Posted on 01/17/2007 5:16:18 PM PST by sionnsar
I'm a little late posting this article after I saw a reference to the event, Monday, on the House of Bishops/Deputies mailing list. It sounded mis-reported in the details of what was asked for, so I put in a call to St. Peter's Anglican, Memphis, to check things out, even though I'd noticed the story had been posted at Titus19. Late yesterday I had a nice phone conversation with Fr. Carpenter who confirmed the essential facts in the Memphis Commercial Appeal story, saying that they did request the establishment of a US diocese of the Anglican Church of Kenya (not unlike CANA) to meet their immediate and near-term needs for episcopal oversight. The story:
Memphis Commercial Appeal, 1/15/2007
Delegates from a dozen churches in Memphis and across the South will ask the Anglican Church of Kenya to form a diocese and appoint a bishop for them in America.
The unprecedented request was given to Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya, who was in Memphis over the weekend for meetings and services hosted by St. Peter's Anglican Church in East Memphis.
The archbishop said he will discuss the request with worldwide Anglican leaders in February and he hopes to have an answer by April. ...
St. Peter's is one of 18 U.S. churches that have affiliated with the Anglican Church of Kenya, joining a growing nationwide movement to establish a conservative alternative to the Episcopal Church. All Saints Anglican in Jackson, Tenn., is another. ...
With 2.5 million members, the Kenyan church is the fifth largest branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a bit larger than the Episcopal (U.S.) branch. So far, all of the Kenyan Church's 29 dioceses and more than 40 bishops are in Kenya.
The formation of the first American diocese would include the appointment of the first American bishop and could encourage more Episcopalians to leave the fold and join the U.S. Anglican movement. ... Read it al.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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