FRIDAY REVIEW, December 7, 2007

                 

    

 

The Feast of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

 December 7, A.D.2007 

Lesser Feasts and Fasts tells us that Ambrose, governor in Upper Italy, was serving “as mediator between the battling factions of Arians and orthodox Christians” in the election of a bishop for Milan . “Ambrose exhorted the nearly riotous mob to keep the peace…. Suddenly both sides raised the cry, ‘Ambrose shall be our bishop!’ He protested, but the people persisted. Hastily baptized, he was ordained bishop on December 7, 373.”

The Church has always had its challenges but, thanks be to God, there were no riots associated with the consecrations of Bill Atwood and Bill Murdoch that I wrote about last week. Joy was also the mood of the day when our good brother John Guernsey was consecrated bishop in the Church of Uganda on September 2. The joy of the Lord will also be evident this coming Sunday when David Anderson, Roger Ames, Amos Fagbamiye, and Nathan Kanu are consecrated bishops in the Church of Nigeria through its Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). Additional consecrations are scheduled for January 26 in Dallas by the Church of Rwanda through it s Anglican Mission in America (AMiA).

As we move forward with our Common Cause Partnership (CCP), these new bishops and those who will be added to the CCP Council of Bishops in the future will serve as the college of bishops necessary for rebuilding orthodox American Anglicanism. As I wrote last Friday, Archbishop Greg Venables and the Province of the Southern Cone have offered to give an ecclesiastical home to American dioceses that need to secede from TEC. All eyes are on Bishop John-David Schofield and the Diocese of San Joaquin as they meet today and tomorrow to consider affiliating with the Southern Cone. San Joaquin could well be the first TEC diocese to separate from TEC in order to remain under an orthodox Anglican Primate.

St. Ambrose’s Collect prays not only for bishops but also for pastors that they all might be granted “such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering God’s Word, that God’s people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed.” This prayer serves as a good reminder that we go forward together as laity, bishops, priests, and deacons. While most of the realignment is being worked out necessarily at the level of councils, synods, and conventions, the day-to-day work of reformation, mission, and ministry is being done faithfully and tirelessly by the people of God in thousands of orthodox congregations throughout the U.S. and Canada , and indeed around the world.

Let me give you a few examples from my own neck of the woods here in the Anglican Alliance of North Florida (AANF) from just this past week alone:  

  • Bishop John Guernsey spent last Thursday and Friday with the people of God at Trinity Anglican (www.trinityanglicanthomasville.org) in Thomasville , Georgia for prayer, fellowship, and the installation of Jim Hobby as Rector. Saturday morning found Bishop John and his wife “Mama Meg” with the Rev. Jim Needham and St. Luke’s Community of Life (www.communityoflife.net) in Tallahassee , Florida for more teaching, prayer, and fellowship. Bishop Guernsey spent Saturday evening and all of Sunday with Fr. Eric Dudley and the people of St. Peter’s (www.saint-peters.net), Tallahassee for more of the same along with confirmations for Kingdom service.  
  • The Diocese of Florida Mike Webb, Deacon-in-Charge of St. Peter’s (www.stpetersanglicanfellowship.org), Macclenny, an Anglican congregation just west of Jacksonville , was notified by that the time had come for them to vacate their property. St. Peter’s separated from TEC in early 2006, joining St. Peter’s, Tallahassee and the other “Florida Six” as the first Florida congregations to leave the diocese but not necessarily their property. Despite the news, which was not unexpected, St. Peter’s rejoiced in a “Day of Praise Through Song,” joining in the Baker County Festival and Christmas Parade and offering prayer to all in need.  
  • The Anglican 4th Day (Cursillo) Council met at Christ’s Anglican Church (www.anglican-fellowship.org) in High Springs to plan our next 4th Day weekends, scheduled for April 24-27 and May 1-4. Priest-in-Charge Michael LaCagnina served not only as gracious host but also as one of the 4th Day Spiritual Advisors.  
  • Calvary Anglican (www.calvaryjax.org) in Jacksonville celebrated the calling of a new rector. Shawn Porter, currently serving at Associate Rector at Redeemer Anglican (www.redeemerlives.net), Jacksonville . Shawn will take up his new duties on January 1. Former Rector David Sandifer is pursuing his doctorate at Cambridge . We’ll be glad to have David home for a Christmas visit.  
  • Exciting news also came that just might cause the AANF to have to change its name. Historic Christ Church (www.christchurchsavannah.org), Savannah , under the spiritual leadership of the Rev. Marcus Robertson, has affiliated with the AANF. We are truly blessed to have this group of faithful and committed Anglicans join us in mutual mission and ministry. The addition of Christ Church brings the total number of AANF congregations to 21. 

In the midst of the creative chaos of realignment and reformation, the work of the Church of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ marches on, and the gates of hell will not prevail against us.

Your Brother in Christ,

 Jim McCaslin+