Impressions of the AMiA Winter Conference from Jacksonville, Florida by Fr. Robert Hackendorf, Rector of St. Andrews in Syracuse, New York (Day One)
Wednesday, January 17, 2007

As we arrived at the Hyatt Hotel in Jacksonville, Florida for the first evening of the Anglican Mission Winter Conference, I felt like I was entering a giant family reunion. I saw many old friends from every part of the country. Classmates, associates, acquaintances from other gatherings—even former Rectors and professors. From the start, I felt like I was home—not an alien observer on some ecclesiastical planet far, far away.

There are 11 of us from St. Andrew’s, and as we had dinner at the Hotel before the Opening Eucharist, our Bishop, +Sandy Greene, came by and offered us a word of greeting and encouragement. Everyone was very excited to see him. This is so different from any diocesan function I have ever attended! What makes this experience unique? As I sit and watch the folks from our parish and so many others it occurs to me—people are really happy to be here.

As I begin to take my place before the liturgy, there are what seems to be over 100 clergy—Deacons, Presbyters, Bishops and Primates vested and lining up for the Procession. The priest next to me exchanges greetings. He is also from Upstate New York. By now, the M.C. is organizing the procession. (this is always a bit like herding cats, but this event is well organized and goes well). The praise and worship cascades from the Hotel ballroom. Crown Him the Lord of years,/the Potentate of time,/Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime./All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou has died for me;/Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity. The energy in the room is palpable. The worship space is full to overflowing—the congregation numbers over 1600, the largest Winter Conference ever. The hymn “Crown Him with Many Crowns” reverberates in the place. Hands are raised in worship. Bishops, including several primates along with the AMiA Network Deans take their place next to the Altar.

Archbishop Kolini begins the liturgy “Blessed be God…” the congregation thunders back the response. The first lesson is the Scripture that sets the theme for the Conference:

"Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.

For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.”

“Spreading out and settling in the desolate cities…” this seems to describe the mandate and growth of the Anglican Mission so well! I am struck by how appropriate these verses are for us.

The Second Lesson was Revelation 3:7-13, the part of John’s vision that speaks of an open door. The Gospel is John 17:20-26, a part of Christ’s prayer in the Garden.

Archbishop Yong Ping delivered a powerful sermon on these texts. He pointed out that Isaiah 54 was the byword of William Carey’s missionary movement. The AMiA is first and foremost a missionary movement. Like Carey, we must expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. He spoke forcefully about the Open Door—God opens doors for his Church, but we never know what is on the other side of the door until we step across the threshold. What awaits us there is not always easy. Finally, the Archbishop emphasized the centrality of prayer. Christ began his earthly ministry with 40 days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness, and he brings his ministry to a close with this prayer in the garden.

After the Creed, Bishop Chuck Murphy, Chairman of the AMiA, led the Anglican Mission clergy in a reaffirmation of their baptismal vows and reaffirmation of the Solemn Declaration of Principles. The latter part of this moving experience went like this:

Bishop: …I now call upon you to reaffirm the Solemn Declaration you made when you entered this Mission.

What do you believe about the Holy Scriptures?

Clergy: I believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God and to contain all things necessary to salvation.

Bishop: What do you believe concerning the faith of this church?

Clergy: I affirm the catholic creeds, the dogmatic definitions of the General Councils of the undivided Church, the Book of Common Prayer and Ordinal, 1662, the 39 Articles of Religion of the Church of England in their literal and grammatical sense, and the Lambeth Quadrilateral of 1888, since the same are conformable to the Scriptures, and I consequently hold myself bound to teach nothing contrary thereto.

Bishop: What, therefore, is your solemn declaration?

Clergy: I do solemnly engage to conform to the Doctrines, Discipline and Worship of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda and the Anglican Mission in America.

Bishop: Almighty God, who has placed this faith in your heart, give you the grace and power to conform your ministry according to these vows and this solemn declaration.

Clergy: Amen.

Next, the Network Leaders are recognized. The 14 Networks are clusters of pastors, church planters and lay leaders who meet for strategic planning, mutual encouragement and the support of church planting. The Leader of our Network (the Northeast Network), Ken Ross was present. These leaders represent some of the most mature, gifted people I have ever known. There can be no doubt that the Anglican Mission is blessed by their ministry.

We watch a video produced by Jay Greener which features testimonies from members of Anglican Mission congregations, interlaced with commentary from Bishop Murphy and Archbishop Kolini. They talk about the Great Commission mandate of the AMiA. The testimonies are very moving. You cannot escape the feeling that there is great forward momentum in this missionary movement.

Archbishop Moses Tay, the retired primate of South East Asia is the Celebrant. He leads us in the Eucharistic Prayer from the Kenyan Prayer Book. A sea of red epsicopal vestments surround the altar. The Primates of the Congo, Central Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, the Indian Ocean, and Rwanda stand next to Archbishop Moses. After the consecration, Archbishops, Bishops and Network leaders take their posts at the 8 stations to distribute Holy Communion. Prayer teams are positioned throughout the ballroom, praying for those who desire prayer. The service is long (it will last 3 hours by the time we are done), but no one seems to mind. I am tired from my early morning flight, but the time seems to fly—I am so glad to be here.

After all have received, Archbishop Kolini introduced some of our guests. He began by introducing two Bishops from CESA (the Church of England in South Africa). He laments the way these brothers have been isolated and marginalized. The compassion with which he spoke of this, is the very same compassion that led him to offer protection and oversight to North American Anglicans. This is Gospel-based inclusion! Truly, with this Archbishop, there are no more outcasts within the household of faith.

Bishop Duncan brought greetings from the Anglican Communion Network. He commended AMiA for their unique “church planting charism.” His words were, as usual, eloquent and gracious.

Archbishop Kolini recognized retired Archbishop Moses Tay. ++Tay was one of the original backers of the Anglican Mission. Archbishop Kolini recalled how Tay left the 1999 meeting in Kampala saying “something had to be done” about the situation in the U.S. Church.

The Primate of the Indian Ocean, Abp Gerald Ernest, commended the AMiA for her courage.

Bishop Lyons of Bolivia brought greetings in Spanish and English. He received perhaps the strongest response from the crowd when he said that soon [All orthodox Anglicans in the U.S.] will be together in one church. He recognized over a dozen U.S. clergy present who were under Bolivian oversight. Bishop Lyons said he wanted to learn from the experience of AMiA.

Archbishop Dirokpa of the Congo gave his greetings in French. (Abp Ernest translated for us) He said that AMiA had a “prophetic mission to save the Christian Faith in America.”

The Archbishops of Kenya and Tanzania also brought greetings.

At the end, we employed the Blessing used in several African provinces of our Communion: All our problems, We send to the Cross of Christ; All our difficulties, We send to the Cross of Christ; All the Devil’s works We set on the Cross of Christ.

After the Final Procession, I find my fellow New Yorkers and make my way back to my hotel room. What a great and glorious evening. The seventh AMiA Winter Conference has begun. Even at this late hour, we are all glad to be there; we’re awed by what we have witnessed and warmed by the sweet spirit that permeated the worship of God in that hotel ballroom.