This will end up becoming quite difficult for them, I fear. On the one hand, perhaps they can remain polite to one another for some time to come. On the other, it can't help but highlight some difficulties in mission together. After all, it's one thing to establish these congregations in challenge to Episcopal dioceses. It will quickly become another when they're moving into other ACNA dioceses.

Marshall Scott

Would it be possible for The Cafe to post some sort of synopsis for those of us who are new to Anglicanism yet still concerned about these issues? Where do all the splinter groups fit, etc. ACNA, CANA, CONCACAF (no that's soccer, but there's something like that)??? For a while I thought I had it straight. Now I'm confused.

GAFCON, that was it!

Anyway, any help would be most appreciated. Maybe this has already been posted elsewhere and I can simply be pointed in the right direction.

Thanks!

-Grant Chaput

Grant, I hear you. I'm reluctant to spell out ACNA because the name makes a claim that isn't true. What is true is that the Anglican *Communion* in North America is comprised of three recognized provinces: the Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church (U.S.), and La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico.

ACNA (the Anglican Church in North America), which claims a membership of 100,000 across the U.S. and Canada, is not a recognized province of the Anglican Communion. It is comprised of several splinter groups including CANA (Convocation of Anglicans in North America nee Convocation of Anglican Nigerians in the Americas) and some which date back as far as the 19th century.

GAFCON recognizes ACNA.

Thanks. I can understand what you mean about the name making a false claim. After a little research yesterday, I thought the whole CANA thing was rather offensive (it seems odd that the Anglican Communion would allow "colonization" of one province's territory by another province).

Anyway, an explantion of the acronyms is helpful, but I'm also looking for some more general background. For instance: Where does the Windsor Report fit in? What about B033(RIP)? Plus then all the splniter groups, who's who, etc. etc.? Is there some "history" of this stuff that I can read online somewhere or something like that?

Thanks, and peace.

It's worth noting that not all Anglo-Catholics will accept Fr. Ilgenfritz's consecration; some within Forward in Faith have told me that ++Duncan is a dubious consecrator as he also ordains women.

So I'm not following the story here as to why this is a problem for ACNA... I guess what you're saying is the Anglican realignment church includes Catholics who support a male-only priesthood and also Evangelicals, some of whom support both the concept of male and female ordained ministers. However they both support orthodoxy and biblical Christianity. As an anglo-Catholic, I find this situation much more tolerable than I would being in the mess that's the Episcopal Church. And guys, my advice, it might be time to let go of the whole 'ACNA isn't a real Anglican Church' line... the Sydney Anglican diocese (biggest in Australia) recognise them, the majority of the African and South American Anglican diocese recognise them and it's only a matter of time until the CofE recognise that they are in full communion unlike the Episcopal Church which, according to +Rowan Cantuar has broken from the Anglican communion by its actions in proceeding to ordain openly and actively gay bishops.

The presence of two scrupulously Anglo-Catholic co-consecrators on the official document is enough to set aside any question of validity. Beyond that, the REC bishops have never ordained a woman, nor has anyone from the Old Catholic line (two of whom participated in the laying on of hands).