The present controversy in the Episcopal Church has caused division in the Diocese of Colorado in ways that mirror the effects it’s had on the national stage. Now that a number of congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado have declared their “independence”, they are finding that the next steps are not as obvious as they thought.
Some of the congregations have associated with the Anglican Church in North American (ACNA), but their future as part of the organization within the Anglican Communion is not what they might have hoped:
“Some ACNA leaders, including Archbishop Robert Duncan, hope the organization becomes an Anglican U.S. province. But the Anglican Communion has never had overlapping provinces, and recognition would require the ascent of two-thirds of province leaders.
‘There is very little chance that the Anglican Consultative Council would approve two provinces in the same geographic area, especially when the ACNA is, in fact, quite small,’ said Lawrence R. Hitt III, professor of Anglican Studies at the Ilif School of Theology in Denver.
Kevin Ross, rector of the ACNA International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs, is skeptical that the organization will ever be officially recognized.
‘To recognize (the ACNA) they would have to de-recognize the Episcopal Church,’ Ross said. ‘You have a greater possibility of the worldwide Anglican Communion splitting than having the Episcopal Church de-recognized.’”
Read the full article in the Colorado Gazette here.
The article ends with a quote by Don Armstrong: “Under godly leadership with a vision of making new Christians, the ACNA will flourish”.