Recent Anglican History Working Timeline

This will be added to as time goes on, but I want to put it out because so much of it is already lost in the mist. If you have other events, please leave a comment. This list is, of course, idiosyncratic.

1973

Episcopal Charismatic Fellowship founded.

1976

Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry opened as a “rallying point of the evangelical/charismatic renewal in the Episcopal Church.”

1984

Episcopalians United for Revelation, Renewal, and Reformation (EURRR or EU) founded by Rt. Rev. William Frey, Bishop of Colorado and Bishop Michael Marshall. It later becomes Anglicans United. Todd Wetzel and John Rodgers are also leaders of the group.

November 1988 

Ugandan layman John Rucyahana attends church with Rev. Thad Barnum, while attending seminary in Pittsburgh. (Barnum 25-27)

September 1991 

TEC General Convention in Phoenix, AZ. TEC House of Bishops met in September 1990 and voted 78 to 74 to prohibit the ordination and consecration of practicing homosexuals. However, ten months later at the General Convention, the House of Bishops reversed its earlier decision by a vote of 93 to 85. (Ross Lindsay)

1993 

Jon Shuler founds the North American Missionary Society (NAMS). This was at the instigation of Alden Hathaway, the Bishop of Pittsburgh. Hathaway essentially wanted to create new orthodox Anglican parishes, whereas Shuler wanted Great Commission churches—a key difference that I think he would say persists to today within ACNA. (Shuler)

1993

Church of the Resurrection located in West Chicago and pastored by the Rev. William Beasley, leaves the Diocese of Chicago. Seven years later this church becomes a founding member of the AMiA.

1994

The Rev. Jon Shuler, a TEC priest in Knoxville, Tennessee and the General Secretary of the North American Missionary Society (NAMS) asked Chuck Murphy, the rector of All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, if he and his parish would become a partner in NAMS. (Ross Lindsay)

1995

Heresy charges brough against Bishop Walter Righter for knowingly ordaining a noncelibate gay man as deacon. Heresy trial in May 1996 results in dismissal of the case. “…the committee of bishops hearing the case concluded that the Episcopal Church’s doctrine and discipline did not prohibit the ordination of a homosexual person living in a committed relationship.” (Hansen, 33).

1995 

Ekklesia Society founded

Founded by Rev. (later ACNA bishop) Bill Atwood. Ekklesia Society connects clergy from the “Global North” and “Global South.”

1996 

In 1996 Jon Shuler was invited to Little Rock, where a group of laity wanted to start a new church. They called Bishop Ed Salmon who referred them to Shuler, but it turned out that Bishop Larry Maze didn’t want them to start a new church. After a couple trips there pleading with Bishop Maze, Shuler returned for a third visit in October 96 where Bishop Maze also had an Archdeacon with him. Shuler says the Archdeacon was an enemy of God who threw him out of the diocese and was screaming at him, spittle flying from his lips. (Shuler)

1996

Jon Shuler moved the headquarters of NAMS onto the campus of All Saints Church in South Carolina and brings Thaddeus Barnum with him. (Ross Lindsay)

1996

Bishop Alden Hathaway of Pittsburgh founds the American Anglican Council (AAC). 

10-15 February 1997

Kuala Lumpur—Second Anglican Encounter in the South

“Second Trumpet from the South.” Also “Kuala Lumpur Statement.” (Hansen 57-58).

Spring 1997 

Thad Barnum and Chuck Murphy meet with John Rucyahana and Emmanuel Kolini in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss “the crisis…in the Episcopal Church.” (Barnum 77-91) Murphy presses for action and the Rwandans agree.

July 1997

Rev. Thad Barnum moves to South Carolina to work with a missions organization. He attends All Saints Church, Waccamaw, South Carolina, pastored by Chuck Murphy. TJ Johnston is on staff with Murphy. Jon Shuler is also on Pawley’s Island at that time, as is retired Bishop Alex Dickson.

1997 

At the ECUSA convention in 1997, Frank Griswold was elected presiding bishop. Shuler says it was well known that he was bisexual and having relationships with a man and a woman outside his marriage. Shuler expected some other bishop to stand up and say something, and even though they all knew what was going on, no one did. He particularly mentions Bishop John Howe, who he says disappeared. (Shuler)

ECUSA passes a resolution “extending health coverage to the unmarried lovers of church employees.” (Barnum 96).

Resolution from conservatives to endorse the Kuala Lumpur Statement fails.

8-9 September 1997 

Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, First Promise launched.

Jon Shuler came out of GenCon with the idea to find 50 rectors from parishes large enough to resist the pressure of ECUSA and do something. They got 28 rectors who flew to South Carolina and formed First Promise.

One of the rectors of the largest churches in America signed the First Promise declaration, but by the time he flew home, he asked to have his name removed from the list.

The First Promise statement caused so much trouble so fast that Shuler recommended that they ask Archbishop Moses Tay for help. Tay was the Archbishop of Southeast Asia. Shuler knew he was bold for the gospel and was adamant about orthodoxy. 

Renewal movements started to coalesce after the First Promise declaration. Chuck Murphy suggested getting leaders together, and that became the First Promise roundtable. Murphy facilitated those discussions.

Three bishops gave First Promise a lot of advice: FitzSimons Allison, Alex Dickson, and William Wantland.

 (Shuler)

20-24 (24-28?) September 1997

Flower Mound, Texas

Anglican Life and Witness conference. AAC, Ekklesia Society, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. Stephen Noll and others prepare Global South bishops for Lambeth, informing them of Global North machinations. (Hansen 59-62). 

T.J. Johnston, Alex Dickson, and Jon Shuler meet Rwandan Bishop John Rucyahana at this conference. (Hansen 69) (Barnum 100).

1998 

Chicago

William Beasley founds the Greenhouse Movement, a church-planting organization. It is a nonprofit organization and a deanery withing the ACNA Upper Midwest Diocese at the same time.

1 December 1998

A not-for-profit entity called The Anglican Mission in America is incorporated in Illinois.

2-3 March 1998

In January 1998 there was a meeting in Atlanta. “Nobody knew what to do next.” They hit huge opposition from many people they thought had been friends and who were orthodox. Someone suggested that they send three bishops to Southeast Asia. (Shuler)

Spring 1998

Jon Shuler, Alex Dickson, Fitz Allison, and Bill Wantland journey to see Moses Tay. Moses Tay puts them in contact with other Archbishops and suggested getting the Anglican Primates together in Singapore for an emergency meeting. The thought was that the Primates would bring discipline to ECUSA.

Dickson asks to be made a bishop of Southeast Asia and sent back to the USA as a missionary. Tay says he will consider it but that nothing will happen until after Lambeth. (Barnum 127)

Tay also asked Shuler if his bishop would allow him to come under Tay’s care. A week later he asked Shuler to move to Thailand. From 98 to 2018 he was canonically part of that diocese. (Shuler)

6 April 1998 

Bishop Salmon transfers TJ Johnston to the episcopal oversight of John Rucyahana in Shyira, Rwanda. (Barnum 118)

2-3 June 1998 

Great Lakes Regional Pre-Lambeth Conference, Kampala.

August 1998 

Lambeth Conference

Lambeth Conference Resolution 1.10 upholds Scriptural and traditional teaching on marriage and human sexuality.

John Rodgers and Chuck Murphy spend an entire day with the Rwandan bishops who promise to find a biblical solution to their problem and support them. (Rodgers 187)

Immediately after Lambeth, Moses Tay runs into John Rucyahana in Canterbury and agree to meet about next steps. (Barnum 147-149)

September 1998 

Chuck Murphy convenes the First Promise Roundtable. (Lindsay)

January 1999 

Chuck Murphy flies to Singapore with Jon Shuler to meet with Moses Tay, then to Rwanda with Thad Barnum to meet Kolini and Rucyahana. (Barnum 151)

8 April 1999

Charleston, South Carolina

Chuck Murphy has a ten-minute meeting with Archbishop George Carey. Carey tells Murphy to stand down and not go ahead with ordination to bishop. (Barnum 154-55)

April 1999

In April 1999 seven Primates came together in Singapore and decided to meet again in the Fall in East Africa. Shuler was not at this meeting. (Shuler)

John Rodgers, Moses Tay and Bob Duncan were at this meeting. Rodgers passes around a photo directory from his old diocese, showing gay men with their male partners, which revolutionizes the meeting. (Rogers 188)    

The Primates of Rwanda (Emmanuel Kolini), Uganda, and Moses Tay formed a kind of triad. Secretly, they thought North America needed a new province.

Summer 1999

Kolini was not persuaded that things in America were as bad as they were portrayed, so he came to the USA for thirty days in 1999. The Presiding Bishop took him around and Kolini saw that the problems were real. After this visit, he told First Promise to select three bishops, draft a constitution, and draft canons for a new North American province. (Shuler)

27 September—6 October 1999

USA

Frank Griswold conducts a “Come and See” tour for overseas clergy. Two archbishops and three bishops participate, including John Rucyahana. On October 6, Griswold tells Rucyahana he can do nothing if someone ordains a practicing homosexual, saying that his hands are tied. Rucyahana writes Kolini and tells him America needs a missionary district. (Barnum 160-62).

21 October 1999

Bishop Rucyahana calls Archbishop Moses Tay from Pawley’s Island. They fully discuss the details of a US intervention before March. (Barnum 165-66)

1999

Shuler was asked to be on the committee to draft the constitution with John Rodgers and William Beasley. Shuler and Beasley flew to Ambridge, PA to meet Rodgers and hash out the rough constitution and canons. They found that Rodgers had already written it. They tweaked it. While there, at the house of John Rodgers, Shuler saw a letter on his desk from a David Pytches in England. Pytches was talking about consecrations of new bishops. Rodgers was convinced that Tay had started a new Reformation.

November 1999

The next meeting was in Kampala Uganda in November of 1999. The Africans had agreed among themselves that they would not take a stand if they were not unanimous. The Archbishop of Canterbury knew this meeting was going to happen and he intimidated Uganda (Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo) to stand down. Bob Duncan and Jim Stanton were there. It was a tumultuous meeting. Chuck Murphy and T.J. Johnston were also there. Bob Duncan said to them, “we can’t fix ourselves, you have to come and help us.” Kolini and Moses Tay were walking back to the hotel together. On one of the stairwell landings, they stopped and talked. Tay told Kolini that if they didn’t do something now, no one ever would. Tay volunteered his cathedral to consecrate bishops. (Shuler)

Duncan asks for foreign intervention, but bishops Andy Fairfield, Steve Jecko, and Jim Stanton, do not. The Africans see that the American Anglican Council (AAC) bishops are divided. (Barnum 169-70)

Kolini and Rucyahana were there, as well as the primates from Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Sudan, Kenya and the Southern Cone of the Americas. John Rodgers attended. (Hansen 102).

Rev. Geoffrey Chapman of First Promise calls for “…a new jurisdiction on American soil, under the temporary oversights of an overseas province.” (Hansen 103)

First Promise brings a draft constitution for a proposed Anglican Missionary Province and has priests ready to be consecrated as bishops, but this does not happen. (Hansen 103)

On the last day, John Rucyahana meets with Chuck Murphy, Thad Barnum, and Jim Beard (First Promise administrator) in a tent. Tay and Kolini had given Rucyahana a mission to enlist these men in an outside strategy. There would be an inside strategy (primarily Bob Duncan) and an outside strategy, which would produce missionary bishops. (Barnum 179-182)

Shuler flew from that meeting to a SOMA conference in Singapore. When he walked into the church, a priest came up to him and told him that he had heard that Moses Tay was going to make him a bishop.

29 January 2000

Murphy and Rodgers consecrated bishops of AMiA by Kolini and Tay at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore  (Rwanda and Southeast Asia). Rucyahana is also there.

“The Rt. Rev. C. FitzSimons Allison, retired Bishop of South Carolina, and the Rt. Rev. Alex D. Dickson, retired Bishop of West Tennessee, were among the co-consecrating bishops. The Most Rev. Emmanuel Kolini, Archbishop of the Province of Rwanda, the Most Rev. Moses Tay, Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia, and the Rt. Rev. John Rucyahana, Bishop of Shyira, Rwanda, were the consecrators. The Rt. Rev. David Pytches, former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru, now a rector in London, also was a co-consecrator.” (The Living Church, 20 Feb 2000)

The consecrations immediately produced enmity within the ranks of the orthodox. (Shuler Stand Firm podcast)

Hansen 136-37 AMiA acted hastily, in secret, and against the will of the Kampala meeting.

Shuler did not attend the consecration of the AMiA bishops because his name had been bandied about so much. He says his name slips out of the record at that point, and I agree that in many ways it did. I certainly heard nothing about him for my first six years in AMiA. 

Once the bishops were ordained, all the presbyters such as Shuler who had been part of leading First Promise were sidelined. Everything became about the bishops.

Enormous amounts of money were raised from Pawley’s Island to fund travel and keep the First Promise groups together. (Shuler)

July 2000

At a meeting in Amsterdam during an international evangelism conference (Amsterdam 2000), there was an agreement that Chuck Murphy and AMiA would lead those who were leaving ECUSA, while Bob Duncan would continue with the “inside strategy.” (Shuler)

AMiA “…bishops were given permission to proceed, “full speed ahead,” with recruiting and planting parishes and developing an alternative Anglican province in the United States.” (Hansen 133)

On 28 July, the movement is named Anglican Mission in America. (Barnum 222)

To begin with, Chuck and I worked closely with Bishop Duncan in the events leading up to and after our consecration in Singapore. I recall a subsequent meeting with our archbishops in Amsterdam during the Billy Graham Conference in 2000. Bob Duncan was there, and he said, “Your ministry needs to be more than a pastoral stopgap. There are hundreds of thousands of unchurched people in the United States and Canada, and the Episcopal Church is not really reaching out. They passed a resolution at the General Convention in 1991 for a Decade of Evangelism, but nobody did evangelism.” Bishop Duncan said, “You need to do it. And you need a name that’s appropriate.” Then he said, “We are going to call you ‘The Anglican Mission in America,’ and you have the authority to plant churches anywhere you wish.” (Rodgers 198)

July 2000 

73^rd General Convention of the Episcopal Church, Denver, CO. Resolution D039 accepts sexual intimacy outside the covenant of marriage.

24 June 2001

Denver, CO

Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and Datuk Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia, joined by retired American bishops Alex Dickson of Tennessee and Fitzsimmons Allison of South Carolina and John Rucyahana and Venuste Mutiganda of Rwanda, laid hands on:

1. Thaddeus Barnum
2. Alexander “Sandy” Greene 
3. T.J. Johnston
4. Douglas Weiss

Bringing the number of AMiA bishops to six for the 5,000-member group. (https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2001/06/amia-consecrates-four-new-bishops.aspx)

Three of the four men to be consecrated as new missionary  bishops in the AMiA have long been highly visible conservative activists in the Episcopal Church. They are: 

• Thaddeus Rockwell Barnum, 43, of Pawleys Island, South Carolina.  Canonically resident in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Ordained deacon, June 1987,  by Bishop Arthur Walmsley; ordained priest in December 1987 by Bishop Alden Hathaway. Priest at All Saints, Pawleys Island–home parish of the  AMiA–since 1998; interim rector since Charles Murphy’s consecration as  AMiA bishop in 2000. Chair of the Mustard Seed Project, an African relief  organization initially funded by the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief  (now ERD) and closely associated with Bishop John Rucyahana of Rwanda.  Founding member of the  First Promise Round Table. Wife Erilynne is a  deacon at All Saints.
• Alexander “Sandy” Maury Greene, 54 , of Denver, Colorado. Canonically  resident in the Diocese of Colorado. Ordained deacon June 1971 and priest  December 1971, both by Bishop William Hargrave. Greene has served several congregations in Florida, including  St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea in Destin, which  opted to join the AMiA last fall. He has been rector of Christ Church, Denver  since 1995, but announced his retirement two weeks ago. Greene is chairman  of the board of Episcopalians United and is also a member of First Promise ound Table.
• Thomas William “TJ” Johnston, 44, of Little Rock, Arkansas. Ordained deacon  in June 1994 and priest in January 1995 by Bishop Ed Salmon of South Carolina,  Johnston had himself transferred to the Diocese of Shyira in Rwanda in 1998, shortly after moving to Arkansas. He incorporated St. Andrew’s Church in Little Rock, without the permission of the bishop of Arkansas, as a parish of the Diocese of Shyira,  whose bishop, John Rucyahana, has been closely associated with the AMiA. He is a  member of the First Promise Round Table. 
• Douglas Brooks Weiss is rector of Christ the King Church in Campbell, California.  A  web site  lists him as “Father Doug Weiss, President, Pray South Bay,” a “prayer  walking” group. He is referred to as an “Anglican priest.” The parish is listed in the  latest edition of the Directory of Traditional Anglican and Episcopal Parishes as  associated with the Association of Anglican Congregations on Mission (AACOM),  a predecessor organization to the AMiA. There is no listing for his name in the current  Episcopal Clergy Directory.

(https://archive.wfn.org/2001/07/msg00066.html)

29 July 1999

Bishop Samuel Ssekadde of Namirembe Diocese, Kampala, Uganda travels to the USA and attends the consecration of Ray Sutton, REC bishop. (Hansen p 148-49)

February 2002

Bishop John B. Lipscomb suspends Kevin Donlon for 90 days due to eight church members accusing Donlon of “conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy.”

September 2002

Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) meeting in Hong Kong approved a motion urging dioceses and bishops to refrain from unilateral actions/policies that would strain communion.

31 July 2003

AMiA Women’s Ordination Study Team issues a report with the conclusion, “The Anglican Mission in America should maintain its present moratorium on the ordination of women, at least to the priesthood and episcopate, until a consensus emerges within the Anglican Communion that can be declared to be such by a Lambeth Conference.”

August 2003

The TEC House of Bishops and House of Deputies approve the election of a non-celibate homosexual (Gene Robinson) as bishop of New Hampshire.

Both houses approve a resolution (C051) recognizing the blessing of same-sex unions

as “within the bounds of our common life.”

October 2003

The Plano Conference drew 2,800 orthodox clergy and lay people to Dallas, TX. It ended up being held in Dallas because of the overwhelming response. It was attended by conservative Episcopalians, with some representation by other conservative Anglican groups in North America, including conservatives from the Canadian Diocese of New Westminster. Then-Cardinal Ratzinger’s letter of fraternal prayers and assurance of papal support was read.

November 2003

Gene Robinson consecrated as bishop.

20 January 2004

Founding of The Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. Bob Duncan, the Bishop of Pittsburgh, and eleven other TEC bishops gathered in Plano, Texas and formed the ACN.

October 2004

The Lambeth Commission released the Windsor Report 2004; it reaffirmed Lambeth 1.10 and the authority of Scripture as central to Anglican common life and called for moratorium on public rites of same-sex blessings and a moratorium on the election and consent of any bishop candidate living in a same-sex union.

May 2005

Archbishop Kolini asks the AMiA to seek a way to embrace all those priests and deacons, male and female, canonically resident in Rwanda, but living and ministering in the US and Canada. This means a move towards embracing women’s ordination in the AMiA.

September 2005

Church of Nigeria Synod voted to change its constitution, redefining the Anglican Communion around a common faith rather than the See of Canterbury.

November 2005

Hope and a Future Conference in Pittsburgh. 9 Anglican Archbishops attend, 47 diocesan bishops, 325 Episcopal priests.
The Anglican Church of Nigeria and the Reformed Episcopal Church announced a concordat, and several Global South primates called on the Episcopalians present to stand firm for biblical, orthodox Anglicanism – in the words of Archbishop Akinola: “Are you ECUSA or are you Network?” 

2005

The Anglican Network in Canada is established together with the Anglican Federation as two constituent partners in Anglican Essentials Canada (AEC). They are initially under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone. 

January 2006

At the AMiA Winter Conference in Birmingham, AL the Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC) is announced.

28 June 2006

The Episcopal Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), meeting at All Saints Church, Wuse Abuja, elects The Rev. Canon Martyn Minns of Truro Parish in Virginia, USA as a  Bishop in the Church of Nigeria for the missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria called Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America (CANA).

16-18 August 2006

The Common Cause Roundtable which represents nine orthodox Anglican jurisdictions and organizations in North America met in Pittsburgh and recommended the formation of the Common Cause Federation (CCF). The Roundtable drafted and approved proposed articles to create the Common Cause Federation which would formalize the relationship of the partners and allow for other orthodox Anglican groups to apply for membership. (link)

December 2006

Eight Virginia parishes vote to depart TEC and affiliate with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), an Anglican missionary jurisdiction in the US sponsored by the Church of Nigeria.

January 2007

At the AMiA Winter Conference in Jacksonville, FL, the AMiA rebrands itself as The Anglican Mission in the Americas (plural), with three “entities” under its umbrella: Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC), Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), Anglican Coalition in America (ACiA).

September 2007

Meeting of Common Cause Partnership bishops in which they announced their intention to bind themselves together constitutionally.

December 2007

Diocese of San Joaquin votes 173 to 22 to leave TEC for the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

April 2008

Three Anglican Mission clergy in Texas launched The Anglican Initiative for Mission (AIM) in 2007. The Rev. Ron McCrary was named AIM’s Executive Director.
A AMiA email says that “…senior pastors the Rev. Matt Kessler (Mesa Community Church, Austin); the Rev. Clark Lowenfield, (HopePointe Church, The Woodlands) and the Rev. Canon David Roseberry (Christ Church Plano) to join hearts and hands, targeting 200 church plants in the region. The secondary goal of AIM is to develop an exponential growth model that can be replicated around the nation.”

June 2008

1184 Anglican leaders met in Jerusalem for Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). Participants from 19 provinces affirmed the Jerusalem Declaration and formed the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans—a movement to defend and promote the biblical Gospel. The Primates’ Council of seven primates formed and called for the formation and recognition of a new North American province for members of the Common Cause Partnership.

August 2008

Todd Hunter meets with Chuck Murphy and AMiA leaders at Pawley’s Island about church planting on the West Coast. He is asked, “Do you think you could help us make Vineyard-like churches on the West Coast?” (Hunter) (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-are-vineyard/id1601786519?i=1000621623101)

September 2008 

TEC HOB voted 88 yes, 35 no, 4 abstain to depose Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan for abandonment of communion prior to the diocesan vote to realign. The canonical requirement of a majority of those eligible to vote was not met.

October 2008 

The Diocese of Pittsburgh voted 240 for, 102 against to realign the diocese with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

December 2008

Common Cause Partnership drew up constitution and canons for the new Anglican Church in North America.

January 2009 

Todd Hunter presents at the AMiA Winter Conference and joins AMiA as a network leader and church planting director on the West Coast.

June 2009 

The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is formed. The inaugural Provincial Assembly is held in Plano, and adopts the constitution and canons drawn up at the December convention.

September 2009 

Todd Hunter consecrated as a missionary bishop in the AMiA. He also assumes oversight of the Anglican Coalition in America (ACiA), the arm of AMiA that ordains women. Hunter “…leads Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO), a church planting movement and Mission Network designed to develop leaders committed to planting Kingdom-based Anglican Mission churches located primarily, but not exclusively, on the West Coast of the US. C4SO is guided by a vision for planting 200 churches in 20 years.” (AMiA press release)

2009

In approximately 2009 it came to the attention of the Rwanda HOB that for several years the annual financial statements of the AMiA showed about $300,000.00 per annum being given to the Province of Rwanda under this 10-10-10 tithing arrangement.

January 2010 

Bishop Chuck Murphy, in consultation with theAM’s Council of Bishops, appoints the Rev. Kevin Donlon to serve as Canon for Ecclesiastical Affairs. “Kevin will assist in promoting a greater understanding of the norms of the Church in general and Anglicanism in particular with a focus on how the Province of Rwanda relates to the wider church.” (AMiA Currents newsletter 18 Jan 2010)

10 February 2010

The General Synod of the Church of England affirms ACNA’s desire “to remain within the Anglican family.”

March 2010

St. Andrew’s Church, Mt. Pleasant (SC) votes overwhelmingly to leave The Episcopal Church and affiliate with ACNA.
Joins under Bishop John Guernsey, then affiliated with the Diocese of the Holy Spirit. (Link)

The AMiA steps back from integration in ACNA, moving towards becoming a Ministry Partner instead. The ACNA press release says:

The Archbishop’s Cabinet has been working since February with the
leadership of the Anglican Mission (theAM) in the Americas to clarify
the Anglican Mission’s structural relationship within the Anglican
Church in North America (ACNA). This consideration came as a result
of a January resolution by the Rwandan House of Bishops objecting to
the dual membership of Rwanda’s missionary bishops in the North
American College of Bishops. The Anglican Mission, one of the
founding entities of the Anglican Church in North America, was
established as a North American missionary outreach of the Province of
Rwanda following the consecrations of Bishop Chuck Murphy and John
Rodgers in the year 2000.

The Constitution and Canons of the ACNA were written so that theAM
might be practically integrated in the structure of the ACNA as a
jurisdiction, while sustaining identity as a missionary outreach of
Rwanda. The jurisdictional approach has led to a number of areas of
confusion for bishops and congregations of the Anglican Mission.
Consequently, it has been agreed by the Executive Committee of the
ACNA (presently also the Archbishop’s Cabinet, and formerly the lead
bishops of Common Cause) that the Anglican Mission will petition the
June meeting of the Provincial Council for status as a Ministry
Partner, a status provided for in the Constitution and Canons of the
North American Province and agreeable to the Province of Rwanda.

The Ministry Partner option will clarify the existing confusions. The
Primatial Vicar of the Anglican Mission, appointed by the Archbishop
of Rwanda, serves as chief liaison between the Province of Rwanda and
the Anglican Church in North America. Representatives of the Anglican
Mission continue to sit in the Provincial Council. The ACNA and its
Ministry Partners remain fervently committed to Anglican 1000 and
church-planting. Local congregations continue to work together in
ministry, and are free to transfer between the Anglican Mission in the
Americas and the Anglican Church in North America (or vice versa) in
consultation with the bishops concerned. Clergy of theAM remain
canonically resident in the Province of Rwanda and subject to their
Norms, Prescripts, and Disciplines, but Ministry Partner status does
provide canonically for clergy of theAM and the ACNA to minister in
both ecclesiastical entities provided they are in good standing. The
most significant change brought by Ministry Partner status is that AM
Bishops would no longer be regular members of the ACNA College of
Bishops.

Bishop Chuck Murphy, Primatial Vicar and Bishop Chairman of theAM made the following comment concerning the future of the Anglican Mission as a Ministry Partner within the Anglican Church in North America: “We are delighted that the Anglican Church in North America is now successfully up and running. As one of the founding members of the ACNA, we in the Anglican Mission have invested significant time and
energy into its formation and we remain strongly supportive of the
Province and Archbishop Duncan’s leadership of this important new
work.” Archbishop Duncan noted, “The vision of a biblical, missionary
and united Anglicanism in North America remains the vision of every
North American Anglican. Jurisdictional integration also remains a
future hope as Rwandan canons do provide for the transfer of the
Anglican Mission to the Anglican Church in North America when the time seems right.”

2010

Bishop Terrell Glenn discusses leaving AMIA for ACNA according to some reports.

23 January 2011

Onesphore Rwaje elevated to the Archbishop of Rwanda.

10 February 2011

At the 2011 AMiA Winter Conference Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo asks Chuck Murphy for an accounting of money given to Rwanda. Bishop Alexis writes a formal letter to the Rwandan Archbishop specifying the problem and asking for a clear accounting of what happened to 10/10/10 funds. This letter was given to Archbishop Rwaje and all the bishops of both the AMiA and PEAR who were at the Winter Conference.

31 March 2011

The Rwandan House of Bishops (HOB) expresses the need to meet with AMiA leadership to discuss ‘respective roles’ in the ministry ‘we are all involved in.’ This letter is sent to Bishop Murphy. (link)

5 April 2011 

Christ Church Plano receives oversight from Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh under the pastoral guidance of the Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop of the ACNA and Bishop of Pittsburgh.

May 2011

John Guernsey is elected bishop of the newly formed Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic (DOMA) within ACNA. (link)

19 May 2011

Jon Shuler writes Archbishop Rwaje asking to be appointed as the Primatial Vicar and bishop of NAMS under the authority of Rwanda.

31 May 2011

Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo writes a letter about financial issues to Archbishop Rwaje. He requests an accounting for AMiA money given from 2008-10, roughly 1.2 million dollars not recorded in the Provincial budget.

27 June 2011

The HOB meets with Bishop Murphy. 

June 2011

At some point during or after a turbulent House of Bishops meeting in Rwanda, retired Archbishop Kolini said to our Chuck Murphy that he believed it was time for AMIA to leave Rwanda. (Barnum letter)

9 June 2011

Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo to the Archbishop

We are not asking for explanations or lectures on Canon Law. What we want from you is clear answers to the several important questions in the letter of May 31. What we are looking for is facts and figures and a clear accounting of what happened to 1.2 million US Dollars that was given to Rwanda but apparently never found its way into the proper Provincial accounts.

…

I object to the presence of H. Miller and Kevin Donlon to possibly manipulate and dominate the proceedings when they are not Bishops. 

Mid-Summer 2011

Chuck Murphy meets in London with AMIA’s retired and founding archbishops. “It was here, as I understand it, that the concept of a new AMIA Missionary Society took shape out of a perceived concern that AMIA was suddenly vulnerable to the leadership changes in Rwanda. As this meeting took place, the vision of the Missionary Society — a real, tangible “option” — was as yet completely unknown to, and outside the counsel of, our own Rwandan Archbishop, Onesphore Rwaje.” (Barnum)

31 August 2011

During a monthly AMIA Council of Bishops (COB) phone call, Chuck Murphy presents the following options: 1- stay in Rwanda; 2- go to ACNA or, 3- start a new Missionary Society. He asks each bishop to respond. (Barnum letter)

21 September 2011

Rwandan House of Bishops meeting. Chuck Murphy presents the idea of a Missionary Society.

Early October 2011

Chuck Murphy meets with AMIA’s retired archbishops (sans ++Rwaje).

He meets with the AMIA Network Leaders in Arkansas and again in South Carolina with senior rectors from all over the Mission. (Barnum letter)

25 October 2011

Bishop Rucyahana writes Bishop Murphy. He says in part: “Finally I would request you to slow down and make consultations with the Province of Rwanda and other friendly institutions before you take an important move like this.”

31 October 2011

Archbishop Rwaje writes Chuck Murphy:

“The storming that happened in June was acknowledged by all of us as a new beginning with realization of a new house. 
There are serious accusations to the House of Bishops that need to be ironed out before moving forward.
The interpretation of what is expressed as the painful visit with the House of Bishops in june.
The reverse colonialism
The spirit of rebellion and lawlessness
The assumption that the new Archbishop does not make decisions.
…I am requesting that all procedures toward the formation of the new missionary society be halted until we go through the Jerusalem moment.”

3 November 2011

AMiA clergy in Washington D.C. write a statement and send it out via this blog and other outlets. It becomes known as “The Washington Statement.”

4 November 2011 Rev. Cynthia Brust

AMiA press officer Cynthia Brust writes to George Conger:

“Based on the details you have outlined in your email, your source(s) is (are) ill informed. The Anglican Mission has been in conversations for some months internally and with Rwanda leadership about shaping the best structure to both express and facilitate our consistent vision to be “a mission, nothing more and nothing less.” 

All of the concepts discussed, including the creation of a defined “society for apostolic work,” or “Missionary Society,” include an expectation that we will remain connected to Rwanda, and theAM leaders are working collaboratively, as always, with Rwandan leaders. These conversations with leadership on both sides of the Atlantic remain ongoing, and it is important to note that no decisions have been made – we are in a process of conversations only, and frankly any public discussion is premature at best.

Bishop Chuck Murphy enjoys a positive, honest, open and collaborative relationship with Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and the House of Bishops of Rwanda…the suggestion that the Anglican Mission does not intend to remain a part of the Anglican Communion is false.

There has not been “friction” or “discord” about appointing bishops for the Anglican Mission. A planned discussion of the possibility of new bishops at the Rwanda House of Bishops meeting in June was not brought forward simply because the two-day meeting had to be reduced to one-day due to a funeral. The very full agenda did not allow for a conversation about new bishops.

We are left to wonder what prompted such a deliberate dissemination of inaccuracies and believe it is incumbent upon Mr. Conger and Mr. Kallsen to issue a retraction.”

November 2011

AMIA Council of Bishops meeting in Myrtle Beach

For it was at this meeting Bishop Terrell Glenn submitted his resignation from the AMIA Council of Bishops citing a broken and unreconciled relationship with the Chairman. (Barnum letter)

11 November 2011 

Rt. Rev. Charles H. Murphy III (Virtue Online Interview)

“Rumors that there has been a rift between the Anglican Mission in the Americas and the Anglican Province of Rwanda are false said Bishop and Chairman Chuck Murphy who told VOL that there is “no rift, no tear” and that the relationship is “solid” and “cherished. Both parties are working through their future shape together.

“I will be meeting with Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, Primate of the Province of Rwanda, in Washington DC, next week to continue discussion of the design of such a missionary society. I have invited the Rev. Canon Kevin Donlon (our Canon for Ecclesiastical Affairs) to join us in this these discussions.

The Anglican Mission leader reported that at a regularly scheduled Council of Bishops meeting this week, Bishop Terrell Glenn resigned as a missionary bishop overseeing the Apostles Mission Network (parishes ranging geographically from the northeast to the Carolinas). 

“I honestly do not know what his future plans are,” Murphy told VOL. “He told our Council of Bishops that he and his wife Teresa are in a discernment process.

“I will not deny that there have been grumblings in some quarters of the Apostles Mission Network about a variety of issues aired throughout the blogosphere, but there are also a significant number of congregations and clergy who have expressed a very different perspective and maintain strong support for both the Anglican Mission and my leadership.”

Asked if he was under any pressure to resign, Murphy said no. Earlier this year, the entire Council of Bishops wrote Archbishop Rwaje specifically requesting that he be re-appointed as the Primatial Vicar of the Mission. He has, however, told Archbishop Rwaje, that he intends to retire as Primatial Vicar in two years at age 66.”

12 November 2011 

Chuck Murphy email to AMiA:

This past week during a regularly scheduled Council of Bishops meeting in Myrtle Beach, South  Carolina Bishop Terrell Glenn shared with us that he and Teresa have been in a time of discernment and felt led by the Lord to resign from the Anglican Mission. We honor the contribution of Terrell’s service for nearly four years as a bishop in the Anglican Mission.

We continue to keep Bishop Glenn and his family in our prayers as they move on to serve the Lord in this new season of their lives.

14 November 2011 

Bishop Emeritus of Shyira Diocese (Retired) Bishop John Rucyahana writes Chuck Murphy:

I feel obliged to share my concerns:

 1)      Taking Amia from it’s original intent and purposes (vision) may distort or derail it’s destiny.

2)      This move may hurt the relationship of Amia with the Province of Rwanda which stood alone in the whole world for Amia in the most difficult times.

It may be extremely hard to comprehend for the retired Archbishop Kolini who led Amia as a mission of Rwanda and now moves with Amia out of the Province during his retirement. 

I would implore you to reconsider this move, but if you so choose to do it or be  in consultation with the Province of Rwanda.  It would be very sad to start with a wave of the Holy Spirit and end up with a human agenda.  

I therefore request you very kindly to be considerate on the retired Archbishop Moses Tay and retired Archbishop Yong both of whom God used to assist and bless Amia at it’s formation. Please do not use them when you are taking this move, least you hurt their reputation.

Be aware that the whole world is going to have an interpretation of this move and this may cause a strong wave which may throw some of the people overboard.  

16 November 2011 

Bishop Terrell Glenn writes:

it is a decision that Teresa and I have made after several months of agonizing prayer as we have sought to do what we believe the Lord has called us to do.

For a while now, Bishop Murphy and I have sought to resolve personal issues between us. Regrettably, we have been unsuccessful. As Teresa and I prayed about this, we came to believe that the Lord was leading us to step out of the Anglican Mission and we are doing this in obedience to Him.

30 November 2011 

Rwandan House of Bishops writes AMiA clergy:

“This letter is written with the purpose of reaching out to the AMiA congregations and leaders, to re-assure you of our firm stand with you. We are hearing all that is going on and the issue that is distracting all of us. Our hearts were broken by the resignation of Terrell Glenn. Terrell remains one of us and under the leadership of the Archbishop of the Province of Rwanda. We also have been praying for the Washington group. Openness, transparency and speaking truth in love should be encouraged.

Dear AMiA friends, stand firm in this difficult and trying times. As per our House of Bishops’ stand, we are supportive of AMiA that we know, have and nothing else (Washington DC Meeting in November 2011, AMiA and PEAR delegates). we will do anything with the Lord’s guidance to support and stand with you.”

18 November 2011 

Bishop Murphy told CEN it was “absurd” to suggest he was in rebellion.  He denied the AMiA was seeking to withdraw from Rwanda and stated his relations with the archbishop remained strong. 

27 October 2011

Bishop Tay writes Bishop Rucyahana.

“wrote to Bishop John saying that he believed it to be clear that a spirit of rebellion and lawlessness was at work – beyond and beneath legitimate human concerns, procedures, and rationalizations. He then listed for Bishop John “other spirits”that he believed were at work – e.g. the spirit of accusation and the spirit of offense.” (Cited by Chuck Murphy)

30 November 2011 

2nd letter, Rwandan House of Bishops to Chuck Murphy, per reporting:

The head of the Anglican Mission in America has been threatened with ecclesiastical discipline for contumacy.  Unless Bishop Chuck Murphy repents of his disobedience and apologizes for his offensive statements within seven days, the Rwanda House of Bishops will assume that he has “made a de facto choice to withdraw as primatial vicar” of the AMiA.

In letter from the Rwandan House of Bishops to Bishop Murphy dated 30 Nov 2011, the AMiA leader was chastised for disobedience and abuse of office. 

“You have constantly disregarded the decisions and counsels of the House of Bishops” and have “misused the authority given to you by the Archbishop in advancing your new missionary society interests,” said the letter signed by the Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and the Rwandan bishops.

However on 30 Nov 2011 the Rwandan bishops wrote to Bishop Murphy giving him an ultimatum – honor his vow of obedience or go.  They stated Bishop Murphy had ignored two requests to halt the reorganization of the AMiA into a missionary society and “insulted” the House of Bishops by “using abusive language.”

The AMiA head had also “dogged questions of financial transparency” and had not yet complied with a commitment given in September to provide an accounting.

The Rwandan bishops requested Bishop Murphy offer a letter of apology for his actions, end his moves to re-organize the AMiA, and confirm his “commitment to refocus on AMiA.”

Unless Bishop Murphy complied with this request within seven days, the Rwanda House of Bishops would assume that he had “made a ‘de facto’ choice to withdraw as primatial vicar” of the AMiA.

5 December 2011

Early Monday morning, December 5, I wrote Bishop Chuck and copied two of my colleagues as witnesses. I begged him to comply with the Archbishop’s admonition. I wrote, “If we have any authority as bishops to bring ‘godly discipline’then we’ve got to model being under and complying to ‘godly discipline’ …“Model being under authority for us, for the Mission. Don’t let us divide… For the sake of the Mission, for the sake of all who look to you as a model of godly leadership, come under the discipline of your Archbishop.”

A half hour after sending this letter, I was notified that the COB was about to have an emergency conference call and that each of us (except Bishop Terrell who had formerly left the COB) was being asked to issue our formal resignation along with our Chairman as bishops of the Province of Rwanda. (Barnum)

5 December 2011

A spokesman for Bishop Murphy told Anglican Ink the proposed reorganization has “required the [AMiA] and the Province of Rwanda to engage in substantive dialogues, and we seek to ensure that our unique cultures are in clear communication with each other.”

“It has required that we listen carefully to one another in our attempts to fully understand all of the issues involved from one another’s cultural perspectives,” the spokesman said, noting the 30 Nov letter was “part of that yet unfinished dialogue and it will be addressed as our Archbishop has required.”

7 December 2011 

Cynthia Brust to Christianity Today:

“It’s just a difference of opinion in the way Rwanda wanted to move forward and what the Anglican Mission felt like God was leading us to do,” Brust said.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/decemberweb-only/leavingrwanda.html?start=2

7 December 2011

Two days later, I had opportunity to speak with Archbishop Rwaje. I apologized to him that we were unwilling to comply with his godly admonition. I apologized for the insulting words of the past months – none which hurt more than the phrase “reverse colonialism” (implying AMIA wasn’t going to be controlled by Africa) – and then for the hurtful comparison of being compared to the Egyptian nation. (Barnum)

8 December 2011 

AMiA communicates withdrawal to clergy:

As you may know, on December 5, in response to unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances, the Anglican Mission in the Americas withdrew from the pastoral oversight of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda.  In addition, Bishop Chuck Murphy resigned as Primatial Vicar and Bishops Murphy, Sandy Greene, Todd Hunter, TJ Johnston, Philip Jones, Doc Loomis, John Miller and Silas Ng, as well as retired Bishop John Rodgers, resigned from the House of Bishops of Rwanda.

During this interim period, the Anglican Mission is under the oversight of our founding Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini, Moses Tay and Yong Ping Chung until we have a new provincial home within the Anglican Communion.  Bishop Murphy is meeting with these overseeing archbishops in London next week to discuss options for the best way forward.

While these events came as a significant surprise to all of us, and circumstances beyond our control have necessitated rapid decisions and actions, we are very encouraged about our future in the Anglican Mission and see a powerful missional opportunity to move toward formation of a missionary society. Since we highly value continuity, this is a logical, consistent progression of what God has been doing in and through the Anglican Mission since 2000.  The missionary society concept provides the appropriate structure for us to be…a mission, nothing more, nothing less and in many ways represents “a long obedience in the same direction.” (Cynthia Brust to AMiA email list)

9 December 2011 

AMiA email addresses financial accusations:

Questions have been posed concerning roughly $1,200,000 that was given by the Anglican Mission but did not go into the Provincial accounts. As addressed above, approximately $800,000 was part of the tithe that paid expenses for the Province directly from the Anglican Mission or was designated to another need.

The remaining $460,000 was a designated gift given to the Anglican Mission for special projects in Rwanda. The donor gave Anglican Mission complete discretion to use this money in support of Rwanda in whatever way it saw fit. In consultation with the Archbishop, these funds went to support items like PEAR Theological College, the Provincial Convention, Diocesan support and the purchase of a provincial vehicle. These were not a part of the Anglican Mission’s tithe to Rwanda and were given over and above the tithe. (AMiA email)

20 December 2011

Archbishop Duncan issues a pastoral letter mentioning discussions with AMiA bishops and discussing future steps for AMiA and PEAR congregations.

21 December 2011

AMiA Council of Bishops email discusses meeting with Duncan, reconciliation between bishops Glenn and Murphy, and future reconciliation with Rwanda.

17 Feb 2012

The Upper Midwest website posts: “In light of the Anglican Mission’s (AM) restructuring and the Anglican Church in North America’s (ACNA) movement toward a midwest diocese, the leadership of both the AM Midwest Network and the ACNA’s Wisconsin and Greenhouse Deaneries calls all interested parishes and parishioners to enter into a discernment process.

The goal of this process is to seek greater clarity and unity regarding the purpose of the Lord for Anglican work in the Upper Midwest (Chicago/Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota).”

4 May 2012

C4SO leaves the AMiA for the ACNA. “Bishop Todd Hunter of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) has been received by the Anglican Church in North America and will serve as an assistant bishop in the office of the primate, the Most Rev. Robert  Duncan. On 4 May 2012 the California-based bishop held a conference call with Archbishop Duncan, Bishop Chuck  Murphy of the AMiA, and Bishop Terrell Glenn of PEAR-USA/ACNA to discuss his future plans. Bishop Hunter stated that he had a “warm and collegial conversations” with the three bishops and “articulated for each of them my vision of C4SO becoming a servant to all the various Anglican entities within North America. C4SO will happily plant churches in partnership with PEARUSA, TheAm and the ACNA.” C4SO – Churches for the Sake of Others – is a church planting initiative run by Bishop Hunter that will now move under the ecclesial oversight of the ACNA. (George Conger story)

3 January 2012

Kolini and Rwaje meet in Nairobi, mediated by Okoh.

10 April 2012

The Rwandan House of Bishops issues a letter regarding AMiA clergy affiliation and announcing that they are working with ACNA to establish how a new Missionary District will function within ACNA.

13 April 2012

Bishop Chuck Murphy announces that the AMiA will take up canonical residence in the Congo. “This week, I received an official letter from Archbishop Henri Isingoma of the Anglican Church of the Congo, receiving me as a Bishop of the House of Bishops in his Province and offering us a new canonical residence. In response to a recent letter from Archbishop Rwaje asking our bishops to translate to another Anglican jurisdiction by the end of this month, I had earlier requested that he send my letters dimissory to the Province of the Congo.”

26 April 2012

AMiA leadership meets in London with the Archbishop of Congo. 

30 April 2012

ACNA receives T.J. Johnston and John Miller from the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) as honorary temporary assistant bishops. (link)

May 2012

C4SO announces the move from AMiA to the ACNA.

5 May 2012

George Conger reports that Archbishop Waukala withdraws his support from the AMiA. “The Archbishop of Kenya has withdrawn from the Anglican Mission in America’s (AMiA) College of Consultors.  Sources within the AMiA and in the Anglican Church of Kenya tell Anglican Ink Archbishop Eliud Wabukala has written to Bishop Chuck Murphy withdrawing his patronage from the organization.

Last week Bishop Murphy announced that five primates – Archbishop Henri Isingoma of the Congo, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala of Kenya, and retired archbishops Emmanuel Kolini, Yong Ping Chung and Moses Tay – had agreed to provide archiepiscopal oversight for the AMiA as it reconstitutes itself as a mission society.

On 1 May 2012, Bishop Murphy announced that following a meeting in London the five archbishops had “issued a decree” for the establishment of a “mission society” that would continue the AMiA’s work of “advancing apostolic works and ministry.”

The statement said that on 25 April 2012 the five primates had agreed to “serve on the College of Consultors, its overseeing body.” Bishop Murphy said he hoped the new society would be in place within 40 days and that he was calling a convocation meeting on June 4 to inaugurate the new entity.

Sources within the Gafcon primates council stated there had been no discussion of the AMiA mission society proposal during the London FCA meeting. The news had also come as a surprise to Archbishop Robert Duncan, Anglican Ink learned.

Queried as to his reasons for giving his endorsement to the new society, Archbishop Wabukala told his colleagues on the primates’ council after the news had been made public, that he believed his support would allow the AMiA to “fold in” to the ACNA.” (link)

7 May 2012

Archbishop Duncan gives an interview to Anglican TV. He says, “…until very recent days we believed that the Anglican Mission was trying to come back into relationship with the ACNA, but the move to Congo and the things that have surrounded it, and indeed the bishops who have spoken to some of our bishops who have been AM bishops make it clear that really the AM is moving somewhat erratically and again is disintegrating further…further fracturing as the move to Congo is not widely applauded here in North America.”

Further, he commented on meetings in South Africa meeting between the Rwandan bishops and the remaining AMiA leadership. He said that “the result of those two meetings was I think some further pain in which the Anglican Mission in the Johannesburg meeting asked, and actually used the words, it’s time for a divorce. Rwanda has in a sense agreed to set the Anglican Mission free, but still, all of this is a great unhappiness even a scandal in the Body of Christ.”

26 May 2012

Retired Rwandan Archbishop Kolini held a meeting to support the Rwandan/Tutsi invasion of the DRC through the M23 movement. At this meeting, Kolini conveyed Paul Kagame’s message to Congolese of Rwandan descent who lived in the Kivu provinces of the DRC. According to the UN Group of Experts: “Another similar M23 meeting with Rwandan authorities took place on 26 May 2012 in Ruhengeri, Rwanda, at Hotel Ishema. According to intelligence sources and to politicians with close ties to Kigali, the RDF organized the meeting for CNDP politicians, which was chaired by Bishops John Rucyahana and Coline {Kolini – editor}, both senior RPF party leaders. The aim of the meeting was to convey the message that the Rwandan Government supports M23 politically and militarily. All Rwandophone politicians and officers were instructed to join M23, or otherwise leave the Kivus.

4 June 2012

In a press release, the AMiA refers to itself as “The Anglican Mission Society for Mission and Apostolic Works.”

12 June 2012

PEARUSA Assembly in Raleigh, NC. Archbishop Rwaje, Bishop Laurent Mbanda, and Bishop Nathan Gasatura install Rev. Steve Breedlove as the “Presider Pro-Tem” of the new Missionary District. The Rev. Clark Lowenfield assumes duties as Vicar of the new Diocese of the Gulf West Coast for ACNA. The Rev. Alan Hawkins becomes Vicar of the Anglican 1000 church planting initiative.

3 July 2012

Announcement that effective July 15th, clergy and parishes in the Heart of North America regional network (AMiA) will be invited to make transfer to the ACNA’s Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes (ADGL) and to the care of its Bishop, Roger C. Ames.

4 June 2012 Chicago

AMiA Convocation in Chicago: The Anglican Mission passed a milestone today and is now only one step away from finalizing the Society for Mission and Apostolic Works. Clergy and lay leaders gathered for a Convocation held in Chicago and committed to four “Rs” designed to expand mission and ministry in North America. (AMiA press release)

7 August 2012

The Heart of North America (HONA) Network was part of the AMiA under the leadership of Bishop Doc Loomis. It merges into the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes (ADGL) under

Bishop Roger Ames.

15 August 2012

The Anglican Mission announces oversight from Bishop Nathan Kyamanywa, Diocese of Bunyoro-Kitara, Uganda and Bishop Edmund Dawson Ahmoah, Diocese of Dunkwa-on-Offin, Ghana, West Africa.

August 2012

Inauguration of CANA’s Missionary Diocese of the Trinity. Led by Rt. Rev. Amos Fagbamiye, this became the first official CANA diocese within ACNA, with a focus on building congregations across the U.S. and Canada.

26 October 2012

Archbishop Duncan appoints Bishop David Hicks (REC) to lead a Theological Task Force on Holy Orders. The Task Force “will lead the College of Bishops through a thorough study regarding the ordination of women to Holy Orders.”

Late 2012

Move of CANA Headquarters to McLean, Virginia. The administrative office relocates to the Barnabas Fund offices.

16 April 2013

Retirement of Bishop Martyn Minns announced by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh; marks the end of Minns’s tenure as Missionary Bishop of CANA.

21 July 2013

Stewart Ruch elected first bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest.

22 June 2014

ACNA bishops meet in conclave in Latrobe, PA and select Bishop Foley Beach as the second Archbishop of ACNA.

6 October 2014

Christ Church Plano receives oversight from Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh under the pastoral guidance of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd D. Hunter, Bishop of the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others.

January 2015

Bishop Breedlove asks the leadership in Rwanda and the leadership of ACNA  about the future of the relationship, given that the time for a review of the protocols is almost upon them.

March 2015

PEARUSA bishops meet with Archbishop Foley Beach, Bishop John Guernsey and the PEAR bishops in Musanze, Rwanda to discuss the protocols governing PEAR/PEARUSA/ACNA relations.  The ACNA bishops tell the gathering that they believe that the Missionary District should be transferred to the Anglican Church in North America. The meeting lasted two days and is characterized as “direct” with “tough” work taking place.

25 March 2015

Christ Church Plano receives oversight from the Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd D. Hunter, Bishop of the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others. Fr. David serves as Dean for all the Texas Churches who are part of the Diocese.

30 March 2015

PEARUSA bishops present a proposal to the House of Bishops of Rwanda and the Archbishop of ACNA for PEARUSA networks to become diocese within the Anglican Church of North America and continue as canonical residents of Rwanda.

May 2015

The Rwandan House of Bishops meets  to consider the PEARUSA proposal.

July 2015

Bishops Breedlove and Lawrence meet with Archbishop Rwaje and Bishop Ahimana in Rwanda, where they are told of a unanimous decision that PEARUSA should move fully into ACNA, ending its formal relationship with Rwanda.

The Rwandan Provincial Synod makes a resolution on PEARUSA joining ACNA.

8 February 2016

Bishop David Bryan announces that The Southeast Network of PEARUSA will fold its 20 congregations into existing ACNA dioceses.

Steve Breedlove, Jeff Weber, and Ben Bowman meet with the ACNA Governance Task Force and present an application for what will become the Anglican Diocese of Christ our Hope to join fully, moving from the Missionary District of PEAR to ACNA.

August 2015 and 13 April 2016

Senior leaders from the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Mission met “in a conversation facilitated by a certified mediator to discuss broken relationships, and to find ways that produce a faithful witness to Christ that has been undermined in the past.”

Archbishop Foley Beach, Bishop Philip Jones, Bishop Bill Atwood, Bishop Sandy Greene, Canon Phil Ashey and the Rev. Allen Hughes met in Dallas to discuss their relationship, history, and ministry.

January 2017

The ACNA Holy Orders Task Force presents its Final Report to the College of Bishops. It concludes, “Over the course of our study, we have found that no single argument, either way, that clearly settles this controversy to the satisfaction of all. Anglicans on both sides hold their opinion with a sincere wish to serve God and uphold the gospel.”

24 April 2017

ACNA church Truro Anglican announces “…a new ministry of peace making and reconciliation called the Truro Institute: A School of Peace and Reconciliation…the culmination of our outreach to and discussions with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia with whom we are joining in this exciting initiative. Years after the costly litigation and sometimes on-going animosity with the EDV, we have arrived at a new era of community building and peacemaking.
This new ministry, formed by Truro Anglican, will have equal representation on its board from EDV and Truro, along with representation from the Dean of Coventry Cathedral and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

2018

The AMiA splits again, with some clergy leaving to form the Anglican Union For The Propagation Of The Gospel: A Confraternity Of Oratories.

September 2018

ACNA holds a Conclave on the subject of Holy Orders.

27 November 2018

Twelve Canadian Anglican priests write to Bishop Charlie Masters citing concerns about Todd Atkinson.

“Some of us are troubled by the apparent claim to extra-biblical revelation from the pulpit by Bishop Todd. Others have raised concerns that the “unique discipleship method” of Via Apostolica may incline toward “Heavy Shepherding” with its unaccountable reliance on one leader.

12 March 2019

A joint committee of representatives from ACNA and the Church of Nigeria met in Houston regarding clear lines of authority for CANA dioceses.

2 May 2019

ACNA announces an agreement with the Church of Nigeria that provides that CANA become solely a mission of the Church of Nigeria but allows three dioceses (Cana East, Cana West, Trinity) to make their own decision regarding provincial relationships.

17 May 2019

Christ Our Light Anglican Church (COLA)—was a church plant located in Big Rock, Illinois, established by members of Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton under the oversight of the Greenhouse Movement within the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest.

A woman’s 9-year-old daughter tells her that Mark Rivera has been sexually abusing her. Rivera was a trusted lay leader there, a “catechist.” He was involved in worship leadership, pastoral care, treasurer duties, and vestry service at COLA.

21 May 2019

CANA East became the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word after withdrawing its membership from the Church of Nigeria to become solely a diocese of ACNA.

22 November 2019

An independent investigation of Father Eric Dudley from Saint Peter’s Anglican Cathedral in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese of ACNA finds that he “…engaged in sexual misconduct against certain adult staff members and one other non-staff adult, abused his authority as an employer and priest and emotionally harmed those in his charge.”

Dudley is deposed and barred from ministry in ACNA.

2 June 2020

ACNA Bishop Ron Jackson admitted to the use of pornography over many years and pleaded guilty to the charges of sexual immorality (Canon IV.2(6)) and conduct giving just cause for scandal or offense (Canon IV.2(4)).

The College of Bishops voted to impose the sentence of deposition from the sacred ministry on Bishop Jackson. His holy orders have been removed, and he is no longer permitted to engage in ordained ministry in the Anglican Church in North America.

January 2021

The ACNA College of Bishops issues a Pastoral Statement on sexuality and identity. It says that “To insist on the adjective “gay,” with all of its cultural attachments, is problematic to the point that we cannot affirm its usage in relation to the word “Christian.””

Bishop Todd Hunter (C4SO) promptly issues his own pastoral guidance on the subject, saying in part, “Policies are blunt instruments…The College of Bishops does not speak with the authority of a magisterium…It is understandable that some feel frustration when we then try to control the language through which celibate, gay brothers and sisters self-identify.”

July 2021

ACNAtoo, a grassroots advocacy group advocating for survivors of abuse within ACNA, begins organizing.

24 August 2021

ACNA Executive Committee meets in Bremerton, Washington and appoints the members of the Provincial Response Team.

“The Provincial Response Team is tasked with overseeing an investigation into the Diocese of the Upper Midwest’s handling of allegations of misconduct and coordinating the care of survivors. In addition, the Provincial Response Team will collaborate with the canonical review team which will provide feedback to the diocese on ways they might improve their structures and processes.”

29 August 2021

The Province announces that the ACNA Executive Committee has approved the UMD Bishop Council’s request for an expanded scope of inquiry into the situation. 

This will eventually result in an additional, concurrent “abuse of power” investigation into the UMD, beyond the scope of the investigation specifically into the alleged mishandling of the Mark Rivera case.

“…it was presented to Council members that it was critical for them to expand the scope as suggested because a Religion News Service article was pending release that would reveal a host of complainants all alleging “spiritual abuse” against Bp. Stewart and his subordinate leaders.”

3 September 2021

Bishop Todd Atkinson takes a leave of absence. “Though geographically located in Canada, the clergy of Via Apostolica are canonically resident in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. Because of this leave of absence, Atkinson will not be serving as an acting assistant bishop in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest.” https://anglicanchurch.net/bishop-atkinson-takes-leave-of-absence/

September 2021

Bishop Ruch calls Archbishop Beach hoping “…to have a dialogue with you about my leave of absence.”

3 October 2021

Bishop Quigg Lawrence accepts position of Interim Bishop for Via Apostolica.

4 October 2021

William Beasley retires as Missioner General of the Greenhouse Movement.

12 October 2021

“Archbishop Foley…has requested a leave of absence from priestly ministry (teaching, preaching, celebrating the sacraments, etc.) of Canon William Beasley, the recently retired Missioner General of Greenhouse. Canon Beasley’s leave will remain through the expanded investigation overseen by the Province.

6 November 2021

ACNA: “Allegations of misconduct, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power, have been made against Bishop Todd Atkinson. A Provincial Investigative Team has been formed to look into these matters, and is beginning its work.”

11 November 2021

Stewart and Katherine Ruch, with Alec Smith, have a phone conversation with Hawkins. Hawkins promises to have a conversation with Beach about Ruch’s leave.

29 November 2021

Notice of claim letter served on Archbishop Beach. Letter says in part, “We are aware of Bishop Ruch’s statement made on May 4, 2021, which communicated that the abuse never occurred on church property or during church-sponsored events. This self-serving proclamation was both deceptive and lacked a factual basis.”

2 December 2021

Stewart and Katherine Ruch write to Archbishop Beach outlining provincial offenses against them and the UMD, including “…two victim advocates from the PRT called and confronted one of my cathedral staff members for her pastoral care decisions.” He says, “…if even half of my perceptions regarding the way this process has been handled with me and my diocese were accurate, they would amount to the mistreatment of a bishop. I also shared that I am ready to forgive, to understand, and to empathize.”

13 December 2021

Ruch calls Archbishop Beach “…to ask you about your perspective on the possibility of me coming off of leave.”

14 January 2022

ACNA engages Husch Blackwell LLP to investigate allegation of sexual abuse and mishandling of efforts to address such allegations. (Husch Blackwell Report)

14 January 2022

Bishop Ruch writes Archbishop Beach. He says, “I have decided to come off of my voluntary and temporary leave of absence effective March 7, 2022.”

14 January 2022

Alec Smith writes Archbishop Beach. He requests “…that the Provincial processes currently underway regarding two investigations of matters pertaining to Bp. Stewart and the Upper Midwest Diocese (“UMD”) be halted, that a sit-down meeting between Your Grace and Bp. Stewart (along with advisors) be arranged to discuss the further progress of these investigations, and that all further investigative activity and results be submitted to canonical procedures and norms.”

17 January 2022

Price, Roes, and VandeHei resign from the PRT.

8-12 February 2022

UMD Bishop’s Council meets with ACNA leadership discussing Ruch ending his LOA. UMD Bishop’s Council decides to ask Bishop Ruch to remain on leave until after the ACNA investigations are complete.

12 February 2022

Bishop John Miller calls Bishop Ruch, who is in Brazil for a family funeral, notifying him of the Bishop’s Council’s decision.

“Bp. Stewart was irate with this news and how Bp. John had never seen this side of him before…he was shocked at Stewart’s initial response to him. He reported that it took him a long time to calm Bp. Stewart down and that, by the end of the conversation, Bp. Stewart had returned to “being the person we all know and love.”

“Stewart shared that he’s been lied to, deceived, worst nightmare ever been through.”

Ruch says his relationships with Provincial leaders are deeply fractured.

1 April 2024

ACNA Ecclesiastical Court for the Trial of a Bishop convicts Bishop Todd Atkinson of Via Apostolica of several offenses, and he was removed from ordained ministry following the conclusion of his ecclesiastical trial.

27 September 2022

Husch Blackwell submits its report to the Provincial Response Team. “…per the terms of our engagement, we have not rendered any legal determinations or assessment of other policies or rules. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive summary of the information collected so that the Province can assess it and determine any responsive actions.”

16 October 2025

GAFCON proclaims a reordered Global Anglican Communion “governed by a Council of Primates, choosing from among ourselves a primus inter pares—a first among equals—to serve in collegial oversight.”