Conger

Nigeria has added four more bishops to the roster of CANA, the Convocation of Anglicans in North America.  Their election will increase the total number of African-sponsored missionary bishops to the United States to 17 by year’s end: six from Nigeria, two from Uganda, two from Kenya, and seven from Rwanda

The President of the American Anglican Council, the Rev. Canon David Anderson, the former rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio, the Rev. Canon Roger Ames, and two Nigerian priests serving expatriate African congregations in the United States, the Ven. Amos Fagbamiye and the Rev. Canon Nathan Kanu were elected by the Nigerian House of Bishops on Sept 12.

The four will be consecrated later this year in the US and will assist Bishop Martyn Minns in “providing an indigenous ecclesiastical structure for faithful Anglicans in this country,” CANA said.

The Nigerian House of Bishops also re-elected five and elected two new archbishops.  Edmund Akanya of Kebbi succeeded the Josiah Idowu-Fearon as Archbishop of Kaduna and Benjamin Kwashi of Jos succeeded the Emmanuel Mani as Archbishop of Jos.

The Archbishop of Lagos, Ephraim Ademowo of Lagos; the Archbishop of Owerri, Bennett Okoro of Orlu; the Archbishop of Ondo,  Samuel Abe of Ekiti; and the Archbishop of Ibadan,  Joseph Akinfenwa of Ibadan were re-elected to five year terms.

According to a press release published on CANA’s website, the convocation now boasts 60 congregations and 80 clergy spread across 20 states.  A quarter of CANA’s members are Nigerian immigrants, with the balance consisting for the most part of former members of The Episcopal Church.

Canon Ames, who with his parish seceded from the Episcopal Church in 2005 for the Diocese of Bolivia, said that approximately 50 former Episcopal parishes under the jurisdiction of the Bolivian church were in talks with CANA to transfer jurisdictions.

On March 7, the Nigerian House of Bishops stated that in light of the Primates’ Dar es Salaam communiqué it would “defer the request for additional Episcopal elections for CANA until our meeting in September 2007.”  The rejection by the US House of Bishops of the Primates pastoral scheme for US traditionalists prompted last week’s election.

On Sept 15 Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda issued a statement endorsing the elections.  The rejection by the US bishops of the “Pastoral Scheme presented to them unanimously by the Primates of the Anglican Communion and the subsequent rejection by TEC’s Executive Council” was “evidence of this desperate need to care for, support, and encourage orthodox Anglicans and Episcopalians in America,” he said.

The election of four more bishops will not divide the conservative movement in North America he said.  The “renewal of Anglicanism in America” will come through a unity “based in the Word of God” and “demonstrated through its Bishops who work together cooperatively and collaboratively for increased mission in America.”