Black, Racistic Non-Reverend, Irreverend, Tub-Thumping Jeremiah Wright: Obama's Stupid Pastor of Choice for 20 Years

A premier African-American, racistic, hate-mongering, hustling, fast-talking, opportunistic, and tub-thumping racist and "backwoods Hillbilly" (the black version) of the first order magnitude, the ever-Irreverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama's Pastor of choice for 20 years.  Jeremiah is the black equivalent of the KKK.  This wildcat's buddy is Louis Farrakhan, another racist. Obama chose this racist.  What does that tell anyone?  Importantly, we revere thoughtful, intelligent, educated, deliberative and scholarly African Churchmen, e.g. the Archbishops of Nigeria, Rwanda, and Kenya.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1554207000001/?intcmp=obinsite


More bigotry, hate, anger, ignorance, non-Confessionalism, non-Biblicality, non-catholicity, enthusiasm, non-liturgy, ignorance, hucksterism, divisiveness, racistic and despicable speech from Obama's former minister of choice for 20 plus years, the ever-Irreverend and ever-unBiblical Jeremiah Wright.

Thank God for our careful, kind, deliberative, scholarly and educated brethren, African Anglicans, for their mature and careful reflections...unlike these African Anabaptist enthusiasts. Who cannot love these black brothers and sisters in Africa?  We love em.'  However, who, pray tell, can love race-hucksters like Wright, a hater of the first order.

Rwanda and AMiA Anglicans to Split

http://geoconger.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/rwanda-and-amia-to-go-their-separate-ways-the-church-of-england-newspaper-april-6-2012-p-7/

Rwanda and AMiA to go their separate ways: The Church of England Newspaper, April 6, 2012 p 7. April 11, 2012 

Bishop Chuck Murphy

The Archbishop of Kenya reports that attempts to forge a compromise between the bishops of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) and the Church of Rwanda have failed. In a statement released on 29 March 2012, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala stated that each side wishes the other well as they pursue new opportunities in ministry.

The severing of formal ties between the AMiA and Rwanda after 12 years ends the first sustained “cross border” jurisdictional violation criticized by the Windsor Report – leaving the Church of Nigeria with the only formal overseas-led jurisdiction in North America.

On 13 March 2012 Bishop Chuck Murphy, Bishop John Miller and Canon Mike Murphy of the AMiA, along with the retired primates of Rwanda and South East Asia, Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini and Yong Ping Chung with the Primate of Rwanda, Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and Bishop Laurent Mbanda in Johannesburg to “facilitate relational reconciliation,” a statement from the AMiA said.

The Johannesburg meeting follows upon a January meeting in Nairobi also hosted by Archbishop Wabukala that sought to find a way forward in the rupture between the AMiA’s bishops and the Church of Rwanda. Last year all but two of the AMiA’s bishops quit the African church after the Rwandan House of Bishops pushed for greater financial and organizational accountability of the South Carolina-based jurisdiction.

The split has fractured the AMiA’s 150 congregations. While no numbers have been released by the AMiA, a majority of its congregations appear to have left Bishop Murphy’s oversight—including Bishop Murphy’s former parish and the AMiA’s headquarters, All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

One faction appears set to join the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a second group has pledged its loyalty to the Church of Rwanda but will seek to operate under the oversight of the ACNA, while a third remains with Bishop Murphy and his bishops. Negotiations to find an accommodation are currently underway between the Murphy faction and the ACNA, however the terms publicly set by Archbishop Duncan include reconciliation between Rwanda and the Murphy group.

In his letter from Johannesburg, Archbishop Wabukala said the two sides stated that they had “done the best” to resolve the situation. However, “we mutually agree to release each other to develop our God-given ministries for the advancement of His Kingdom.”

The parties further agreed not to disparage each other. “We will honor all parties involved by promising not to engage in derogatory or judgmental communication,” the statement said.

The AMiA statement said “Bishop Murphy expressed deep gratitude to Archbishop Wabukala for his leadership and thanksgiving for this new beginning for the Anglican Mission.” A member of the Rwandan House of Bishops contacted by the Church of England Newspaper stated his church would not comment at this time, noting the communiqué spoke for itself.

Rwandan Archbishop Smacks Down American Anglican Bishop, Chuck Murphy

David Virtue offers this commentary on PEAR USA v. AMiA, Inc. relations. See: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=15807

Dear Brothers and Sisters, www.virtueonline.org
April 6, 2012

It was a smack down of the first order. An orthodox Primate of the Global South publicly whacked an American Evangelical Anglican bishop who has spent the last dozen years distancing himself from the Episcopal Church while building an alternative Anglican structure on North American soil.

That it came during Easter must have been particularly galling to AMiA Bishop Chuck Murphy and his fellow bishops, theologians and friends - a personal crucifixion he undoubtedly did not expect or want.

In a "Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ" letter, Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and his HOB issued a statement that those AMiA missionary bishops who resigned on December 5, 2011 have maintained their credentials in the Province of Rwanda up until now and asked to be "released" from the PEAR have three options. The only three ways they can be "released" from PEAR is by transferring them to another jurisdiction within the Anglican Communion; by their voluntary renunciation of orders; or by formal ecclesiastical discipline.

"Any clergy who wish to withdraw their credentials are free to do so in writing. We encourage all North American clergy credentialed in the PEAR to join PEARUSA, which is our missionary district in North America, unanimously erected by our House of Bishops in our today's meeting."

As we go to cyber press, AMIA officials had not responded to VOL's request for a comment on what they plan to do. When we learn more, we will let you know.

Despite the recent split in the Anglican Mission in the Americas things are far from lost. Mission on the Move has a significant number of new works in process with leadership development a key ingredient for mission momentum that extends across theAM. Paul Sorensen is not only leading theAM's new Initiative for Leadership Advancement, he is also working with Saint Paul's Theological Centre (SPTC) in London to help advance a vision and strategic plan for bringing theology back to the heart of the church. A group of leaders from a number of US church groups and networks including theAM recently gathered in Charleston, South Carolina to brainstorm next steps to make this vision a reality. Paul is busy on the ground working with congregations interested in developing hubs for theological education. This plan will offer a unique new resource of leadership development.

The Anglican Mission currently has some 28 candidates approved for ordination with many more in some stage of the ordination process. Bishop Murphy will ordain at least four individuals on Pentecost Sunday in Ocala, Florida. Other ordinations will be scheduled over the next several months.

Recent financial gifts to theAM encourage the forward momentum for church planting and leadership development. The first donation of $250,000 was given in December 2011 followed by another $250,000 in March. A second donor gave over $570,000 this month.

"These donors believe in what theAM is doing, and we are grateful that we continue to have the financial stability necessary to ensure that our mission and ministry go forward," noted Bishop Chuck Murphy. "With numerous new churches in the works, identifying and training leaders are essential components to take this Mission to the next level."

PEAR USA Inaugural Assembly

H/T to Joel at Living Text, a blog worth following.  See: http://livingtext.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/pear-usa-inaugural-general-assembly-and-other-news/

PEAR USA Inaugural General Assembly and Other News

The Rwandan House of Bishops just issued another letter. The upshot of it is:

• AMiA clergy have more time than AMiA bishops to make a decision about where they are headed. The bishops must decide within weeks (meaning April), while the clergy have until August to decide.
• An Inaugural General Assembly for PEAR USA clergy and laity will occur in August, at which time the charter for the Missionary District will be ratified.
• PEAR is working with ACNA to establish how the new Missionary District will function within ACNA.

Here is the text:

April 10, 2012

Kigali, Rwanda

To the Clergy of Rwanda serving the work of the Gospel in North America: Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus, the Risen Christ and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

We write to clarify some important questions that remain after our March 29 Resolution and April 2 Communiqué.

As a result of our March 29 Resolution, a Missionary District of PEAR in North America has been established. We are currently working with members of the PEAR‐USA Steering Team to create a temporary Charter for Ministry which will define the mission and structure of the Missionary District.

Once we have approved the recommended Charter we will make it available to you. This Charter will be ratified through a proper process at an Inaugural General Assembly (of laity, clergy, and bishops) for the Missionary District which we hope to host in early August.

Members of the PEAR House of Bishops are also working with leaders from ACNA that Archbishop Robert Duncan has appointed and members of the PEAR‐USA Steering Team in the hope of establishing protocols that will govern the Missionary District as a sub‐ jurisdiction of the ACNA.

It is our clear intention that the Missionary District will be the only option for clergy and churches in North America wishing stay canonically resident in PEAR. As the details of the Charter for Ministry and the sub‐jurisdictional protocols become clear, we hope that all North American clergy resident in PEAR, along with their churches, will eventually join the Missionary District. A process of formal affiliation with the Missionary District will be described in the Charter.

Until the Charter is approved, any North American clergy resident in PEAR can affiliate with the Missionary District by a simple declaration of desire and intent. (This declaration should be communicated in writing to the PEARUSA office. They will pass on further instruction for affiliation and participation for both clergy and churches.)

However, we understand that some clergy currently resident and in good standing in PEAR have chosen, with their churches, to begin the process of transferring to dioceses within the ACNA or other Anglican jurisdictions. Bishop Terrell Glenn is coordinating these requests for letters dimissory on my behalf. This process should continue as needed, and we are fully supportive of those moving directly into the ACNA and other Anglican jurisdictions.

We also understand that some clergy and churches may choose to remain affiliated with the Anglican Mission in the Americas. They are free to do so. Again, we will supply those clergy with letters dimissory to another Anglican jurisdiction upon request.

As per our April 2 communiqué, the bishops of the Anglican Mission who resigned in December have been asked to declare the ecclesiastical jurisdiction to which they wish to be translated within the next few weeks. However, we understand that clergy and churches require additional time to make this decision. Therefore, all PEAR clergy in North America must make a clear decision about either affiliating with the Missionary District or transferring directly to the ACNA or another Anglican jurisdiction by August
31, 2012.

In summary, as you come to understand God’s direction for you, please send all requests in writing:

• For those who desire letters dimissory to be sent to a diocese in the ACNA or any other Anglican jurisdiction, to Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, c/o Bishop Terrell____
• For affiliation with the PEAR Missionary District, to Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, c/o the PEARUSA ___

It is important that you are aware of one additional deadline:

We anticipate the Inaugural General Assembly for the Missionary District to take place in early August. The proposed deadline for submitting lay and clergy delegates, which will be explained in the Charter, will be no later than thirty days prior to the General Assembly. Clergy and churches that have not decided to affiliate with the Missionary District at least thirty days prior to the General Assembly will be welcome to attend, but they will not have voice and vote.

We trust that this answers important questions and clarifies the possible directions that lie ahead for you.
You are beloved in the Lord! You remain the focus of our prayers. May God grant you his Spirit in full measure as you continue to proclaim the Gospel of the Risen Lord! Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and the House of Bishops of PEAR

Status of resigned AMiA Bishops according to the Rwanda HOB

Anglican Ink, a good blog and source of information, is carrying the following story.  This should prove to be interesting.  http://anglicanink.com/article/status-resigned-amia-bishops-according-rwanda-hob

Status of resigned AMiA Bishops according to the Rwanda HOB

Article | April 2, 2012 - 7:50pm

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ:
Greetings in the precious Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The House of Bishops met together on March 29, 2012, during which time we seriously and prayerfully considered how to respond to the desire of those in the Anglican Mission in the Americas who wish to disaffiliate from the Province de l’Eglise Anglicane au Rwanda (PEAR). Those AMiA missionary bishops who resigned on December 5, 2011 have maintained their credentials in the Province of Rwanda up until now. However, in a meeting of delegates from PEAR and AMiA in Johannesburg earlier this month, they asked to be “released” from the PEAR.

According to our Provincial Canons, there are only three ways that we may “release” clergy affiliated with us:

1. By transferring them to another jurisdiction within the Anglican Communion;
2. By their voluntary renunciation of orders;
3. By formal ecclesiastical discipline.

Today we wrote to those AMiA missionary bishops who resigned and asked that if they wish to continue in episcopal ministry within another Anglican jurisdiction, that they please inform us of that jurisdiction immediately so that we may translate them appropriately.

For the time being, all remaining AMiA clergy continue to have canonical residence within the PEAR. Any clergy who wish to withdraw their credentials are free to do so in writing. We encourage all North American clergy credentialed in the PEAR to join PEARUSA, which is our missionary district in North America, unanimously erected by our House of Bishops in our today’s meeting.


We pray that you will not be distracted from the higher calling of Jesus’ Great Commission. Preach the good news, love the poor, plant healthy churches, and disciple Christ’s flock.

The grace and peace of God be with you all.

Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje

Why the seeming incessant spinning of Bishop Chuck Murphy’s break with the Anglican Church of Rwanda?

By Robin G. JordanBishop Chuck Murphy’s wing of the Anglican Mission in the Americas that joined him in his break with the Anglican Church of Rwanda appears to have an obsession with justifying Bishop Murphy’s break with the Province of Rwanda, as do its supporters. One of the latest articles seeking to justify this break is Joe Boysel’s “The AMiA Leaves Rwanda: What Happened?” In the comment thread following the article Boysel claims that his article is not “spin.” The article, however, covers all the talking points of Pawley Island’s account of the break that his claim rings hollow.

In the early days of telegraphy the telegraph systems in the United States and other countries had what were known as “repeaters.” Signals were transmitted over the telegraph wires, using direct current from a chemical battery. The result was that the further along the telegraph wires a signal was sent, the weaker it grew. Repeaters were devices that relayed the signal in place of telegrapher at various points along the telegraph wires, enabling the signal to be sent at greater distances. They replaced the weak signal with a stronger one. This article, like a number of articles spinning Bishop Murphy’s break with the Province of Rwanda, serve as a repeater of Pawley Island’s account of the break.

Good propagandists and public relations specialists know that if you repeat a story enough times people will come to believe it irrespective of whether or not it is true. Adolph Hitler referred to this principle in Mein Kampf. He called it the “Big Lie.” The bigger the lie and the more you repeat it, the more people are likely to believe the lie. This includes the people telling the lie. If you repeat a lie enough times, it will acquire a life of its own. The lie will not require the expenditure of as much time and energy in repeating it as was required at the outset. The lie will over a period of time become accepted as truth. This principle is applicable to stories that are a mixture of truth, half-truth, and falsehood.

For more, see:
http://anglicansablaze.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-seeming-incessant-spinning-of.html

AMiA Bishops on Their Future After Break with Rwandan Anglican Church

For those not following the story, here are some pertinent issues. First, Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) is about 11 years old. Second, AMiA has about 150 churches or so.  Third, AMiA split from the parent American body, The Episcopal Church (TEC).  Fourth, although AMiA claims the 1662 BCP and Thirty-nine Articles as formularies, they use the 1979 BCP.  Fifth, AMiA supports women's ordination.  Sixth, they are charismatically-inclined. Seventh, AMiA's majority of Bishop "resigned" from the Rwandan Anglican Bishops and Churches.  This has caused consternation and difficulty for some of the American Churches. Eighth, it remains very unclear why this resignation occurred. Ninth, at present, AMiA looks like MiA without the Anglican part, without a Provincial connection and appears as a more of a liturgized version of a charismatic church. Here's an odd, undistinctive, and unhelpful letter from MiA bishops that offers little. 

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=15587

AMiA's Council of Bishops Issues Letter on Their FutureFebruary 16, 2012

Dear Friends,

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the weeks since Winter Conference, we have continued conversations about the Anglican Mission's future and are grateful for many of you who have responded positively, offering your valuable insight and perceptions.

Your questions and recommendations have contributed significantly to our ability to better serve you and work toward greater clarity as we move forward together.

Last week, we gathered in a special meeting of the Council with a deep desire to seek Jesus' heart for the Anglican Mission.

As we concluded our meeting, we were convinced that the Lord had truly met with us and had given us clear direction, enabling us to consider things in a new way with fresh insight.

We concluded our meeting united and confident that the Lord was showing us an exciting and challenging way forward.

In order to more fully embrace our call of service to Christ's Church, we have determined to form a Mission Society that is authentically Anglican and focused on North America.

We remain committed to boldly and creatively reaching out to those who are disconnected from Christ and His Church through church planting (Luke 15).

Like other mission societies that have historically supported the broader Church by planting churches on its behalf, we also feel called to express our ministry through such a model. (See attached documents.)

This decision marks the first step in a process to develop the mission society as we continue to seek the Lord's guidance with your input.

With this end in mind, we will be reviewing all of our structures and roles in order to discern the specific shape of the mission society as we engage our process.

We are committed to the following:

* evangelism and discipleship through planting churches that plant churches;
* the expression of three streams: the Sacred (sacramental and liturgical) the Scripture (evangelical), and the Spirit (charismatic);
* orthodox theology (adherence to the 39 Articles of Religion and historic formularies of the Church);
* Anglican polity;
* fostering an entrepreneurial culture;
* pursuing both temporary (short-term solutions) and enduring relationships with an Anglican jurisdiction.

This vision is consistent with our clear call to be "a mission, nothing more and nothing less." Our focus on planting churches as an outreach for an existing judicatory within the one holy catholic and apostolic church continues our established pattern.

As we continue our conversations and discernment with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), we will keep you fully informed.

We want you to know that our goal is to provide our parishes with strategies and support which will allow us all to move forward together.

During this process, we are committed to open dialogue and are proceeding diligently, but carefully and prayerfully.

We ask for your prayers for wisdom and discernment as we intercede daily for your mission and ministry.

In Christ,

Anglican Mission Council of Bishops

Anglican Mission in the Americas http://theamia.org
Heart of North America Network, AMiA http://honanetwork.com
Ph. 330.990.9475

AMiA Back in the Not-So-Flattering News as Schismatics

Anglican breakaway groups confront a new power struggle

February 9, 2012

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/anglican-breakaway-groups-confront-a-new-power-struggle/2012/02/09/gIQA3MCS2Q_story.html

NASHVILLE — The saga of the Anglican Mission in the Americas sounds like the words to an old country song: “Why have you left the one you left me for?”

Founded by breakaway Episcopal priests who left their former denomination because they felt it was too liberal, the Anglican Mission is now in the middle of another ugly church feud.

Last time the fight was over sex and salvation. Now the fight is over money and power, between the Anglican Mission’s U.S. leaders and the overseas Anglican group that adopted them.

“It’s like my mom and dad just told me they are getting a divorce,” said the Rev. Brian Hardin, pastor of the Four Winds Mission in Spring Hill, Tenn., which is a member of the Anglican Mission.

The troubles between the Anglican Mission and its patrons in Rwanda started last year, after former Anglican Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda retired. Kolini had been a friend of American Bishop Chuck Murphy, the head of the Anglican Mission, and had taken a hands-off approach.

In return, the Anglican Mission donated millions to the Rwanda church.

But Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, the new Rwandan leader, and Murphy did not see eye to eye.

Rwandan bishops asked for detailed accounts of how the Anglican Mission was spending its money. And Rwaje also disagreed with a plan to change the Anglican Mission — also known by the acronym AMIA — into a missionary society instead of being part of the Rwandan church.

“There was a change in vision in how the House of Bishops in Rwanda wanted to deal with AMIA,” said Bishop Philip Jones, an AMIA spokesman, and pastor of All Saints Church in Dallas.

Eventually, Murphy was asked to step down, said Jones.
In a letter to Rwaje that accompanied his resignation letter, Murphy compared himself to Moses leading his people out of Egypt in search of the Promised Land. When Murphy quit, Jones and seven other bishops followed.

“I didn’t think we had any other choice,” Jones said.

But not all of their Anglican Mission colleagues agree. Mark Galli, senior managing editor of Christianity Today magazine and a member of an AMIA congregation, said Murphy has caused a schism in the church.

“This is troubling, first, because it contradicts Jesus’ expressed prayer for the unity of the church,” he wrote on his blog. “Second, it threatens to make a lie of AMIA’s posture when we first left the Episcopal Church.”

Bishop Terrell Glen, a former AMIA leader who remains part of the Church of Rwanda, said Murphy and other American bishops did the wrong thing by bolting. They had taken a vow of obedience to their bishop, he said, and broke it by quitting.

“I don’t believe the archbishop was requiring anything of anyone that we could not submit to,” he said.

For years, leaders of the Anglican Mission and other breakaway Episcopal groups have tried to get the Anglican Communion to recognize them as a legitimate alternative to the Episcopal Church. This latest split shows how difficult that will be, said Jim Naughton, editor of Episcopalcafe.com and a former spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C.

“We don’t know how much staying power they have,” said Naughton.

Naughton also said that the split shows the problem that money plays in the relationship between U.S. church leaders and their African sponsors. Americans have most of the money and they use that money to promote their theological views. That’s the case for both conservatives and liberals, said Naughton.

Dealing with the imbalance of money and power will remain a problem in the future, said the Rev. John McDonald, director of the Stanway Institute for World Mission and Evangelism at the Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa.

“It cannot simply be that Western churches provide funds and African churches then provide the seal of legitimacy or the protective covering of an Anglican province in return,” McDonald said. “It has to be seen as a true partnership.”

Before the break, the Anglican Mission had 152 affiliate churches and another 100 congregations in development. About 20 have decided to leave the group already, said the Rev. Cynthia Brust, an AMIA spokeswoman, and observers say more may follow.
One option is joining the fledgling Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), which was founded in 2009 by former Episcopalians and now has about 1,000 churches. ACNA Archbishop Robert Duncan, the former Episcopal bishop of Pittsburgh, said he’s been in contact with Anglican Mission churches about their future plans and would welcome them into his fold.

He noted that AMIA leaders have excelled at starting new churches and attracting new people to the Christian faith, but sometimes have trouble following rules.

“They are folks who often color outside the lines,” he said.

“Among Anglicans, both truth and order matter. They have not been so good about accountability and the unity of the church.”

Archbishop Rwaje (Rwanda) Extends Greetings to Anglican Mission in America

With the difficulties within the Anglican Mission in America, Inc. (AMiA) with the resignations of eight Bishops from the Rwanda Episcopal Bench, Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje communicates with the rest of AMiA, that is, those churches remaining under two Bishops who did not resign (Bps Barnum and Glenn). 

http://anglicansablaze.blogspot.com/2011/12/pastoral-letter-from-archbishop.html

A Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje

Kigali, 23rd December 2011

Dear Bishop Thad Barnum and Terrell Glenn,
Dear Clergy and Laity,
Friends and Colleagues in Ministry,

Christmas greetings from all of us here in Rwanda. May the peace and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth we now celebrate, be yours in abundance today and forever.

The House of Bishops in Rwanda continues to enjoy a season of extraordinary unity and team work. We are pleased to announce the election of two new bishops to replace those who will be retiring next year. The Rev. Nathan Amooti Rusengo will follow Bishop Geoffrey Rwubusisi in Cyangugu (consecration and installation on January 19th), and the Rev. Emmanuel Ntazinda will follow Bishop Sendegeya of Kibungo (consecration and installation on January 12th). Please join us in prayer for these brothers and the congregations they serve during this time of transition.

On the behalf of the House of Bishops, I want you to know that we grieve with you over the resignations of our friends, brothers in Christ, and fellow bishops in the AMiA. I am thankful for the support shown to the Province of Rwanda by my friend and colleague, Archbishop Robert Duncan. I share the same confidence that with God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). We are heartbroken over the shame that this division has brought to our Lord and to his bride. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the power to heal all our wounds, and we trust he will repair and restore what has been so badly broken. Forgiveness and reconciliation are Gospel imperatives for all Christians, and especially for us here in Rwanda. As you continue to move forward in mission in 2012, please do with mutual respect for one another, fostering open communion, trusting relationships, and accountability to those whom the Lord has called us to serve and lead.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Moving Forward Together sacred assembly at Raleigh, N.C. on January 16-18. Together with my collegues from the House of Bishops of Rwanda, as well as Bishop Barnum and Glenn, we are eager to seek the Lord together in worship, confession, prayer, and the study of God’s word. I hope you make every effort to attending this gathering.

We want to encourage you as ambassadors of Christ. All of us are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ and disciple those who receive Him. Let us therefore prech the Gospel with integrity in all that we do.

Grace and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ,

The Most. Rev. Dr. Onesphore Rwaje,
Archbishop of the Province of Rwanda

Rwanda Anglicans Greet and Meet with AMiA Anglicans in Raleigh, NC, mid-Jan 2012

http://www.anglicanink.com/article/christmas-greeting-province-rwanda

Christmas Greeting from the Province of Rwanda

Article | December 23, 2011 - 2:30pm

 

 

December 23 rd , 2011

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As this season of Advent leads us to the celebration of our Lord's birth, we are thankful for many things. Truly, He is with us, in fulfillment of the ancient promises and His own.

The House of Bishops of the PEAR have just concluded a very important meeting this week in Rwanda and Archbishop Rwaje has asked us to forward a letter from him to you. We rejoice in the election of new Rwandan bishops as the HoB continues to move forward in unity and love. We are also grateful to Archbishop Duncan of the ACNA for his leadership and support for us, congregations and clergy, who find ourselves in this difficult season of grief, uncertainty and confusion over recent events in our life together. As you will read in his letter, Archbishop Rwaje is in communication with Archbishop Duncan as a fellow GAFCON primate and friend.

Next week, you will begin to receive information about a gathering that will take place in Raleigh, NC from January 16-18. (also referred to in the Archbishop's letter) The purpose of this assembly is to hear from our Archbishop and others about reconciliation, healing and next steps for all of us.

Clergy and laity will be invited and will have opportunities to prayerfully discuss what it means to move forward together.

Please keep this event in prayer as planning for it develops.
Just as the angels broke through the dark silence of the night sky with the radiance of God's glory and the thrill of praise to Him, may we all know His magnificent breakthrough in our hearts and lives this Christmas. And may Jesus' peace and hope rule in you now and always.

Faithfully in Christ,

+Thad and +Terrell

Anglican TV: AMiA, Rwandan Anglicans, Quincy, Fort Worth and Charlie Brown

http://babybluecafe.blogspot.com/2011/12/this-week-on-anglicantv-amia-quincy-ft.html

AnglicanTV: AMiA, Quincy, Ft. Worth and Charley Brown

(Resigning) AMiA, Inc. Bishops Defend--Essentially--Their Resignations from Rwandan Anglicans

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=15354

AMIA Council of Bishops Defend Their Leader, Apologize for FalloutFounding archbishops supported formalized Misionary Society

December 21, 2011

Greetings in the name of Christ for whom we wait with joy and anticipation.

We, the undersigned Bishops of the Anglican Mission, write you today at the conclusion of two very important meetings. December 18-19th, we met in Charlotte, NC to seek God's direction for our Anglican Mission, and on December 20th, a delegation from this Council met with representative bishops from the Anglican Church in North America in Pittsburgh, PA.

Our desire is to share our hearts with you about these meetings and to confirm our support for you and our partnership in the Gospel. May this letter be a word of encouragement to each one of you that Jesus Christ is, even now, lifting a call of peace, reconciliation and vision in our midst.

We want you to know that this Council of Bishops is absolutely united. We have stood together as this whole transitional drama has unfolded and we will continue to stand together through whatever may come until unity and relationships are restored and our mission for the cause of Christ is accomplished.

We apologize for the fallout that you have felt from the collision of what may best be described as two groups of Godly leaders separated by tens of thousands of miles and substantial cultural differences, each seeking to do what they have hoped would bring about a more effective Christian witness in our land. What has happened in the past six months is certainly not reflective of, nor consistent with, the pattern of relationship and mission that has marked our relationship with Rwanda during the previous thirteen years. Nor are the attacks, in particular, against our Chairman, Bishop Chuck Murphy, true in regard to his character or leadership.

In Rwanda there has been significant change in the House of Bishops over the past two years as a result of the election of a new Primate and several new members to that House. It appears to have been their desire to transition our partnership toward a leadership model that would allow this newly constituted House to exercise much greater control over the day-to-day operations and direction of the Anglican Mission, moving in a direction that is inconsistent with anything that had been fully discussed or engaged in over the past thirteen years.

This past summer a process of discernment was initiated by Bishop Murphy with our Council of Bishops regarding next steps in formalizing the structures of the Anglican Mission in a manner consistent with what the Holy Spirit has led us into over the past fourteen years. The structure being considered was a Missionary Society out of the Province of Rwanda (a missionary society is an historically recognized entity within the Church). This conversation was evolving and was involving the HOB of Rwanda, our founding Archbishops, and leadership throughout the Anglican Mission. We believe that it is important for you to know that our founding archbishops, Moses Tay, Yong Ping Chung, and Emmanuel Kolini have all encouraged us to move forward toward a formalized Missionary Society. As such, a Society would build on what God has been doing with us and would also reflect what they have sensed in prayer that the Lord is calling us to do. This fall these two transitions met, and none of us could have anticipated the velocity with which they collided.

For today, we will leave the details of these past nine months to history. Things will all be made clearer as the dust settles, as relationships are restored and truth comes to light, and as we remain focused on our primary mission, starting churches and encouraging those who are doing Kingdom work. Know that we love and cherish our Rwandan friends, and they us. We will not speak further of what has happened save in the pursuit of reconciliation among our Houses. You may be assured that reconciliation remains important to us. We offer our apologies to Rwanda and to you for the missteps that we have made, and seek the forgiveness of our brothers and of Almighty God for those places where we have, by our words and actions, caused pain or confusion.

Already Bishop Murphy and Bishop Terrell Glenn have met following Bishop's Glenn's recent resignation from our Council. We are happy to report the good news that reconciliation has been reached between our brothers. For this we have not ceased to thank our Lord.

As we move forward we are deeply grateful for the sacrificial and ongoing leadership that our founding archbishops, Moses Tay, Yong Ping Chung, and Emmanuel Kolini have provided to our Mission. At this moment in our history, we are particularly thankful that they have stepped into an active oversight and leadership position in our Mission and in the formation process of a Missionary Society.

It may be helpful to say that an Anglican Missionary Society, by name, must have a jurisdictional connection within the Anglican Communion. We had hoped that our jurisdictional connection would have been with the Province of Rwanda, but with our resignation as bishops from that Province, we are prayerfully considering other options. Although several options have been considered and have presented themselves to us, in prayer and conversation with many of you, it became clear that a process of discernment should first be engaged with the Anglican Church in North America.

What follows is a joint statement issued by the ACNA/AM task force which came into being yesterday and which will be leading us through this discernment process. Bishop TJ Johnston and Bishop Doc Loomis will be representing the Anglican Mission in these conversations.

On December 20, 2011, Bishops Chuck Murphy, Doc Loomis and John Rodgers and representatives from the Anglican Mission in the Americas participated in a very encouraging conversation during a meeting with Archbishop Robert Duncan, Bishops Leonard Riches and Charlie Masters of the Anglican Church in North America. The joyful result of these conversations was a mutual pledge to wholeheartedly pursue a restoration of the relationship between The Anglican Mission and the Anglican Church in North America. The ACNA and AMiA have appointed four bishops to engage in a determined effort to bring about at the earliest possible time a reunion of The Anglican Mission, a founding partner of the ACNA, to full participation in the life and ministry of the Anglican Church in North America. Both parties recognize that this is the beginning of a process, which will involve a number of strategic decisions as well as the repair and restoration of relationships. We give thanks to God for the ongoing work of His Holy Spirit as He continues to draw us together to form a Biblical, united and missionary Anglican witness to North America.

Finally, during our time in Charlotte, Bishop Murphy and the Council openly engaged a number of important leadership issues and transitions that would be involved in formalizing a Missionary Society. One of the purposes of such a move is to provide a stable, sustainable, and flexible platform for our Mission for decades to come. During this conversation, the Council affirmed Bishop Murphy's leadership as Chairman, even as all of us, including Bishop Murphy, acknowledged that in this time of transition to a Missionary Society, current positions and leadership roles are likely to change.

We also prayed through and discussed our upcoming Winter Conference, which will be a very important time for us to gather together and seek God's presence and heart for our Mission. Along with our overseeing archbishops, we invite and encourage all of you to join us in Houston for what will be a defining moment for our Mission.

We implore you to prayerfully consider what we have shared with you. It is our earnest desire that you will trust and join with us as we boldly step forward in our call to press on with the Mission the Lord has laid on our hearts, and to help us work through the process of establishing a Missionary Society that reflects our long held belief that we are a Mission, nothing more, nothing less.

With glad tidings for a blessed Christmas we remain,

Faithfully yours,

Rt. Rev. Sandy Greene
Rt. Rev. Doc Loomis
Rt. Rev. Todd Hunter
Rt. Rev. T.J. Johnston
Rt. Rev. Philip Jones
Rt. Rev. John Miller
Rt. Rev. Silas Ng

Rev. Kennedy Calls for Bp. Chuck Murphy's Public Repentance over Schism

Rev. Matt Kennedy, an Anglican Rector and sponsor of Stand Firm, calls for "public repentence" for "schismatic" behaviours by the Rt. Rev. Chuck Murphy, AMiA.  Rev. Kennedy's response is found at comment #22.

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/sf/page/28229

As Mark Galli pointed out here, the only reasons cited by +Murphy for his break with Pear are “ecstatic” and personal. He has never indicated explicitly or implied that PEAR has deviated from orthodoxy in any way. In the absence of such a deviation, the most appropriate word for this sinful division is schism.

+Murphy is a bishop in the church. As such his public acts carry a great deal of weight and influence. It is vital for the health and wellbeing of his followers and the Church as a whole that before there is any coming together, he publicly and clearly repent of his schismatic behavior and there be a reconciliation between him and PEAR.

I am sure there are many things we do not know about the money and about the interpersonal relationships between bishops. I am sure that the various parties have all hurt each other in various ways. And yet, since there are no charges of heresy, these disputes do not provide a legitimate basis for breaking ecclesial bonds.

There was a couple in my church early in my ministry. They were not getting along and had both hurt each other in various ways…deeply. But there was no basis for divorce.
I had numerous counseling sessions with both. The wife wanted to work it out. The husband refused.

Ultimately, he filed for divorce without any legitimate biblical cause. He was removed, at that moment, from the communion of the church and we began a process of restorative discipline.

He wanted to continue to maintain his membership and status in the church while divorcing his wife without cause. We said no.

He ultimately and unfortunately decided to leave rather than to repent and reconcile.

So be it. Did I make pastoral mistakes? Sure. And yet there is no doubt in my mind that we as a church did what had to be done in order to remain faithful to scripture.

If we’d let him continue as part of our body without repentance, his actions would have served as a precedence for any couple in the future to do what God expressly hates—causing great harm both to themselves and to the church as a whole.

That may be a poor analogy, but I see the same principles in play here. It is crucial to the fledgling ACNA, especially since we have been formed by a broken relationship, to set very firm and strict behavioral guidlines about such things.

We let this pass without public repentance, we set a precedence for leaders to “feel led” to do just about anything they want in the face of conflict or frustrated vision.

It would be foolishness.