Thinking Anglicans

What size is NACDAP really?

The American Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes or Anglican Communion Network has published this map, showing at the time of writing a total of 737 parishes that are said to be affiliated with them in some way.

Curiously though, the same website also says:

We are currently ten dioceses and six convocations stretching from coast to coast, border to border. As of January 2005, ACN dioceses and parishes count 200,000 Episcopal Christians in more than 800 congregations, and the number of affiliated parishes grows weekly.

The Network’s leader, Bishop Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh, recently gave an interview to the Florida Times-Union in which he stated:

“There are 10 dioceses comprising about 175,000 Episcopalians, and in those 10 dioceses are 650 congregations.”

Then Bishop Duncan says:

“Beyond those dioceses are another 350 congregations.”

By now you are right to be confused. 650 and 350 would total 1000 not 800.

Not all Episcopalians in the ten dioceses support the Network. Not all of those additional congregations are ECUSA churches — or ever were.

The Network defines three membership categories:

  • Affiliate
    A member of the ECUSA
  • Anglican Communion Partner
    A member of a non-ECUSA overseas Anglican Communion diocese
  • Common Cause Partner
    A member of a non-ECUSA Common Cause Partner jurisdiction

Other older data on the same website shows at this writing

  • almost 200 “Affiliates” but that list includes a number of parishes WITHIN Network dioceses
  • 41 “Anglican Communion Partners” and 8 more “Partners Pending,” (parishes that have taken steps to be under the jurisdiction of another Anglican province, such as Uganda)

That’s less than 250 total once the duplications within Network dioceses are removed.

Also, while I am at this, Common Cause Partners are:

American Anglican Council
Anglican Coalition in Canada
Anglican Communion Network
Anglican Essentials Canada
Anglican Mission in America
Anglican Network in Canada
Anglican Province of America
Convocation for Anglicans in North America (Church of Nigeria)
Forward in Faith North America (a duplication of the FiFNA Convocation of the Network?)
Reformed Episcopal Church

Beyond NACDAP, that’s three Canadian organizations, three “not-in-communion” churches (I include AMiA here), and the Church of Nigeria. Few out of all these congregations are “ex-ECUSA”.

So what is the right number of congregations or members for the Network itself? I would welcome better information.

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Cynthia Gilliatt
Cynthia Gilliatt
17 years ago

So far as I know, the Convocation for Anglicans in North America consists of Bishop Minns and, I suppose, his family. I could be quite wrong. Perhaps that is where some of the ‘discerning’ churches will try and head.

Yesterday Bishop Lee issued a statement about the consequences those wishing to leave should be aware of. I would be glad to have it posted for those interested – I suspect it is up on the diocesan website, but have not looked. That URL is http://www.thediocese.net

Mark Diebel
Mark Diebel
17 years ago

Being in a network diocese (Albany NY) parishes are automatically enrolled in the network as you say above… but even parishes that have offically (by parish resolution) removed themselves from that association and communicated same to the diocese are still listed on that site. The whole thing is a shameful sham to prove numbers and gain power… clever and shameful. The secretary of our diocese advised that if you are not interested in being a part of the network, do nothing… nothing is necessary… there is nothing you have to do because we (in the diocese) are members. In other… Read more »

John Henry
John Henry
17 years ago

Mark Diebel is spot on when he writes: “Being in a network diocese (Albany NY) parishes are automatically enrolled in the network as you say above… but even parishes that have offically (by parish resolution) removed themselves from that association and communicated same to the diocese are still listed on that site. The whole thing is a shameful sham to prove numbers and gain power… clever and shameful.” No wonder given the leadership of deceitful Network bishops who, out of their own free will, vowed obedience to the Constitution & Canons of the Episcopal Church at the time of their… Read more »

Miracle Max
Miracle Max
17 years ago

“Baghdad” +Bob’s faith-based math reminds one of “Common Cause Partner” AMiA, which went into its first weekend conference with one reported membership number and emerged on Monday with another 2,000…as if by magic!

Of course that’s still a thousand less than in Acts 2:41, and they are probably not counting the 7,000 Anglican faithful no doubt hiding in abandoned mines in Western Pennsylvania who have not bowed the knee to Baal (I Kings 19:18 for you apostate EpagaPalians)…

Robert Dodd
Robert Dodd
17 years ago

This is my first exposure to “Baghdad Bob,” a good tag. Our local name for the Network folks is “Duncan’s Donats.”

Humor is so badly needed in these rough times!

J. C. Fisher
17 years ago

And even of the parishes in ACN dioceses that *haven’t* formally repudiated membership in ACN—

Surely, no one can suppose that EVERY MEMBER of ALL THOSE PARISHES endorse the ACN in their (schismatic) actions???

[i.e., whether it’s “200,000” or “175,000”, that # of individual “Episcopal Christians” is BUNK . . . not that raw #s matter anyway! ;-p]

One more time: we in TEC have *method* of discernment, and it’s called GENERAL CONVENTION (love it or hate it). Drawing up mailing lists of the (supposedly) disgrunted is irrelevant!

David Huff
David Huff
17 years ago

What Mark Diebel described is happening in other, so-called “Network Dioceses” as well. Here in the Dio. of Dallas, three parishes have published stmts from their Vestries disavowing any affiliation with the ACN (incl. the second largest parish in Dallas, with over 2,000 congregants). And the largest parish in the diocese is famous for being a “broad tent” Episcopal church with no interest in the ACN agenda. Without even a bit of hard research, I’m confident in saying that 30% of Episcopalians in our diocese shouldn’t be counted in the Network’s figures – and if push comes to shove (e.g.… Read more »

Robert Dodd
Robert Dodd
17 years ago

When Albany’s Convention voted to affiliate with the Network in June, 2004, 40% of lay delegations and a quarter of clergy voted no — that while the Network’s game plan was still no more than a leak-based rumor. Although only a half dozen of 100+ parishes in the DOA have voted to dissociate from the Network, we have every reason to believe that many more would support a resolution to back away from it. May they soon have a chance to do so!

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