Monday, November 05, 2012

Viewpoint: Seven reasons why All Saints Church, Waccamaw, should not affiliate with the ACNA now



An open letter to the clergy, vestry & wardens of All Saints Parish

First, thank you for your service to our Lord and His church during these difficult times. I have attended All Saints Church since 1980, before Chuck Murphy became Rector. Although, I and others have been accused of such, I do not idolize Chuck Murphy. If I have an idol, it is the worship and leadership model that is outlined in the second chapter of Acts and that was in place at All Saints during the 1980's and 1990's.

One of the components of that model was the Institute for Christian leadership that I and 14 other people from around the country had the privilege of attending from 2000-2004. I was so inspired by my studies at the Institute that I later receivied a PhD in Church Growth from London School of Theology and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Canon (Church) Law from Cardiff University Law School.

I did this post-graduate study in order to testify as an expert in the All Saints Church lawsuit with the Episcopal Church, and to help the Institute become a fully accredited satellite of Trinity School for Ministry and Columbia Biblical Seminary. As a part of the field work for my PhD and LLM, I attended:
The Hope and the Future Conference hosted by Bishop Bob Duncan in 2004
The Convocation of Anglican Primates in Africa (CAPA) in Mauritius, Africa in 2007
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem in 2009
The Convocation of the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) in 2010
The First Annual Assembly of the ACNA in Toronto in 2011

I also have served with Bob Duncan and several of the leaders of the ACNA on the Trinity Seminary Board of Trustees for the last six years. As a result, I think that I have a broader perspective about the ACNA than most people at All Saints. I have maintained a low profile in this controversy, but I felt compelled to respectfully submit the following thoughts for your prayerful consideration. If you think that this information is helpful, please forward this letter to other members of the congregation. Read more

Read also:
All Saints Church Preferred Future is ACNA, says Rector

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