Press Releases

COMMON CAUSE APPOINTS VICAR FOR WESTERN ANGLICANS

NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- June 14, 2008

Bishop Robert Duncan, Moderator of The Common Cause Partnership (CCP), appointed a "Collegiate Vicar" for The Association of Western Anglican Congregations. The decision was announced to the Western Anglicans House of Delegates meeting in Newport Beach today. As the Collegiate Vicar, The Rev. Bill Thompson, Rector of All Saints Anglican Church in Long Beach, California, will serve as an ambassadorial link between Western Anglicans -- a cluster of 21 orthodox Anglican congregations in Southern California and Arizona -- and the Common Cause Partnership (CCP).

"The appointment of the Collegiate Vicar is a wonderful step in the process of unifying orthodox Anglican believers in North America," said Ron Speers, Western Anglicans President. "We are modeling at the grass roots what CCP is doing at the national and international level." Thus far Western Anglican member congregations have canonical ties to the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone of South America, The Anglican Province of Uganda, and The Reformed Episcopal Church. All Common Cause Partners churches in the region, whatever their jurisdiction, are invited to participate.

"We've already deployed dozens of clergy and laity in shared ministries, as we await developments at the national level," Fr. Bill Thompson explained. "And we're not about to recreate the dysfunctional model of top-down management," he said. Fr. Russell Martin, Rector of St. Timothy and St. Titus Anglican Church in San Diego, California, concurred. "We're all about the historic Christian faith that's based on the deity of Jesus Christ and the authority of Holy Scripture," he said. "Ministry happens person-to-person at the grass roots level. A hierarchy can't make it happen. We're looking forward to bishops who defend the historic faith, who share the faith with the unchurched and plant new churches, not just leaders wielding monarchical power."

"Hopefully, the appointment of the Collegiate Vicar for us can serve as a model for other CCP-related church clusters elsewhere in the country," Speers said.

The Western Anglicans Board of Directors elected The Rev. Bill Thompson Chairman and CEO, succeeding Speers, a lay person, who continues as President and Chief Administrative Officer. Fr. Thompson also serves as Dean of the Western Convocation of the Anglican Communion Network.

For more information about the Association of Western Anglican Congregations please visit westernanglicans.org.

WESTERN ANGLICANS FORGING AHEAD WITH PLANS

Newport Beach, California -- October 6, 2007 -- The Association of Western Anglican Congregations, a fellowship of orthodox Anglican churches originating in Arizona and California, has approved the organizational structure of what they expect will one day become a diocese of a new orthodox Anglican province in America. "Anglican" refers to the worldwide Anglican Communion of 37 churches, called provinces, sharing historic bonds of fellowship and Book of Common Prayer worship with the Church of England. The Episcopal Church, USA, is the American member but is under increasing pressure within the Anglican Communion to return to theological orthodoxy or face the consequences. Western Anglicans' 14 member churches disassociated from the Episcopal Church at various times since 2004 to align themselves provisionally with Anglican dioceses in Argentina, Bolivia or Uganda.

"We've definitely been on a fast track to do this," said Ron Speers, Chairman of the Association's Executive committee. "We've been deploying dozens of clergy and laity into our structure and ministries as we await developments within the Anglican Communion. The Rev. Bill Thompson, Dean of the Uganda congregations, elaborated. "We're not about to recreate the Episcopal Church model of top-down management. The organizational simplicity of the first centuries' church is our model," he said. The Dean of the Bolivia congregations, The Rev. Dr. Tony Baron, agreed, "We're all about the historic Christian faith that's come down to us through the centuries, the faith that's based on the deity of Jesus Christ and the authority of Holy Scriptures."

Western Anglicans' 60 member House of Delegates, meeting here today, is composed of approximately equal numbers of clergy and lay people, who are represented equally on its 12 member Executive Committee. "That's because Christian evangelism and effective ministry happen person-to-person at the grass roots level," Speers said. "A hierarchy can't make it happen," he added. "We're looking forward to having a bishop who defends the historic faith and plants churches, not someone wielding monarchical power."

Today's meeting was addressed by The Rt. Rev. Evans Kisekka, Bishop of Luweero Diocese, Anglican Church of Uganda, who urged the delegates to "Go forward, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ as you go." Three other bishops and a bishop-elect spoke by telephone to encourage and bless the delegates in their work. Placing calls were Bishop Bill Atwood, of Kenya, who addressed the delegates in behalf of the Diocese of Argentina, Anglican Province of the Southern Cone of South America; Bishop John Guernsey, Missionary Bishop to America from the Anglican Province of Uganda; Bishop Frank Lyons of the Diocese of Bolivia, Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, and Bishop-Elect David Anderson, of the Anglican Province of Nigeria. Bishop-Elect Anderson is also CEO of the American Anglican Council.

Today's actions by Western Anglicans follow other recent moves by Anglican congregations in Virginia and elsewhere in the country.

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