Some 700 churches with 100,000 members now plan a major outreach to the U.S.'s more than 130 million unchurched Americans free of the liberalism and gospel-denying denomination they have left behind.

Their hope now is that this new entity will be recognized as a legitimate province of the Anglican Communion.

Loud applause, cheers, music and worship greeted this historic occasion. The 800 worshippers then signed an historic document affirming the GAFCON statement and Jerusalem Declaration.

Just weeks earlier, Bishop Duncan pulled his diocese out of the Episcopal Church and aligned it with the Province of the Southern Cone, an action that saw him deposed by Mrs. Jefferts Schori and the Episcopal House of Bishops.

This week's action marks a milestone in North American Anglicanism and pitches an aging dying, and liberal but wealthy Episcopal Church against a new vibrant upstart evangelical Anglicanism.

Before the ink was dry on a set of Provisional Canons and Constitution, five orthodox Archbishops from the Global South stepped out of planes in London and headed to Lambeth Palace to hold an emergency summit meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams.

The five primates included Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola, Ugandan Primate Henry Luke Orombi, Kenyan Primate Benjamin Nzimbia, Rwandan Primate Emmanuel Kolini and Southern Cone Primate Gregory Venables.

A Lambeth Palace spokesman, clearly upset by this new development but unable to stop it, responded to the Common Cause Partnership announcement saying the "rebel clergy" had not even begun to create a new church. "There are clear guidelines set out in the Anglican Consultative Council Reports... detailing the steps necessary for the amendments of existing provincial constitutions and the creation of new provinces," the spokesperson said. "Once begun, any of these processes will take years to complete. In relation to the recent announcement from the meeting of the Common Cause Partnership in Chicago, the process has not yet begun."

The Anglican Consultative Council reports that ACC 10 in 1996 (resolution 12), details the steps necessary for the amendments of existing provincial constitutions and the creation of new provinces.

Of course the ACC does not want to recognize this new province as they view it as a major slap in the face to the American Episcopal Church and to Mrs. Jefferts Schori who pay 60% of their budget. One does not bite the hand that feeds one.

This notoriously liberal "fourth Instrument of Unity" prides itself on being inclusive. It is anything but. The former Secretary General John Peterson at Primatial gatherings regularly manipulated orthodox primates. Archbishop Peter Akinola has blasted the ACC for its bias over the years.

The new North American Province cannot expect the ACC to cut them any slack. They will drag out this process for years - to the Second Coming and beyond - to keep it from being recognized in much the same way they have handled the Covenant, which is not expected to be ratified any time soon, if ever. Already some liberal provinces are loaded for bear saying they will not have a Covenant telling them what to do or how to behave.

The besetting sins of The Episcopal Church, the failure to accept the authority of Holy Scripture and more recently the consecration of an openly homogenital bishop, have pushed orthodox Episcopalians over the edge. They have had enough and want out.

The new province includes 11 orthodox jurisdictions including those allied with the Province of the Southern Cone and a number of African provinces. The preamble to the new church's constitution says its leaders are "grieved by the current state of brokenness within the Anglican Communion prompted by those who have embraced erroneous teaching and who have rejected a repeated call to repentance." "The Anglican Communion itself in its official documents talks about how the fabric of the Communion has been torn by the actions of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada," stated Robert Lundy, a spokesman for the American Anglican Council.

"The homosexuality issue, issues of women's ordination is just symptoms of the real problem," he said. Michael Howell, head of Forward in Faith North America, said it would allow orthodox Anglicans to focus on "the things that unite us instead of things that divide us. Some of us have been praying for this for decades," he said at a press conference in Wheaton, Illinois.

Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker, a leading Anglo-Catholic bishop who recently pulled his diocese out of TEC, voted to receive the proposed constitution and canons for the new Anglican province. He said he is very enthusiastic about the new development. He will host the provincial assembly beginning June 22, 2009, at St. Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford, where representatives of each constituency of the new province will gather with the intention of ratifying the constitution and canons introduced in Wheaton. "This new province is the goal for which we have worked and prayed so long. It is an exciting time in the church, and we anticipate that its birth will set the stage for future ministry and growth in our diocese."

"Having more than one Anglican province occupy a single geographic area is not completely new. The Church of England's Diocese in Europe exists alongside both the Convocation of American Churches in Europe and the Old Catholic Church, which are both in communion with Canterbury," said IRD Religious Liberty Director Faith J.H. McDonnell.

Time will tell how it will all play out.

There is no word, as we go to cyber press, of how the five Primates are faring in summit talks with Dr. Rowan Williams. We will let you know, when we know.

VOL attended this historic event. We have a full range of stories from across the media in today's special digest. Over time, we will publish commentary pieces on what all this means from both sides of the aisle.

VOL will publish a regular digest early next week.

Advent Blessings,

David

BREAKING NEWS: VOL has learned that the overseas Archbishops and Dr. Williams exchanged very, very frank views. The five primates laid it on the line and Rowan just listened. They appeared to have repeated their demand that 2003 (Robinson's consecration) is rowed back on but everyone knows that is not going to happen and so no one knows where this is going at all. (A source in London)