Hello all, I'm here due to my interest in returning to my Anglican past. I was baptized in, and hoped to seek ordination in, the ECUSA. However, as many others did, I left the church due to some issues of conscience. I then joined the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) and have been there for a few years. For a while now, I've been gravitating back toward a more catholic (little "c") tradition and I now feel a quiet but strong pull toward the Anglo-Catholic tradition where I think i'd feel most comfortable. The one thing I've struggled with is finding a church in the "Ozarks" (SW Missouri/NW Arkansas/NE Oklahoma). I've noticed a lot of denominations now that call themselves "Anglican" (ACNA, ACC, ACA, CANA and others) but I'm struggling to understand the differences between these many groups. Any help would be appreciated! Pax Christi! Brian
I'ld like to know too, coming from New Zealand ,and interested in Britain, the concept of more than one Anglican church denomination is a struggle to deal with.
ACNA is really a confederation of realignment groups, i.e. those who want to replace TEC as the Anglican province in the United States. This group is very very diverse containing conservative Anglo-Catholics to liberal evangelicals. It really depends on which part of ACNA they are from as to how they will be. The Continuing groups, ACA, etc. result from the decision of TEC to ordain women and authorize the 1979 book, so they will be mostly traditionalist catholics.
Welcome, and hope your stay is a good one! My regards from Canada, and on the unofficial behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada! In Lux Christi!
Brian, you don't know much of my history since I've been absent for many months, but our paths were very similar. The best advice I can give to you is to immediately stop and rethink your decision. The ECUSA is only a mere shell of what existed 20 or 30 years ago, and sound historic doctrine is not only ignored, but shunned with great vigor. A vast majority of ordained Priests could not honestly answer the ordination vows in the BCP, and many denounce the deity of Christ and/or a literal resurrection, Heaven, or Hell. The national church is being run by a rabid pseudo-unitarian and is in dyer financial straights, and those who disagree with her agenda find themselves either without a building, pension, or ordination. Do yourself a favor and investigate the REC or ACNA before you make a regrettable decision. I'll be praying for you my friend! Jeff
Thanks Jeff. I actually left the ECUSA a few years ago. What I meant in my original post was that I was once seeking ordination in the ECUSA, but instead I left because they were becoming too liberal/unbiblical as you mentioned. I agree that they are only a shell of what they once were. I'm now looking for an Anglican church not affiliated with the ECUSA. God bless!
In numbers theres strength! You guys should get ordained in the rec and accna Invoked by Jeff to lead the charge against liberalism.
Thanks Spherelink, I need to keep praying about what to do but I would love to serve in a faithful Anglican church!