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ACNA ARCHBISHOP SAYS "SINFUL RELATIONSHIPS" PRECLUDE LAMBETH APPEARANCE

ACNA ARCHBISHOP SAYS "SINFUL RELATIONSHIPS" PRECLUDE LAMBETH APPEARANCE
2022 ACNA Provincial Assembly draws international Anglican leaders
Attendance has not returned to pre-2020 levels, reports showed a 30% decline in 2021 since pre-pandemic 2020 numbers.

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
June 16, 2022

Even though ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach says he is in "full communion" with three-fourths of the 80 million Anglicans around the world, he was invited by Welby to attend Lambeth as an “observer” without recognizing his Anglican orders. Beach said he wouldn't go. Lambeth has invited bishops in sinful relationships. "We cannot endorse this behavior by our participation," he told delegates to the ACNA 2022 Provincial Assembly in Falls Church, VA.

Following are highlighted comments from various speakers at the ACNA Provincial Council and College of Bishops held June 13 -- 15. This is the highest legislative body of the ACNA.

ARCHBISHOP FOLEY BEACH: "Regardless of the upcoming decision on Roe v Wade we will continue to uphold the sanctity of life and help mothers."

NIGERIAN PRIMATE HENRY NDUKUBA: We are asking for advocacy: speak out and pray. We are appealing to a "Pax Americana" as defenseless women and children are assaulted by an "Islamist agenda" that is "well-resourced."

"We're not asking for guns. We're not asking for money in the face of Islamist violence. We're asking for your advocacy and prayer. I know there are people in this room who can influence U.S. policy."

BISHOP KEVIN BOND ALLEN, DIOCESE OF CASCADIA: "While the province has grown and held together against legal attack and historical Anglican disunity, the opposing ecclesiologies and overlapping jurisdictions among dioceses is a hindrance to moving forward as a province."

BISHOP MODERATOR AZAD MARSHALL OF PAKISTAN: "We pray for the United States, this isn't one-way traffic. [We are a] small, faithful church that will not compromise." He encouraged the ACNA to stand against the "onslaught of liberalism."

ACNA ECUMENICAL OFFICER BISHOP RAY SUTTON reported that his Russian Orthodox counterpart, Metropolitan Hilarion, has been "removed" presumably due to opposing Metropolitan Kirill's support for invasion of Ukraine. He's been reassigned to Budapest.

"Roman Catholic ecumenical dialogue resumes in-person this year following two-year Covid pause. Also, the Aldersgate Movement of evangelical Methodists is an ecumenical partner that ACNA looks forward to working with."

ACNA COMMUNICATIONS CANON ANDREW GROSS: "Attendance has not returned to pre-2020 levels, reports showed a 30% decline in 2021 since pre-pandemic 2020 numbers. Positively, net number of churches grew (+2) with 25 church plants, and membership dropped only 3%. Numbers from Pew Research show this is largely consistent across U.S.-based denominations, but also that "rebound" has slowed post-Covid and some people "aren't coming back."

"Some attendance has shifted online (79% of ACNA churches now offer hybrid in-person and online options) but this doesn't fully account for 30% in-person attendance slide, especially when vast majority of ACNA churches were open for entirety of 2021."

SAM FERGUSON FALLS CHURCH ANGLICAN RECTOR: "If the local church will not teach the rock-solid Word of God, where will people find it?" We are asking local churches not to outsource teaching to Christian schools and institutes. The job of groups like this is to resource local churches, we can't catechize in place of the laboratory of local church, in which saints' model how to hold together Christian life. Expressive individualism is the height of idolatry "in which people learn a negative interpretation of self-love."

Bishop Julian Dobbs, Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, told VOL that it has been an expression of gospel strength for Anglicans across North America. Strong representation from bishops, clergy and laity. A resolute commitment to the transformation of men, women and children through Christ alone.

I am indebted to livestreaming and the twitter feed of Jeff Walton of IRD for much of this reporting.

END

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