WORKING DOCUMENT MOVES ANGLICAN CHURCHES CLOSER TOGETHER

Virtuosity ^ | 3 December 2003 | David Virtue

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WORKING DOCUMENT MOVES ANGLICAN CHURCHES CLOSER TOGETHER

Special Report

By David W. Virtue

ORLANDO, FL-A working document that could unite multiple branches of the Anglican Church in the US was unveiled to 50 leaders including bishops, priests and laity, with the working title of Federation of Anglican Churches in America (FACA) at the third U.S. Anglican Congress being held here.

"FACA is a spiritual organization and fellowship of Anglican Jurisdictions and/or Dioceses in the United States and Canada that hold to the primacy of Holy Scripture, the Ecumenical Creeds and Councils and adhere to the 39 Articles of Religion, and the principles of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral," said Bishop Royal Grote of the Reformed Episcopal Church in the Diocese of mid-America.

Each member jurisdiction has adopted either the 1662 or 1928 Book of Common Prayer as the official standard for worship. The autonomy of the individual jurisdictions, dioceses and their local parishes is in no way restricted by membership in the FACA.

FACA has five tasks, said Grote, "We want to further mutual understanding of its member jurisdictions with a view to eventual union when deemed practical; propagate the truths of the gospel as articulated and practiced in the historic Anglican way; take appropriate public and private steps in common causes in order to speak with one voice and act in concert for the welfare and witness of member jurisdictions and parishes. We also want to pursue a forensic and charitable relationship with the worldwide Anglican communion and plant mission parishes in metropolitan areas where there us no orthodox Anglican presence."

The executive bodies of the FACA would be the General Assembly and Executive Committee. The General Assembly would be the conference of delegates of all member jurisdictions.

Any jurisdiction or diocese could apply for membership in the FACA if it supports and practices the principles outlined.

The Federation would have a communications office as well as foster missionary cooperation among member jurisdictions to build mission congregations begun by FACA members.

A committee for ecclesiastical education would coordinate theological education standards for the member jurisdictions and make recommendation to the Executive Committee.

Commenting on the document, Forward in Faith president Fr. David Moyer sounded an optimistic note, saying that it was a significant step forward in light of the stresses and strains within the Anglican Communion at this moment. "I am thrilled to see orthodox Anglicans uniting on essentials."

The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) and Anglican Province of America (APA) are in a formal 5-year plan to merge into one jurisdiction by 2008.

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