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TALLAHASSEE,FL: St. Peter's Cathedral installing Archbishop Duncan, architect of Anglican Church in North America as interim Dean
Special to the Democrat
https://www.tallahassee.com/
Jan 30, 2019
The man who was elected the first archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, the Most Rev. Dr. Robert William Duncan, will be installed at the 10 a.m. service Sunday as interim Dean of St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral.
Duncan came out of retirement in Pittsburgh to lead the cathedral as the congregation begins the search for a new permanent dean.
Duncan led the new ACNA from its inception in 2009 until 2014, and he served as Bishop of Pittsburgh for the preceding 20 years. He is the principal architect of the 2019 revision of the Book of Common Prayer, the official service book of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. The prayer book, last revised in 1979, has only seen 10 revisions since it was first compiled in 1549.
"St. Peter's is one of the great churches of the ACNA. Besides being a classic Gothic cathedral on a grand scale, it is a vibrant parish living out Jesus' call to serve the least, the last, and the lost," Duncan said. "It's a place where worship is done well, where vocations are formed, and where Anglican leaders from across the country and the globe can gather."
Duncan said St. Peter's will play a pivotal role in the future of the ACNA, which has enjoyed strong growth, with more than 130,000 members in the U.S.
"The Anglican Church's embrace of scriptural truth coupled with the beauty of liturgical worship continues to draw many new believers," Duncan said. "Anglican worship engages all the senses and movement of the body to involve the whole person in worship."
In 2004, Duncan founded the Anglican Relief and Development Fund which has raised millions of dollars to fund more than 200 projects in 37 countries. To introduce Christianity to non-believers in a post-Christian culture, he initiated a catechism that has already been translated into 17 languages from Mandarin and Urdu to Swahili and Arabic.
Budd Kneip, who as senior warden will work with the vestry to lead the search for a permanent dean, said St. Peter's is fortunate to have Archbishop's steady hand and clear vision during this time of transition for the parish.
"Archbishop Duncan is a stellar leader with a servant's heart who has helped to shape the ACNA," Kneip said. "He will help St. Peter's continue to thrive, grow and live out its leadership role during this time of transition."
Duncan also serves as advisor to the GAFCON Primates Council and teaches liturgy at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.
The Archbishop recently relocated to Tallahassee with his wife, Nara, who holds a Master's degree of Music in vocal performance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The couple, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this summer, has a grown daughter, Louise, and two grandchildren.
