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CANON PHIL ASHEY ELECTED BISHOP OF DIOCESE OF WESTERN ANGLICANS
By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
October 20, 2024
The Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Western Anglicans has elected the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey to be the third bishop of the diocese.
The Diocese of Western Anglicans includes Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming--including all the major metropolitan cities in those Western states that are shaping a post-Christian culture. The election took place on Saturday, October 19, 2024.
Bishop-elect Ashey said, "I am deeply honored and blessed to follow in the footsteps of Bishops Bill Thompson and Keith Andrews in serving and leading the Diocese of Western Anglicans."
Canon Phil Ashey is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Anglican Council (AAC). A graduate of Stanford and Loyola Law School, he served as a Deputy DA in Orange County California. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1988 and spent twenty years leading Episcopal and Anglican congregations of all sizes in California, Virginia, and Pittsburgh--thirteen as a Rector and Church planter, and seven as a Senior Associate.
Phil's focus and passion is to develop biblically-faithful leaders at all levels of the Church--both here in North America and across the Anglican Communion.
In 2015, he received his LLM in Canon Law from Cardiff University (Wales UK) and since then has also been teaching Anglican canon law, drafting church laws and consulting on governance issues for both the Anglican Church in North America and for biblically orthodox Anglican leaders and churches across the world.
Ashey and his family have deep roots in California, including Canon Phil's home parish in Newport Beach, his wife Julie's home in the SF Bay Area, their education from elementary to post-graduate in California schools, and the very first congregations they pastored.
Ashey will be put forward for confirmation by the ACNA's College of Bishops during their January 13-17, 2025 meeting and, if confirmed, will be consecrated on March 29, 2025 at a location TBD. He will remain the President of the American Anglican Council, and a search for a new CEO will now begin.
"I am also grateful for all of the experiences I have had leading the American Anglican Council, which have helped prepare me and Julie for such a time as this. We look forward to serving and helping to lead the people of the diocese to reach their communities with the transforming love of Jesus Christ!"
DIOCESAN STATISTICS
DIOCESE: Western Anglicans
BISHOP: Keith Andrews (II Western Anglicans) Since 2015
Bishop-elect: Phil Ashey (III Western Anglicans)
Elected October 19, 2024
Tentative consecration: March 29, 2025
Founded: 2009
Principal location: Western Mountain States
See City: Long Beach, California
Percent of Congregations reporting: 95%
CONGREGATIONS
Pre-COVID 2019: 38
COVID 2020: 38
COVID 2021: 38
Post-COVID 2022: 36
Post-COVID 2023: 35
Pre-COVID/COVID drop:
2019-2021: NO CHANGE (0%)
Post-COVID Recovery:
2021-2023: -2 (-5.3%)
Five-year pre/post COVID difference:
2019-2023: -2 (-5.3%)
MEMBERSHIP
Pre-COVID 2019: 3,295
COVID 2020: 3,159
COVID 2021: 3,153
Post-COVID 2022: 2,940
Post-COVID 2023: 3,030
Pre-COVID/COVID drop:
2019-2021: -142 (-4.3%)
Post-COVID Recovery:
2021-2023: -213 (-6.7%)
Five-year pre/post COVID difference:
2019-2023: -335 (-10.8%)
APSA
(Average Principal Service Attendance)
Pre-COVID 2019: 2,351
COVID 2020: 2,235
COVID 2021: 1,728
Post-COVID 2022: 2,138
Post-COVID 2023: 2,392
Pre-COVID/COVID drop:
2019-2021: 1-573 (-26.5%)
Post-COVID Recovery:
2021-2023: +410 (+23.7%)
Five-year pre/post COVID difference:
2019-2023: -213 (-10.8%)
PERCENT WORSHIP ATTENDANCE
Pre-COVID 2019: 71.3%
COVID 2020: 70.7%
COVID 2021: 54.8%
Post-COVID 2022: 72.7%
Post-COVID 2023: 78.9%
Pre-COVID/COVID drop:
2019-2021: -18.5%
Post-COVID Recovery:
2021-2023: +7.9%
Five-year pre/post COVID difference:
2019-2023: +7.6%
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