Bishop David Bena Transferred to Church of Nigeria
Monday, March 5, 2007

David John Bena, Retired Suffragan Bishop of Albany, was transferred to the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), effective February 1, 2007. The transfer came via a Letter Dimissory from the Bishop of Albany, Daniel W. Herzog (now retired), to the Primate of Nigeria, Peter Akinola. In making the transfer, both bishops noted that since Bishop Bena was being transferred from one Province of the Anglican Communion to another, he was neither renouncing his Orders as a Bishop nor abandoning the Communion of the Church.

"My work with the Diocese of Albany is complete, and it's time to minister in other areas of need. God has given me a burden for the disenfranchised Anglicans living in America, so I was pleased when asked to give them episcopal oversight," Bena responded when asked about the transfer. He will become the second Missionary Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), assisting Bishop Martyn Minns in caring for expatriate Nigerian congregations as well as other Anglican congregations around the country. He will begin his ministry with CANA immediately.

The bishop has degrees from Stetson University, Virginia Theological Seminary, and the Graduate Theological Foundation. Prior to his ordination to Holy Orders, he was a career Marine officer. He has spent his ordained years as a civilian priest and Air Force chaplain, serving congregations and bases in North Carolina, Texas, Washington, Alabama, Virginia, Turkey, North Dakota, and New York. He and his wife of forty years, Mary Ellen, have three children and four grandchildren.

Statement issued by Raymond Dague, Albany assistant chancellor

From the Diocese of Albany website:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Below is a letter I recently received from Bishop Bena. At his request, I am forwarding it to you. As you will read in the letter, Bishop Bena, in faithful obedience to his understanding of God’s call, has transferred to the House of Bishops of Nigeria, where he has been received by Archbishop Peter Akinola. He will be working with the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, as a Missionary Bishop of CANA.

We are grateful to Bishop Bena for his many years of faithful service to our Lord and His Church, as Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Albany. We were richly blessed by him. We now wish Bishop Bena all God’s blessing as he answers this new call.

Faithfully Yours in Christ,
+William H. Love

Message from Bishop Bena:

Dear +Bill,

These are difficult days for the Anglican Communion. There is much disagreement among members on just how the Scriptures are "The Word of God, containing all things necessary for salvation." There is much disagreement among members on just how to relate Scripture and the historic teachings of the Church to the Sacrament of Matrimony and sexual behavior in general. These disagreements are causing deep division in the Episcopal Church, with ramifications throughout the Anglican Communion.

The recent Primates Communiqué from Dar Es Salaam speaks of the need to "provide robust pastoral oversight to individuals and congregations alienated from the Episcopal Church with adequate space to flourish within the life of that church in the period leading up to the conclusion of the Covenant Process." Recently I was asked that, upon my retirement, to assist with oversight in this context outside the Diocese of Albany. the rest