Former Episcopalians look for new path

In an overview of the turmoil in the Anglican Mission of America, Bob Smietana in The Tennessean Newspaper, lays out the issues confronting the members of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) as they try to regroup. The article begins by quoting a former Episcopal priest who left to join the AMiA and who describes the present situation as "It’s sinful, it’s ugly, it’s wrong […] And it doesn’t bring honor to the name of Christ.”

The priest in question has decided to remain a part of the Rwandan community that is led by African Church rather than the larger group based in Pawley's Island South Carolina.

Bob Duncan, the head of the ACNA, is interviewed as part of the article and he says of the larger part of the AMiA that is now independent of Rwanda:

"Since the Anglican Mission’s leaders are not part of the Anglican Church in North America or the Rwandan church they are basically an independent group.

“They are now former Anglicans,” he said. “That’s what they have to grapple with.”

Duncan, who was formerly the Episcopal bishop in Pittsburgh, said his group has close ties to bishops overseas, despite the problems between the Anglican Mission and Rwanda. He said having overseas bishops try to run churches in America simply is unworkable.

“It doesn’t work when your bishop is 8,000 miles away,” he said."

Comments (7)

One wonders how Bob Duncan is more 'Anglican' than the AMiA folks who split from the Diocese of Rwanda. It's all so confusing.

June Butler

I should have said Church of Rwanda instead of Diocese of Rwanda.

June Butler

“They are now former Anglicans,” [xDuncan] said. “That’s what they have to grapple with.”

Beyond parody.

JC Fisher

No kidding. That's why bishops were created in the first place. What's right cannot be submitted to a popular vote.

Bob Duncan was Anglican before the split. So either Bob Duncan is still Anglican or Anglican Christianity stopped being an "apostolic" tradition when Canterbury split from Rome. Take your pick. And I'd dial down the smack talk if I were you.

"Dial down the smack talk"? Coming from one of the top 10 purveyors of right wing smack on the internet today, your hypocricy is laughable.

See, the thing is, this is what happens once you start "talking a little treason," to quote one of my favorite John Wayne films. Once you have cast aside any ideas of loyalty, reason, or humility, you get smacked by the very same attitudes in others. The AMiA folks have found that there is no honor among thieves.

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