Anglican Mission: Breakaway Anglican Group Considering Changes

The Anglican Mission in the Americas (the Anglican Mission), a conservative group trying to keep the outward focus and missionary tradition of the Anglican Church alive in the United States and Canada, is in the midst of significant transitions.

Motivated by a new archbishop in Rwanda, the resignation of Bishop Terrell Glenn and Anglican Mission Leader Chuck Murphy’s retirement announcement, church leaders are considering their next steps as an organization.

Bishop T.J. Johnston, rector at St. Peter’s Church in Mount Pleasant, S.C., released a letter Friday regarding the changes. He said he wanted to address the recent resignation and the church’s relationship with Rwanda.

The letter said, in part: “The addition of many new bishops, a new archbishop, the establishment of new dioceses, and the retirement of several bishops have led to a desire in both Rwanda and in the Mission to review and consider all the structural options that have been used to date in our relationship.”

The Anglican Mission began in 2000 after a break with The Episcopal Church over the authority of Scripture and theological differences, including the ordination of non-celibate priests within the church.

Before that, in 1997, 30 priests led by Chuck Murphy declared the authority of The Episcopal Church to be “fundamentally impaired” because they no longer upheld the truths of the Gospel. To read more, click here.