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Anglican Province of America
Fr. Mark F.M. Clavier,
Delegates from The Anglican Province of America (APA) gathered in Delray Beach, Fla. for its fourth biannual Provincial Synod on Sept. 16 and 17. Heir to the American Episcopal Church, the APA was formed in 1996 and has since grown to over 5,000 members with ninety-four clergy.
At the start of the Synod, the Presiding Bishop, Walter H. Grundorf, gave his address in which he highlighted the growth the APA is now experiencing, both within parishes and in new missions forming, and described the many changes now occurring in the Anglican landscape.
As a sign of this, he welcomed the synod's ecumenical observers: The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of the ECUSA Diocese of Pittsburgh and Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, The Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, Bishop of the ECUSA Diocese of Quincy, The Rt. Rev. Royal Grote, Bishop of the REC's Diocese of Mid-America, The Rev. Canon Warren Tanghe, SSC, and Lay Canon Cris Fouse of Forward in Faith, North America, and The Rev. James Monroe of the Anglican Catholic Church. Each guest brought their greetings and spoke warmly about future prospects of orthodox Anglicans growing closer together.
During the proceedings of the Synod, delegates voted unanimously to approve the application of the Missionary District of the West, which now has fourteen congregations, to become a diocese of the APA. Further, the Anglican Rite Synod in the Americas, under the leadership of The Rt. Rev. Larry Shaver, was received as a non-geographical diocese, styling itself the Diocese of St. Augustine.
In an important ecumenical step, the APA voted unanimously to ratify a concordat declaring that the "APA and FIF/NA recognize, affirm, and rejoice in the full communion in faith and order that exists between them; and….they will continue their mutual support in the building up of Christ's Kingdom." As FIF/NA had already, for their part, ratified the document, the declaration of full communion went immediately into effect. The synod also noted the Common Cause agreement signed by the leaders of the ACN, APA, REC, AMiA, FIF/NA, and AAC.
Bishop Duncan delivered the sermon at the Synod Eucharist, which was held at the mission-style church of St. Mary the Virgin in Delray Beach. Drawing upon the lessons for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Duncan stressed the importance of orthodox Anglicans both within and outside the official framework of the Anglican Communion to emulate Phil. 2.5-9. Around three hundred were in attendance for the Eucharist.
The APA now looks forward to June 22nd-24th, 2005 when the APA and REC will each hold their synods/councils simultaneously at St. Alban's Cathedral, Oviedo, Fla. This is an important next step in the merger between those two bodies. The Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Primate of the Anglican Communion Province of the Southern Cone will be the guest preacher for the joint Eucharist.
For more information, contact Fr. Mark Clavier at 828-891-7601 or at anglican@bellsouth.net.
Fr. Mark F.M. Clavier, is Ecumenical Officer, Anglican Province of America
