North American breakaway declares itself ‘winner’

Monday, 10th August 2009
By George Conger

The Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America (CANA) has surfaced as a winner in the wake of the 76th General Convention in the US, Bishop Martyn Minns said last week, with a rise in inquires from American Anglicans seeking to pull out of the Episcopal Church since the July 8-17 gathering in Anaheim, Calif.

Speaking to the press before the start of CANA’s annual convention on July 30, Bishop Minns stated the breakaway group had grown to 85 congregations with an estimated average Sunday attendance of 10,000 served by 179 clergy --- including military and healthcare chaplains.

CANA’s growth has come in three segments --- among Nigerian emigrants to the US, in the Washington metropolitan area, and among suburban families with young children, Bishop Minns said. Its appeal to young people, he believed, was due to the “younger generation looking for authenticity in a church where there is a genuine engagement and interest in truth.”

The breakaway group was “part of God’s redemptive plan” for Anglicanism in North America, he said, noting CANA was an “answer” to Dr Rowan Williams’ prayers for a healthy church. the rest