FCA UK News Release - 15 July, 2009

The General Synod of the Church of England will be asked to decide whether it wants to be in communion with the newly founded Anglican Church of North America after a Private Members Motion (PMM), tabled on Friday by lay member Lorna Ashworth calling for recognition of the ACNA has gained support from more than 1 in 4 of the Synod.

The ACNA was launched in Texas at the end of June, after parishes, clergy and Bishops were either expelled or resigned from The Episcopal Church (TEC) over the issues of Gay Bishops and Same Sex Blessings. Bishop Bob Duncan was installed as Archbishop on June 24. Greetings were sent to his installation from the Bishops of Chester, Chichester, Rochester, Lewes and Winchester as well as from the Church of England Evangelical Council and Anglican Mainstream. He was also warmly welcomed at the launch meeting of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in London on July 6th.

The Private Members’ Motion says that “this Synod express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America”. It has now gained 126 members’ signatures at the General Synod in York, which means the Synod’s business committee, meeting in September, will have to decide when the debate will take place.

Whilst PMMs are not usually supported by Bishops, Dr Rowan Williams, and Synod staff will take serious note that this motion has the public support of the Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Michael Scott-Joynt, as well as the Diocesan Bishops of Ely, Europe, Rochester, Blackburn, the suffragan bishops of Willesden, Beverly and Burnley, the Prolocutors of the House of Clergy both of the Provinces of Canterbury and of York, and the vice-chairman of the House of Laity. The House of Bishops’ Theological Group met on Friday morning in private session to table the new ‘Canons’ and ‘Constitution’ of ACNA and they will be considering these at their next meeting in September.

Lorna Ashworth said: “This motion is about wanting to stand in solidarity with our orthodox Anglican brothers and sisters in North America. This indicates that a substantial number of synod members want to declare their common faith and common fellowship with them.”

The Revd Paul Perkin, a member of General Synod, and chair of the steering committee of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, said: “The unity of orthodox Anglicans at Be Faithful! has been further expressed in the support for this motion. The matter has now assumed further urgency in the light of TEC’s rejection of the moratorium on consecrating bishops in same sex-relationships. It therefore needs to be considered by the synod at the earliest opportunity, namely in the February Sessions in 2010.”