ACNA reports 15% growth in number of congregations in its first year: The Church of England Newspaper, May 7, 2010 p 6.

The Most Rev. Robert Duncan

First published in The Church of England Newspaper.

Predictions of the death of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) appear to have been premature, as the leaders of the third Anglican province-in-waiting in North America report that in its first year of operations it has added 106 congregations.

Archbishop Robert Duncan, the Bishop of Pittsburgh and leader of ACNA, last week reported that since the Church’s founding convocation in June 2009, 106 new churches have either been planted or joined the ACNA, bringing its total number of congregations to 809 comprising an estimated 100,000 Anglicans in the United States and Canada.

“When we began in June of 2009, I issued a challenge that we plant 1,000 new churches in the five years of my service as your Archbishop. It is wonderful to see how much progress has already been made,” Archbishop Duncan said.

In Virginia, the Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America (CANA) reported on April 12 that it had added one congregation and three missions to its membership.

The Rev Patrick Ware, the founding pastor of Winchester Anglican Church, stated his congregation was planted in response to local needs and he hoped it would “spread the Gospel” in its corner of the state.

“We are excited about the growth we’re seeing in the Anglican District of Virginia and welcome this congregation and these mission fellowships,” spokesman Jim Oakes said. “We look forward to partnering with them to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the state of Virginia and beyond.”

The Anglican Mission in America’s (AMiA) new congregation in Addison, Texas, meets in a restaurant on Sunday mornings, but since its start in October draws 100 to 120 to its services.

“We just want to do church for the sake of others. We really feel we have a calling for those who are broken, those who are lost and those who are looking for a place where they can walk through life together and grow in faith with other believers,” said the Rev Jed Roseberry, Restoration Church’s founding priest.

Both Winchester and Restoration were plants, or churches sponsored by existing congregations — The Falls Church in Falls Church, Virginia and Christ Church in Plano, Texas — two of the largest congregations in the Episcopal Church before their secessions, that are drawing the ‘un-churched’ into their fellowships. However, other congregations are being formed by disaffected Anglicans who have quit the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church in Canada.

The Church of the Epiphany in Hamilton, Ontario, led by the Victoria Hedelius, opened its doors on January 31 and was formed by separatists from the Diocese of Niagara’s Church of the Holy Trinity. “We left everything behind, and we started fresh,” Mrs Hedelius said.

Meeting in the chapel of St John’s United Church, the new congregation has weathered well its exit from the Anglican Church of Canada. “We stepped out naked, and he has clothed us… All you have to do is take the first step, and he guides you on to the next,” she explained.

Mrs Hedelius said that being “part of this movement of God’s Spirit in our church is exciting. It’s humbling, it’s such a blessing.