|
Welcome
to the Diocese of Cascadia
Of the
Anglican Church of North America
In a historic decision
that reveals a deepening, unified faith among Anglican believers in the
Pacific Northwest, eight Anglican congregations in Western Washington have
formed The Diocese of Cascadia. The Anglican Church of North America
received the new diocese in June 2009 at its inaugural assembly.
Lay and clergy representatives from seven Anglican churches gathered
March 7 at St. Barnabas Anglican Church in Shoreline, Washington for the
first Synod meeting of the new diocese.
Formal application
for membership as a diocese-in-formation in the newly formed Anglican
Church in North America (ACNA) will follow in a few days.
Founding congregations of The Diocese of Cascadia are: St. Barnabas,
St. Paul's (Shoreline), St. Brendan's (Bellingham), St. Charles
(Poulsbo), St. Stephen's (Oak Harbor), St. Ursula's (Sultan), and Trinity
(Mt. Vernon). A new church, Resurrection, is starting up in Fircrest near
Tacoma.
Bishop Richard Boyce of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) was
elected Vicar General of what founders pray will ultimately become a
geographical diocese encompassing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and
Alaska.
In a letter to the diocese's lay and clergy leaders, the Rt. Rev.
Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and Archbishop-Designate of the
Anglican Church of North America wrote, "God has given all of us a
gracious and undeserved gift in allowing us to be part of these momentous
days of Anglican reformation and renewal in North America. It is my
conviction that it is a gift with a purpose. I pray that as you discuss
and vote on your provisional constitution and canons, you will also
consider how you can function to support each other in proclaiming the
Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed."
The new
Diocese of Cascadia is being dedicated to living out the Great Commandment
and Great Commission. The first annual Synod of the new diocese will adopt
as its theme agenda a mission of bringing the unchurched into fellowship
with Jesus Christ and planting new churches.
In his sermon at the inaugural synod meeting, Fr. Kevin Bond Allen,
newly elected president of the Diocesan Council and rector of St.
Brendan's Anglican Church said, "We are not called to belong to a new
organization or institution, but to be part of a great mission empowered
by the Holy Spirit to make disciples of all people.
"Our clergy
are now collegial pastors of our Lord Jesus Christ, who can pray for, care
for and support one another in our ministry together. Our lay members can
now share their ministries with our brothers and sisters throughout the
Pacific Northwest and know they will always have a worship home away from
home in their travels.
Acknowledging a sense of isolation "because of the divisions in our
national church," Allen emphasized the timeliness of the new diocese. "I
believe we are committing to unite that which has been too long divided,
to revive a great mission whose seeds were planted on these Northwest
shores centuries ago, to help our church's missionary outposts reach more
people for Christ so that they may know His transforming power in their
lives. Today, we are committing to an Anglican reawakening and to
contributing to a Christian reawakening for a revival here in the Pacific
Northwest.
Founding members of the new diocese chose Cascadia, in part,
because the Cascade Mountain range is a common geographical feature of the
region.
"We are committing to unite as congregations whose dynamic worship
and discipleship in the Word, in prayer and service nurtures faithful
Christians who can reach out to others who are spiritually starving," said
Allen.
In a March 9 online article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
newspaper, reporter Rachel Zoll said the Pacific Northwest has now been
surpassed only by northern New England as the least religious region in
the country. The Pacific Northwest has a longstanding tradition of being
the most unchurched region in the U.S.
Bishop Boyce notes
the formation of the new diocese will allow congregations to join directly
into its jurisdiction, while still retaining membership with existing
jurisdictions during the period of formation. For example, four
congregations that are part of the Reformed Episcopal Church will still
retain that relationship.
According to Boyce, the new Diocese of Cascadia has created the
needed infrastructure-including incorporation in the state of
Washington--to ultimately become a full diocese in the ACNA province.
At the Synod, representatives elected Diocesan Council, Secretary,
Treasurer, Provincial Representatives and a task force for the oversight
of the Constitution and Canons. An application for the Federal Exemption
for Non-Profit status has been filed.
For more information
please contact
The Rt. Rev. Richard
Boyce:
bpboyce1@msn.com
The Rev. Kevin Bond
Allen:
rev.kba@gmail.com
360-318-7502
Anglican
Churches
in
the Diocese of Cascadia
Resurrection Fircrest, WA
St. Brendan's
Bellingham, WA
St. Charles' (Recife)
Poulsbo, WA
St. Stephen's (Recife)
Oak Harbor, WA
St. Barnabas (REC)
Shoreline, WA
Trinity (REC)
Mt. Vernon, WA
St. Ursala (REC)
Sultan, WA
St. Paul's (REC) Seattle, WA
+ + +
+ + + +
|
