AAC Official: Canterbury's Recognition Unlikely

Douglas LeBlanc
Posted on: April 3, 2009

The Anglican Church in North America is unlikely to be recognized by the See of Canterbury, a leader of the American Anglican Council said on April 1.

“We do not believe that Canterbury will recognize us, at least while the current archbishop is still in office,” said the Rev. J. Philip Ashey, the AAC’s chief operating officer and chaplain, in a brief speech in the suburbs of Richmond, Va.

Father Ashey spoke at a public library in Henrico County at the invitation of the Richmond Anglican Fellowship. About 70 people attended his speech.

Echoing the sentiments of the Jerusalem Declaration, Fr. Ashey suggested that Canterbury’s recognition will be less important as various provinces in the Global South recognize the ACNA. He said representatives from Kenya, Rwanda, the Southern Cone of South America, and Uganda are expected to attend a provincial assembly in Texas in June, where the ACNA will vote on a proposed constitution and canons.

Fr. Ashey said he was part of a panel of bishops and lawyers who have drafted canons for the ACNA, which plans to release the proposed canons within a few weeks. He said the canons will make clear that all property belongs to congregations rather than dioceses; that bishops will be nominated by dioceses on a slate of three and chosen by a College of Bishops; and that all bishops must warn each other when a transferring priest has engaged in misconduct.

He said that some parishes may prevail in property disputes, if they owned property before a diocese existed and they have no record of agreeing to The Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons. Fr. Ashey said departing parishes’ chance of prevailing in court cases likely will decrease because of decisions he expects at General Convention this summer.

Asked during a discussion period about the AAC’s relationship to Anglican Communion Partners, Fr. Ashey said the AAC had proposed collaboration more than once.

“We have been politely turned down,” he said. “We are two very different organizations.”

Fr. Ashey compared the AAC to the Special Forces of the U.S. military.

“Like Special Forces, we go behind the scenes and we blow up things,” he said, adding quickly that what the AAC blows up is principalities and powers.

Fr. Ashey encouraged his audience, which consisted of Episcopalians, former Episcopalians and members of the Anglican Catholic Church, to consider launching a mission of their own.

“If all of you decided today to form a church in the West Side [of Richmond], you have a critical mass in your numbers here.”

This article comes from The Living Church Foundation
http://www.livingchurch.org/

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