June 25, 2009

Winds of renewal are blowing through the Anglican Church this week bringing refreshing hope to some and perhaps a shiver to others.

In Plano, Texas, Anglicans from the United States and Canada this week completed the organization of a new church devoted to traditional Anglican beliefs with the ratification of a constitution and canons. Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh was installed as the Anglican Church of North America’s first archbishop Wednesday evening.

This fledging organization is in response to moves made by the worldwide Anglican Communion to ordain homosexuals into the priesthood, bless same-sex unions, and implement other teachings seen by many as moving away from orthodox biblical and Anglican doctrines.

The new constitution states that orthodox Anglicans are “grieved by the current state of brokenness within the Anglican Communion prompted by those who have embraced erroneous teaching and who have rejected a repeated call to repentance.” Called “The Covenant,” this four-part document outlines the basics of the Christian faith as Anglicans have historically understood and practiced it. It also provides for accountability among Communion members. The Covenant was initiated by the 2005 Windsor Report that, in turn, was prompted by the crisis in the Anglican Communion created by deviation from Biblical teaching and morality in North America.

“Our hope is that the Anglican Church in North America is the re-constitution of a faithful church,” said Archbishop Duncan before the meeting. “We are specifically trying to re-constitute a Church whose chief concern is the mission, rather than governance. The notion of a Provincial Assembly focused on mission rather than governance is among our deepest hopes.”

The more than 800 delegates and attendees from as far away as South America, Africa and Asia represented millions of Anglicans. All attended to renew their commitment to the Gospel as written in the scriptures and traditionally practiced by the Anglican/Episcopalian church.

The Cracking Communion at Lambeth, 2008