In a press release headed CANA Celebrates Launch of New Anglican Province, Bishop Martyn Minns is quoted as follows:
“…Since day one, CANA has been and will continue to be a full participant in the life of the new province, and will continue to maintain our own identity. We will encourage groups of congregations, when they are ready, to establish themselves as free-standing dioceses. Our goal is to support the work, mission, and ministry of the Gospel on this continent and bring our own particular distinctive to that task.
“CANA congregations now have a ‘dual citizenship.’ They are members of the Church in Nigeria and as a result of that relationship, full members of the global Anglican Communion. CANA congregations are also members of the Anglican Church in North America and will participate fully in the life of the new province.
“CANA is unique in its connection to the largest province in the Anglican Communion, the Church of Nigeria, which represents about 25 percent of the entire population of the Communion. CANA also has a distinct connection with the GAFCON and Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans movement, and with the Global South. We have a radical commitment to ministry of the poor which crosses all ethnic lines, to planting new churches, equipping the next generation for leadership in the church, and educating the church about how to engage with a resurgent Islam in North America….”
And there is also a Q&A with Bishop Minns on the Inauguration of the Anglican Church in North America which goes into greater detail about how this will work.
This seems rather different to what the Church of Uganda recently said:
Posted by Simon Sarmiento on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 at 9:18am BST | TrackBackLikewise, the Bishops resolved to release, effective immediately, the Bishops, clergy and churches in America under its ecclesiastical oversight and to transfer them to the Anglican Church in North America. The House of Bishops further resolved to continue its partnership and friendship with them in mission and ministry, extends its hand of fellowship, and wishes them well.
Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi said, “This really is the moment we have been waiting for. We have been longing to be able to repatriate our clergy and congregations to a Biblical and viable ecclesiastical structure in North America, and that day has now come. To God be the glory.”
Interesting writing by Minns -"We have a radical commitment to ministry of the poor which crosses all ethnic lines, to planting new churches, equipping the next generation for leadership in the church, and educating the church about how to engage with a resurgent Islam in North America "
Plays to his perceived strengths and might be seen by some as pandering to his overseers in Africa (tho his goals are certainly worthy) but,pointedly, turning a "Nelson Eye" to the elephant in the room - human sexuality and how "his" church will address that issue.
Posted by: ettu on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 at 12:18pm BST"how to deal with a resurgent Islam in North America"
For Islam to be resurgent in North America, wouldn't it have to have had some sort of "Golden Age" here previously?
Whatever things we may have to learn from Nigerians (both the literally Nigerian and the merely canonical kind), how to engage with Islam doesn't seem to be among them. I do not care for the prospects of either giving over large tracts of territory to be administered in accordance with Shari'a or sending armed groups of "Christian" thugs to rape and murder Muslims.
Posted by: BillyD on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 at 7:29pm BSTResurgent Islam in North America? Gee, I guess I need to get outside more, but I don't see Islam as a rapidly growing religion in North America, much less resurgent.
An interesting comment by Baby Blue in the comments section in her blog is that CANA is staying part of the Church of Nigeria until the litigation over property ends. Seems a bit disingenous to me.
http://babybluecafe.blogspot.com/2009/06/bishop-martyn-minns-report-on-acna.html
Also,makes one wonder if this "dual citizenship" is so that Martyn Minns can be the head of CANA in North America without having to be completely under the leadership of AB Duncan? Better to have your AB in Nigeria than in Pittsburgh perhaps?
Posted by: David C on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 at 7:45pm BSTSo do the CANA parishes answer to Akinola or Duncan?
Posted by: BobinSWPA on Friday, 3 July 2009 at 7:55am BSTAccording to Adherents.com, there are more Muslims in North America than Anglicans, and their faith is growing faster than we are; that is close enough to "resurgent" for me, so quit trolling for controversy with such superficial criticism.
I imagine that CANA parishes answer to their diocesan, i.e., +Minns, and their archbishop, ++Akinola, until the CANA governing body ratifies the ACNA Constitution and submits a membership application.
Posted by: Anxious Anglican on Sunday, 5 July 2009 at 3:55am BSTAnxious Anglican,
What is there to be anxious about? I mean, if the Gospel is from God, do you honestly think he will let it die? Christ giveth us the victory. What's the worst thing anyone can do? Let's say someone takes over and puts in place some system that oppresses Christians, not a foregone conclusion by any estimation, but let's take it as read. So what? What's the worse thing anybody can do to us? If we truly believe the message of the Gospel, even death has no power over us, and we have ample evidence from the past 2000 years that God will support us through whatever trials we go through before we die. Not only that, but we know the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, their going from us is NOT utter destruction. They are still with us, still hear our requests for their prayers, still give us their example. Do you still sing the hymn "All the Way My Saviour Leads Me"? We do, especially in my home parish. If you really believe that, what could you possibly have to be anxious about?