http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/459949.txt
[Waterbury Republican American] 11 Jan 2010--A local spiritual leader's ties to Tanzania are shaping his ministries, both here and in the African nation.
The ties between the Rev. Bryan Bywater, of New Hope Anglican church, and Anglicans in Africa also help illustrate the powerful bond between conservative Anglicans in the United States and the church in Africa.
Bywater, who retains an affiliation with the Tabora Diocese in Tanzania, was ordained rector of New Hope on Saturday during a service in the auditorium at Swift Middle School. He has been the interim rector for the church, which formed after splitting from Christ Episcopal Church in 2008, for more than a year.
The breakaway from Christ Episcopal Church was part of a major rupture in the Episcopal Church of North America as conservatives rebelled against the ordination of homosexual priests and other trends in the church.
In the past decade, Africa has become a spiritual center for many Anglicans who have divorced themselves from the national Episcopal Church over divergent views on homosexuality and biblical interpretation, said Frank Kirkpatrick, a professor of religion at Trinity College in Hartford, and author of the book "The Episcopal Church in Crisis: How Sex, the Bible and Authority are Dividing the Faithful."
When dozens of congregations, like Christ Church in Watertown, broke with the national church, their leaders surrendered their religious authority as Episcopalians, he said. African dioceses, which have led the more conservative wing of the international Anglican Communion, continued to recognize the worshippers and consecrate former Episcopalian priests to lead them.
But for Bywater, his spiritual connection to Tanzania is the result of a personal journey, rather than a political one. He said that unlike other priests who are recognized by an African diocese, he is actually an ordained priest within an African diocese.
"My heart is in Africa," he said. "(But) my feet are in America."
Visit Bryan Bywaters' blog, Restless Heart Ministries at http://restlessheartministries.blogspot.com/
Jordan, wish you had posted the entire story. As I pray you know, when text is taken out of context, interpretation is up to the reader. I am indeed an African Priest and preach throughout Tabora and America, but I was led to Tanzania by a path not taken by most.
ReplyDeleteBlessings in the Master,
Rev.Bryan Bywater
sinner, redeemed by Grace
Rector, New Hope Anglican Church
Bryan,
ReplyDeleteThe link at the top of the page leads to the rest of the story. I only post a part of the story to serve as an introduction to the story and to interest the reader in the story since I do not have permission to post the entire story.
I may need to start posting the link at the end of the introduction after a prompt like "To read the rest of the story, click here."