2004—2007

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.

2 August 2005

CANA is legally incorporated in the State of Texas.

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. 

2006

The AMiA, APA, and REC form the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas (FACA). FACA was organized by the Reformed Episcopal Church to “bring orthodox Anglican bishops together, jurisdictions into closer relationships, and ecclesiastical order out of chaos” (Fr. Victor Novak). It was led by Bishop Paul Hewett of the Diocese of the Holy Cross. 
AMiA Bishop Chuck Murphy and Canon Mike Murphy helped draft the Constitution and Canons of FACA in 2006.  These documents were slightly revised to become the Articles of Incorporation of the Common Cause Partnership (CCP) which were adopted in September 2007 and represented the first step toward a new ecclesiastical structure in North America.

January 2006

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

18 June 2006

Katherine Jefferts Schori elected as the Presiding Bishop of TEC. Martyn Minns responds to her election: “She will bring into sharp relief the difference between being an Episcopalian and being an Anglican. It is not clear how she can do anything other than lead The Episcopal Church in walking apart from the rest of the Communion.”

24 June 2006

Christ Church Plano declares “…our intention to disassociate from ECUSA as soon as possible. We are thankful for the shepherd role of the Right Rev. James Stanton and his standing in the Anglican Communion, and we regard him as our apostolic leader.”

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)

11-13 September 2006

“A group of bishops met in New York on 11-13 September at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and in consultation with the Presiding Bishop to review the current landscape of the church in view of conflicts within the Episcopal Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury had received a request from seven dioceses for alternative primatial pastoral care and asked that American bishops address the question. The co-conveners of the meeting were Bishops Peter James Lee of Virginia and John Lipscomb of Southwest Florida. Other participating bishops were Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori and Bishops Jack Iker of Fort Worth, Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, James Stanton of Dallas, Edward Salmon of South Carolina, Mark Sisk of New York, Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina, and Robert O’Neill of Colorado. Also participating was Canon Kenneth Kearon, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.
We had honest and frank conversations that confronted the depth of the conflicts that we face. We recognized the need to provide sufficient space, but were unable to come to common agreement on the way forward. We could not come to consensus on a common plan to move forward to meet the needs of the dioceses that issued the appeal for Alternate Primatial Oversight. The level of openness and charity in this conference allow us to pledge to hold one another in prayer and to work together until we have reached the solution God holds out for us.”

Behind the scenes: “After the introductions and opening statements, a wide-ranging discussion ensued with bishops by turns giving their assessment of The Episcopal Church in the aftermath of the 65th, 72nd, 74th and 75th General Conventions. There was also anecdotal sharing about the local environment in which each bishop ministers. Nearly all of the discussion concerned human sexuality and the mandatory ordination of women.
After a day and a half of exchanges that at times were blunt and confrontational, the participants were exhausted, but they had produced the draft of a brief statement announcing that the seven dioceses whose bishops had requested APO would be receiving “pastoral care” from someone other than the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. Rather than push ahead to complete a final statement that day, Bishops Iker and Duncan suggested that the group meet again in the morning. Whether they continued Tuesday or waited until the morning, neither Bishop Stanton nor Bishop O’Neil would be able to assist further with a final statement, because they both had to leave for other commitments.
The next day it quickly became apparent that some had developed second thoughts. Bishop Griswold said wider acceptance of the statement that they had in hand might prove problematic because Executive Council, the Presiding Bishop’s Council of Advice and the President of the House of Deputies among others had not been consulted ahead of time. Bishop Duncan said the agreement did not address Network parishes located in non-Network dioceses and Bishop Iker said the appeal was for oversight, not pastoral care. The final paragraph or so of the draft was then rewritten to reflect the published statement.—(The Rev.) George Conger and Steve Waring

15 September 2006

Christ Church Plano disassociates from TEC. “Today, Bishop James Stanton of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas has issued a “godly judgment”, an authority granted to him by the Canons of the Church, acknowledging our desire and need to disassociate, and has also signed a legal agreement granting us the title and ownership of our land and buildings. As consideration for the property, and to secure our title and allow the Diocese of Dallas to maintain their programs and ministries, we have agreed to pay $1.2 million to the diocese and to continue to service the existing debt on our property.”
In addition, Bishop Stanton has extended his personal invitation for Bishop Bill Godfrey, the Bishop of Peru, to provide oversight of Christ Church and her clergy as we take our next steps. Bishop Godfrey is a long term friend of Christ Church.” (source)

17 September 2006

“A special synod of the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy decided Saturday to seek oversight from an Anglican province other than the Episcopal Church. About 100 priests and deacons and 50 lay people overwhelmingly approved resolutions that “further distance themselves from the troubled Episcopal Church in the U.S.,” according to a diocesan news release.”
“The Diocese of Quincy joins seven other U.S. dioceses, including the southeast Illinois Diocese of Springfield, that have asked for alternative oversight since the Episcopal Church’s triennial convention in June failed to declare a moratorium on election of noncelibate homosexual bishops. The moratorium had been requested by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and other Anglican primates.” (source)

19-22 September 2006

TEC bishops meet at Camp Allen, Texas. The “Windsor Bishops” issue a letter to the TEC House of Bishops afterwards, saying in part: “Within our group are needs for various levels of response to the conflicts in the church. While here we have worked diligently to achieve unity across these lines. We recognize the need of some among us for an alternative primatial relationship. This recognition does not weaken our fundamental theological and ecclesial commitments. Rather, our unity has strengthened them, and for this we thank God.” (source)

19-22 September 2006

The Global South Provinces meet in Kigali and issue a Communiqué: “We are convinced that the time has now come to take initial steps towards the formation of what will be recognized as a separate ecclesiastical structure of the Anglican Communion in the USA. We have asked the Global South Steering Committee to develop such a proposal in consultation with the appropriate instruments of unity of the Communion. We understand the serious implications of this determination. We believe that we would be failing in our apostolic witness if we do not make this provision for those who hold firmly to a commitment to historic Anglican faith.”

29 September 2006

TEC Bishop Lee grants CANA Bishop Martyn Minns a license to continue as Rector of Truro in Fairfax, Virginia.

September 2006

Four Anglican Communion Network bishops meet in New York with the TEC Presiding Bishop and Presiding Bishop-Elect for mediation to achieve alternative oversight. More meetings are pledged to follow. (Duncan letter 6 Oct 2006).

22 October 2006

TEC Bishop of Connecticut Andrew Smith announces that priests may give pastoral blessing to same-sex unions in church ceremonies.

On the same day, the members of Christ Our Lord Episcopal Church in Woodbridge, VA vote to dissolve the church and to conclude its existence as part of the Diocese of Virginia of The Episcopal Church of the U.S. The members of the congregation reconstitute themselves as a new Anglican church, named Christ Our Lord Church and affiliated with the Anglican Province of Uganda. (link)

12-13 November 2006

The vestries of Truro and The Falls Church vote to sever ties with TEC and to join the Anglican District of Virginia in CANA.

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.

December 2006

The Ugandan House of Bishops elects the Rev. John Guernsey to be a Bishop in the Church of Uganda, serving American congregations on behalf of their Ugandan Bishop. They set the date for Bishop elect Guernsey’s consecration for Sunday, 2nd September 2007. The Church of Uganda is provides ecclesiastical oversight to twenty-six congregations in America, and continues to receive appeals from other congregations.

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). This was done at Archbishop Kolini’s request according to one AMiA Network Leader.

22 January 2007

TEC Bishop Peter Lee of Virginia inhibits 21 priests who have associated with CANA. (link)

27 January 2007

The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia denies consent to the election of Mark Lawrence as Bishop of South Carolina. (link)

15-19 February 2007

Anglican Primates meet in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Primates gave The Episcopal Church (TEC) a deadline of September 30, 2007, to provide “unequivocal” assurances that they would stop authorizing same-sex blessings and cease the consecration of bishops living in same-sex relationships.

22 March 2007

TEC bishops meet in  Navasota, Texas and reject demands from the Primates for overseas oversight of Americans who object to same sex blessings. They ignore other demands. (link)

13 June 2007

Kenyan Archbishop Nzimbi announces that he will consecrate Rev. Canon Dr. Bill Atwood as a suffragan bishop to support Kenyan clergy and congregations in North America. He calls this group the “North American Anglican Coalition.”

29 July 2007

The Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll writes An Open Letter to Network Bishops and Common Cause Partners Regarding the Future of Anglicanism in North America. He says in part, “Network bishops must unite behind Robert Duncan, and Common Cause partners must uphold him in his role as a “focus of unity” within the faithful remnant in North America. Let it be clear as day that our movement is directed toward true unity in the Body of Christ and not a fragmentation by personality and preference. Let our movement be truly catholic and ecumenical.”

September 2007

Meeting of Common Cause Partnership bishops in which they announced their intention to bind themselves together constitutionally.
“We declare clearly that we are taking this as a first step in the formation of the “separate ecclesiastical structure” in North America called for at Kigali in September, 2006.
In consultation with those Primates and Provinces of the Anglican Communion offering recognition under the timeline adopted, we intend a founding constitutional convention for an Anglican union.”

13 September 2007

Nigerian Archbishop Akinola announces the election of four suffragan bishops and appointsthem to serve in the USA. The bishops-elect are the Rev’d Canon Roger Ames (Akron, OH), the Rev’d Canon David Anderson (Atlanta, GA), the Ven. Amos Fagbamiye (Indianapolis, IN), and the Rev’d Canon Nathan Kanu (Oklahoma City, OK).
About 50 former Episcopal congregations affiliated with the Diocese of Bolivia are in the process of being transferred to CANA by mutual agreement of Bishop Minns and the Rt. Rev. Frank Lyons, Bishop of Bolivia. (link)

25 September 2007

TEC Bishops reject demands by leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion to roll back the church’s liberal stance on homosexuality.

3 November 2007

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh votes to separate from TEC.

December 2007

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

18 December 2007

“The first meeting of the Common Cause Leadership Council created the structure necessary for building a federation of orthodox Anglicans in North America. Three delegates from each of the ten Common Cause partners gathered in Orlando, Florida December 17-18. The Council unanimously elected Bishop Bob Duncan as Moderator. Delegates also elected Canon Charlie Masters of Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) as General Secretary and Mrs. Patience Oruh of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) as Treasurer. The Leadership Council recognized the ratification of a statement of theology and formed the committees called for by the Common Cause articles of confederation adopted in September 2007.” (link)