If I were interested in trying to get a group of like-minded conservative Anglicans together to start up a bible study and eventually perhaps start a congregation, how would I go about doing that? There are no continuing parishes nearby and the nearest ACNA church is over an hour away. I haven't a clue as to how reach out.
Consider starting a meetup. http://www.meetup.com Just announce that you're going to start a bible study on your own, and a core component of it will be a 1662 or 1928 Morning Prayer. Whoever will come, will come. Let everyone around your family know, and leverage the mighty Internet to really broaden who hears your call for gather. Meetup, FB, even snapchat if you want to be cutting edge! That way you may end up fishing out some baptists or Roman Catholics who are moving along the Canterbury Way. And of course old-style Episcopalians who may have left TEC due to heresies will be excited by this new guy starting a 1928 MP and Bible Study in their neighborhood... they may not have met him but they're looking for that old TEC "feel" and would give you a shot. That kind of thing, entrepreneurial. Instead of trying to FIND any last leftover conservatives, MAKE some. After all a conservative southern baptist won't have a theological objection to Morning Prayer. Have him start going, fellowship with him, and before you know it you have a ragtag band of 20, 40, 60 diverse kinds of people gathered around. Then visit an ACNA bishop, ask for a priest, and off you go, 5 years later a parish is formed!
It is! I don't get to go in town all the time, but for the summer I go every Wednesday for Eucharist/Healing service and Bible Study, followed by vigorous antique shopping.
LowlyLayman, you would be surprised at how many Roman Catholics will show up if you get something off the ground. Nearly half of our parish's growth is from lapsed Catholics. We have also received some traditional Methodists that have grown fed up with the contemporary worship takeover of Methodism. We don't see a lot of Lutheran traffic, but there are several thriving LCMS and WELS parishes in the area, as well as one of the other conservative synods. As for you guys in SWVA, feel free to PM me if you need help finding what you are looking for. My own jurisdiction has a very motivated Canon in WV who fervently desires to see traditional Anglican parishes dot the coal fields.
This is so true. We have an ACNA parish, and one of the clergy is the founder of the Anglican Network in Canada, His Grace Donald Harvey. All you need to do is put up a few flyers in random spots and you'd be surprised who might show up and the numbers of people who make an active effort to shape a group! The local priest for ACNA is also very devout and charismatic in spreading the truth of the faith, and he already has a congregation of about 200 even though they still meet in a gym!