NON-[Anglican]COMMUNION BISHOPS INVITED TO THE BAHAMAS

private discussion list | 13 March 2004` | anonymous

[ahadams2]

NON-COMMUNION BISHOPS INVITED TO THE BAHAMAS

Anglicans United has reported that the Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, Archbishop of the Bahamas and West Indies, and the Most Rev. Gregory Venables, new Archbishop of the Southern Cone, have invited the Presiding Bishops of the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Province of America, to meet with them in the Bahamas to discuss the way forward for faithful, orthodox Anglicanism on the American Shore in a meeting to take place from 27 March to 2 April.

In addition to the two Presiding Bishops, three other REC bishops have been invited to attend and the five men have been invited to preach in five churches in the Bahamas on 28 March; Archbishop Gomez carefully guards who will preach in his parishes, so the invitation to occupy those pulpits is significant. Those participating include the Most Rev. Leonard W. Riches, Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church and Bishop of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; the Most Rev. Walter Grundorf, Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Province of American and Bishop of the Diocese of the Eastern United States; the Rt. Rev. Royal U. Grote, Jr., Bishop of Mid-America (REC); the Rt. Rev. James C. West, Sr., Bishop of the Southeast (REC), and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Ray R. Sutton, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Mid-America (REC) and Rector of the Church of the Holy Communion in Dallas, Texas. A number of other Primates within the Anglican Communion have been invited, as have several orthodox ECUSA bishops.

REC/APA UNITY COMMITTEE MEETS

The Joint Unity Committee for the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Province of America met at St. Alban's Cathedral (APA) in Oviedo, Florida, on 16 January. The two denominations are currently in a ten-year process of working toward possible merger. Items discussed were a draft Solemn Declaration that would be included as a preface to the Constitution of a united church. The committee also considered a plan by the Rt. Rev. Royal U. Grote, Jr., Bishop of Mid-America (REC) to improve relations between the several Anglican bodies in the United States.

[ahadams2]

Note to the Casual reader: To the best of my knowledge this is the first time in which *any* Anglican Primate has ever openly shared ministry with either the REC or the APA. The REC was formed in 1875 as a number of Evangelical parishes left ecusa due to the increased presence of Anglo-Catholics. I believe the APA was formed in the late '70's, when a number of Conservative Anglo-Catholic clergy and laity left ecusa due to the ordination of women and other theological problems they spotted a bit before some of the rest of us did. [any APA freepers out there who want to explain that a bit better??]

Neither REC nor APA is currently considered to be 'in communion' with the archbishop of Canterbury.

What this means is that both Abp Gomez and Abp Venables are recognizing both the REC and APA as valid Anglican expressions here in the United States. In response to this we can expect to see some hooting and handwaving by rowan the fuzzy & co at Canterbury while frank the heretic and the folks at 815 will pretend it isn't happening.

[ahadams2]

interesting development ping.

[bonny011765]

It's a small world after all.

We need a moratorium on all the 3or 4 letter handles.
I suppose all Anglican Catholics are not in the Anglican Provence in America? (API, was it)
Anyway, numberwise, if you added up all the groups that have splintered since the 1970's, I wonder if they are equal to Ecusa numbers and would be a formidable force to reckon with.
Perhaps this common threat to the catholic, Christian faith is enough to make some strange bedfellows. (no, not Vicki and Mark:)). I mean to say, perhaps differences can be set aside in some way. At least they are talking...

[ahadams2]

Oh, come on bonny - we're Anglicans - you know, the folks who have a form and a process for nearly everything - like the Army, sort of (well it reminds *me* of the Army anyway)...of course we have acronyms.:-)

Numbers are difficult to come by with any accuracy, but no the Continuum (continuing churches which include the APA and several others) and the REC together don't equal ecusa, but if one was able to find all the other former episcopalians and add them to the count as well, I think it would be close.