Time To Look Beyond Racial And Ethnic Lines In The Church

The move was “the right, good and godly thing to do,” ADAN Bishop Felix Orji said. “In the providence of God, we live in North America, so we felt it was and still is very important that we align ourselves with the Anglican Church in North America, which is the faithful GAFCON Province having jurisdiction over the USA, Canada and Mexico.

“This is in line with the biblical call to unity in the body of Christ, our Anglican ethos and principle of being part of the godly Anglican jurisdiction where one is domiciled, and the need to work together to build up the ACNA Province and grow in mission so that ACNA will be a strong and credible witness in North America to the saving, sanctifying and transforming grace of God in Christ Jesus who died for us and rose again,” the Bishop continued.

“We also need to show the world that the gospel of Christ actually changes lives and breaks down national, ethnic, socioeconomic and racial barriers. As the late Dr. John Stott always reminded us, the Church is a multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic and multiracial community of believers in Christ on a mission to lift high the cross of Christ rather than a church built along racial or ethnic or national lines,” he said.

In leaving the CoN for ACNA, Bishop Orji, Suffragan Bishop Scott Seely and ADAN, which includes Nigerian and non-Nigerian parishes, followed the same path that Bishop Julian Dobbs and his Diocese of CANA East took in 2019 and Bishop Derek Jones, along with the Diocese of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, took earlier in 2022. ADAN and the other two dioceses left the CoN for the same reasons, Bishop Orji said.

The relationship between the CoN and ACNA has been fraught with bitter dispute for more than a decade and has escalated lately over Nigerian Archbishop Henry Ndukuba’s uncompromising insistence of the continuation of CoN dioceses in North America. In 2023, the ACNA College of Bishops sent a letter to Ndukuba stating that they expected him to turn over all CoN dioceses and parishes in North America in accordance with Anglican polity and the CoN’s recognition of ACNA as the only orthodox geographic Province in North America.

In May of this year, ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach wrote a stinging letter of rebuke to the Nigerian Archbishop accusing him of “disrespect and showing a lack of regard for a fellow GAFCON Province.” He called the Nigerian Archbishop’s actions “disturbing.”

Archbishop Beach argued that the actions of the CoN violated the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration, especially Article 11 which states: “We are committed to the unity of all those who know and love Christ and to building authentic ecumenical relationships. We recognize the orders and jurisdiction of those Anglicans who uphold orthodox faith and practice, and we encourage them to join us in this mission.”

Beach set out six areas of concern.

1. Many of the ACNA Bishops feel snubbed and violated by Archbishop Ndukuba’s personal actions in disregarding the April 15, 2023, Resolutions Letter the College of Bishops sent him about the continuation of the Church of Nigeria North American Mission (CONNAM). The North American geographical jurisdiction of the CoN operates in a manner that violates Anglican norms and the bonds of charity with a Province with whom CoN is in communion. It is confusing that two GAFCON Provinces are operating in North America without any communication or collaboration.

2. It looks disingenuous for Archbishop Ndukuba to give the impression that all is well between CoN and ACNA when a CoN splinter group, Christ Anglican Church in Irvington, N.J., is suing two ACNA Bishops — Bishop Derek Jones and Bishop Ken Ross. “The physical violence against fellow Christians (and Anglicans) and the destruction of property by people saying they represent you is reprehensible!!” the letter said.

3. Archbishop Ndukuba recently stopped Archbishop Edmund Akanya from speaking at the ADAN Synod in July. In explaining his reasons, Ndukuba attacked Bishop Orji, calling him a betrayer for leaving CoN and claiming that he stabbed the CoN in the back for following good Anglican polity. The letter said Ndukuba shamed and threatened Akanya so he would not speak at the synod.

4. The CoN recently dissolved its CONNAM dioceses in North America, but created seven Ecclesiastical Regions with about 16 Mission Areas in their place. The Missionary Districts are doing evangelism and church planting, with some being led by Bishops who are confirming and ordaining. The letter noted plans to consecrate more Bishops, with no announcement of collaboration with ACNA even though the ACNA College of Bishops has offered to consecrate Bishops to pursue evangelism and church planting among Nigerians in North America. “What you are doing violates Christian charity, undermines the mission of ACNA in her geographical territory, creates confusion and brings disunity within GAFCON,” the letter said.

5. ACNA has communicated its concerns to Archbishop Ndukuba and the CoN Bishops and requested a meeting to resolve the matter, but all to no avail. “The situation has now become so bad that CONNAM Bishops and clergy and laity in North America who try to join the ACNA are abused, threatened and called ‘Judases’ by some members of the CoN,” the letter noted. “This is inexcusable for followers of Jesus Christ!”

6. “Once again, we hereby request that the CoN transfer and release all the congregations, parishes, Dioceses, clergy, Bishops and structures that the CoN has in North America through the normal Canonical process into the Canonical jurisdiction of the ACNA to enjoy all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of life within the Provincial structures of the ACNA, including such structures as the Mothers Union and the Knights of the CoN, so that our life as Anglicans can be mutually celebrated in ways that conform to Anglican norms and Provincial structures,” Beach said in the letter. He re-affirmed ACNA’s constitutional commitment to allow all Dioceses and congregations to use any liturgy of the originating jurisdictions of the ACNA, including those of the CoN, and to welcome use of those liturgies “in the heart languages” of Anglicans who have immigrated to North America from ACNA’s founding partner Provinces.

Urging the CoN to collaborate with ACNA, Archbishop Foley concluded the letter with: “Doesn’t it make more sense to collaborate with us? If we wanted to pursue ministry in Nigeria, we would collaborate with you to do it. This is how our sister Provinces in GAFCON work everywhere else. Why not Nigeria?”

As the dispute continues, Bishop Orji said, “It is now time for GAFCON Primates to intervene in this matter before more problems arise from the disregard shown by CoN to the ACNA by operating its nationalistic mission in the ACNA Provincial jurisdiction.

Reminding Anglicans of the heart of the Gospel, Bishop Orji said, “As Anglicans in North America, we invite you to join us in this journey of learning to love, live and fellowship with one another under God in accordance with his Word, irrespective of our cultural and racial differences or backgrounds.”

END

TIME TO LOOK BEYOND RACIAL AND ETHNIC LINES IN THE CHURCH

By David W. Virtue DD
www.virtueonline.org
July 18, 2024

(This story replaces the one I wrote earlier and corrects some time lines.)

Reports of a new agreement between the Church of Nigeria (CoN) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) formally receiving the Anglican Diocese of the West (CANA) into the ACNA are inaccurate.

The Anglican Diocese of the West, now known as the Anglican Diocese of All Nations (ADAN), left CoN for ACNA of its own volition in 2022 and was officially received by ACNA’s Provincial Council on June 22, 2023. Since ADAN is based in North America and initiated the move itself, no agreement between the two Provinces was needed.