desire of the Church of England to continue to embrace the Anglican Church in North America and remain in solidarity with us as we proclaim the Gospel message and truth as revealed in Scripture in the way it has always been understood in Anglican formularies.

The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey, of the American Anglican Council, offers a more nuanced reaction here.

Despite consultations, AMiA/Rwanda tie unclear

We reported here last month that the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) had broken its ties to the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. Despite various meetings, it is not clear what the near term relationship of the AMiA to Rwanda or to the Anglican Church in North America is likely to be. The American Anglican Council has published a communiqué resulting from a January 4, 2012, meeting of representatives of the AMiA and the Rwandan church that took place in Kenya. Essentially, the sides agreed to keep talking. Also, AMiA priest Philip Eberhart wrote on VirtueOnline about his experience attending meetings in Houston and Raleigh. His report is interesting, but Eberhard doesn’t know where the relationship is going, either.

More information released on episcopal candidates

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh has released additional information on the four candidates who have been nominated to become the next Bishop of Pittsburgh. Links to information such as age, education, etc., of the candidates can be found in the revised post announcing the candidates.