Rwanda and AMiA to go their separate ways: The Church of England Newspaper, April 6, 2012 p 7.

Bishop Chuck Murphy

The Archbishop of Kenya reports that attempts to forge a compromise between the bishops of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) and the Church of Rwanda have failed.  In a statement released on 29 March 2012, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala stated that each side wishes the other well as they pursue new opportunities in ministry.

The severing of formal ties between the AMiA and Rwanda after 12 years ends the first sustained “cross border” jurisdictional violation criticized by the Windsor Report – leaving the Church of Nigeria with the only formal overseas-led jurisdiction in North America.

On 13 March 2012 Bishop Chuck Murphy, Bishop John Miller and Canon Mike Murphy of the AMiA, along with the retired primates of Rwanda and South East Asia, Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini and Yong Ping Chung with the Primate of Rwanda, Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and Bishop Laurent Mbanda in Johannesburg to “facilitate relational reconciliation,” a statement from the AMiA said.

The Johannesburg meeting follows upon a January meeting in Nairobi also hosted by Archbishop Wabukala that sought to find a way forward in the rupture between the AMiA’s bishops and the Church of Rwanda.  Last year all but two of the AMiA’s bishops quit the African church after the Rwandan House of Bishops pushed for greater financial and organizational accountability of the South Carolina-based jurisdiction.

The split has fractured the AMiA’s 150 congregations.  While no numbers have been released by the AMiA, a majority of its congregations appear to have left Bishop Murphy’s oversight—including Bishop Murphy’s former parish and the AMiA’s headquarters, All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

One faction appears set to join the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a second group has pledged its loyalty to the Church of Rwanda but will seek to operate under the oversight of the ACNA, while a third remains with Bishop Murphy and his bishops.  Negotiations to find an accommodation are currently underway between the Murphy faction and the ACNA, however the terms publicly set by Archbishop Duncan include reconciliation between Rwanda and the Murphy group.

In his letter from Johannesburg, Archbishop Wabukala said the two sides stated that they had “done the best” to resolve the situation.  However, “we mutually agree to release each other to develop our God-given ministries for the advancement of His Kingdom.”

The parties further agreed not to disparage each other.  “We will honor all parties involved by promising not to engage in derogatory or judgmental communication,” the statement said.

The AMiA statement said “Bishop Murphy expressed deep gratitude to Archbishop Wabukala for his leadership and thanksgiving for this new beginning for the Anglican Mission.”  A member of the Rwandan House of Bishops contacted by the Church of England Newspaper stated his church would not comment at this time, noting the communiqué spoke for itself.

First printed in The Church of England Newspaper.