The actual services were exuberant celebrations attended by thousands and both lasted approximately five hours! They were also important milestones in our effort to build a united, biblically-based, missionary-minded expression of Anglicanism in the USA.

Bishops Bill Atwood, John Guernsey and Bill Murdock are personal friends of many years and we are looking forward to working with them in the coming months as part of the Common Cause Partnership.These new initiatives are a dramatic demonstration that we are not alone as we seek to bear witness to the transforming love of Jesus Christ that is rooted in the 'faith once and for all delivered to the saints.'

These missionary and pastoral initiatives by our friends in the Global South also make clear that they will not abandon us to those who seek to silence our voices by pernicious lawsuits and canonical threats. It is my hope that one result of these creative partnerships will be a renewed emphasis on mission and reaching the unchurched with the Gospel.

Over the coming weeks Angela and I will be taking part in the annual meeting of the Church of Nigeria Standing Committee and also an Economic Empowerment Consultation for the Global South in Accra, Ghana. We will return to the USA on September 23rd in time for the first meeting of the Common Cause Council of Bishops in Pittsburgh.

These are exciting days to be Anglican Christians and while we pass through these times of reordering we know that our future is secure because the One who has called us is faithful.

Your brother in Christ,

+Martyn