Meeting under the banner, "Pressing Toward the Goal" the sixth annual Anglican Mission in American conference got underway with a colorful opening worship and Eucharist, with the Southeast Asian Archbishop urging the AMIA to reach out and save souls, "despite speculations, accusations and misinformation."
"We are to witness the life giving work of God in our midst. We are not the dissenters, we are not causing disunity; we are the unity that God expresses in our soul," said the soon to retire Archbishop who was honored for his start-up role in the formation of the Anglican Mission in America in Amsterdam in 2000.
"Amsterdam was not to discuss whether Jesus is the Lord of the church or not. It was not to argue whether the bible was the Word of God with full authority or not, we were clear in our unity. It was God's time that a call for the formation of the Anglican Mission in America. If you asked me would I do it again, I would yes, it is from God," he said.
"God has blessed the AMIA and has bestowed his favor from a handful of churches to almost 100 in 5 years. God has honored those leaders including Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda) Archbishop Moses Tay, (Southeast Asia) and Bishop Chuck Murphy. If they had not been ordained the first time, I would not have had the courage to do it in the America a second time."
"Don't let any one cheat you be giving you another gospel," said the Archbishop. "The mission heart of God is the top priority of all churches in AMIA. God will not tolerate compromises to the essentials of faith, the supremacy of the Bible, and Christ's plan to save the world. He will intervene. If you do not repent God will remove your lamp stand from its place. This is the kairos time for AMIA and for your churches for this new year 2006."
Kenyan archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi echoed similar sentiments saying: "We are here to fellowship with each other, to strengthen one another, to encourage one another."
The Anglican Mission in America arose out of the ongoing decline in faith and morals in the Episcopal Church USA; the ordination of avowed homosexuals to the priesthood and the failure to uphold basic doctrines of the Christian Faith.
Hundreds of attendees here are former Episcopalians who left liberal Episcopal parishes, starting new Anglican churches with the AMiA. Some fleeing parishes have also turned directly to African, South American and Asian bishops seeking affiliation, creating a row over cross jurisdiction.
Several priests from the Diocese of Florida are present, two received letters of deposition from Bishop John Howard as the AMiA conference got underway.
For thousands more the final straw was the Episcopal Church's consecration of the openly homosexual New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson.
However the subject of homosexuality will not be raised either in plenary speeches or workshops. The AMiA holds traditional views on human sexuality and also does not ordain women to the priesthood.
In his address to the conference, AMIA leader Bishop Chuck Murphy said that 800 people had registered, the largest winter conference so far, with people from 32 states,12 countries including Australia, Africa, Mexico and Canada to name but a few, with nine different archbishops from the Anglican Communion, eight from Africa. The Archbishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion John Hepworth is present from Australia.
Bishops from other jurisdictions included the Rt. Rev. Williams Millsaps of the Episcopal Missionary Church and John Rucyahana from Rwanda.
Other Anglican primates in attendance are Archbishop Justice Offei Akrofi of West Africa; Archbishop Fidele Dirokpa of Congo; Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi of Burundi; Archbishop Bernard Malango of Central Africa; Archbishop Donald Mtetemela of Tanzania; and Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda.
"We are not reading history but making history for the kingdom," said Murphy. The pages of the New Testament are coming alive in our work together, he said.
Murphy said when the AMiA started five and a half years ago there were 11 churches. "Within a year we had 38 congregations. In 2002 we had 52 congregations, in 2003, some 58 congregations and in 2004, 70 congregations. By 2006 we had 87 congregations. These are not house churches these are congregations." Murphy said there were now nine affiliated Canadian churches that are also part of team under the Province of Rwanda. He said 11 other congregations were in the pipeline." Murphy said the AMiA adds one new congregation every three weeks.
"We are not just a gathering group for disaffected Episcopalians. We receive a few congregations but we are growing by responding to the needs of individual communities. We want an Anglican mission church in America."
Murphy says the AMIA responds with teaching, initiating new outreaches and cited New England where they had recently sent Bishop Thad Barnum to start new parishes. Murphy said the church was setting up networks of congregation and leaders with the strategy of releasing the leadership out into the local area. "We want to release bishops to be missionary bishops."
Murphy said the AMiA was now deeply involved in Common Cause and saw itself as part of a global family, pointing to the recent formation of the new regional body CAPAC - the Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean which modeled itself on CAPA, the African equivalent. Murphy said Nassau was designed as a way to strengthen the global communion. He said AMIA's presence at the recent Cairo Third South to South encounter, AMIA's attendance in Common Cause indicated AMIA's desire to stay coordinated.
"We have been called the morning stars of the new work of God around the world. I believe God is driving this thing. Morning star is a part of the call...the new wave of the Holy Spirit. This is the power. He is moving, anointing and equipping. God is creating new wineskins. The subject is mission; the focus is on the vision. We need new structures, a new way forward. A house divided cannot stand."
Murphy clarified that the AMIA was not another denomination. "We are a mission, nothing more or less. God is calling to move out in mission opening new territory and planting churches."
Murphy drew on the Celtic model of mission. "I want to see the Celtic model as the model for us today. The Celtic model gives us direction move from the past into future. The Celts were the most successful missionaries. They were the main evangelists quietly and persistently doing church planting. They moved out and set up worshipping communities. It is less territorial; the model focuses on church planting."
"Let bishops be the missionaries. Bishops should be released to do missions. Battles over geography should be secondary. There should be no turf warfare. Bishops should move out to wherever the Lord leads," he said.
"We have a genetic linkage to the global family and we are under authority. We embrace both geography and affinity. Let's be relaxed about how and where we go."
Murphy said that there are 130 million unchurched people in U.S. the largest English speaking group in the world. "We are the 5th largest nation in the world, mission possibilities are enormous."
Murphy praised the work of Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan and said he was delighted to work with him. "It requires a long obedience. We need to press on towards the goal. We don't jettison everything in our past. We can use new models in our Anglican story. The bias must always be toward action. We need to step outside the box, stay under authority with nationally recognized coaches and consultants and a passion for mission and development of networks and leadership development." Murphy described it as Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal.
"There must be no reserve, no retreat and no regrets," he said.
END
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Our local AM church is down there. What a solid church.
Wow, I'm impressed!