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Anglican Church International Communion
Anglican Church of Virginia (USA)
- New Communion Seat Established
- Progress in Unifying Anglicans
- Seminary Goes International/Accreditation Council
is Organized - Anglican Church International Communion Grows
- New Revival in Anglican Faith Announced
- Bishops of India and Virginia Sign Accord
New Communion Seat Established
Virginia is the new "seat of communion" for Anglicans.
Bishops of the Anglican Church International
Communion (ACIC) meeting in Mexico City voted
unanimously to recognize Virginia's place in history,
asking Bishop Larry W. Johnson to take a major role in
uniting Anglicans. The Anglican Church of Virginia is
already providing leadership for the ACIC and has
opened the International Secretary's office at Front
Royal, Virginia (USA).
Progress in Unifying Anglicans
The Anglican Church of Virginia was formed in
February 2001 with a two-fold purpose. First winning
souls for Christ and secondly, uniting Anglicans in the
United States and around the world. ACOVA, a
missionary minded Church, is realizing success in
achieving both goals. Beginning with Haitian Anglicans
relations expanded to Dioceses of the Good Shepherd,
Bishop Melvin Pickering; Georgia and India, Bishop
Vincent Thakore; and Australia, Bishop Ernest Kelly.
In February 2005 Bishop Victor Manuel Cruz Blanco of
the Diocese of The Caribbean and New Granada and the
Holy Catholic Church (WR) formalized communion
relations. Most recently an accord with Anglican Church
of India, Bishop Stephen Vattappara, has been signed.
These bodies are in full communion having their own
bishops and dioceses in their respective countries and
States. Bishop Johnson will, among his duties, facilitate
the relations of the various bishops of the ACIC.
Seminary Goes International/Accreditation Council is
Organized
The Anglican Seminary of Virginia's educational
program is being used by bishops in four countries. To
strengthen education in the new communion the
College of Bishops has established the Council for
Accreditation of Anglican Schools and Colleges. The
ACIC has two schools. There is one in Virginia and the
second in Texas. St. George's School of Theology in San
Antonio, Texas is the oldest institution of this type in the
ACIC. It is administered by the Rt. Rev. Melvin
Pickering of the Diocese of the Good Shepherd. Bishop
Larry Johnson heads the Seminary in Virginia.
Anglican Church International Communion Grows
Beginning with four bishops, the ACIC now numbers
twenty bishops from ten nations on six continents
around the world. Agreements among traditional bishops
of the ACIC and ACOVA have united over 600,000
Anglicans having more than 900 parishes and missions.
ACIC was founded by Bishops +Lafond Lapointe
(deceased), Haiti; +Vincent Thakore, Georgia; +Melvin
Pickering, New Mexico and +Larry Johnson, Virginia.
Bishops from each province are members of the College
of Bishops. Today the College consists of bishops
serving Australia, England, Mexico, United States,
Guatemala, Columbia, Ecuador, the Caribbean, New
Granada, Africa, India and Haiti. The ACIC was
founded in November 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia (USA).
New Revival in Anglican Faith Announced
In June of 2005 the bishops of the ACIC joined in
signing a Manifesto designating Virginia the birth place
of Anglicanism in the New World. This action directs
that Virginia will be the "locus" of the renewal
movement of the Anglican Faith. This year,2006, the
program will be launched. This resolution is found by
scrolling down.
Bishops of India and Virginia Sign Accord
In July 2005 the Anglican Church of India and the
Anglican Church of Virgina signed a "Memorandum of
Understanding" to work toward greater fellowship and
unity. Arch Bishop of India, the Rt. Rev. Stephen
Vattappara, and Bishop Larry Johnson met at Evensong
in Front Royal, Virginia, (USA) to sign this historic
accord. Father Stephen John accompanied Bishop
Vattappara. This document appears below following the
Manifesto.
children to come unto me."
ACIC bishops will meet in Louisiana in
2006. President of the College of
Bishops, the Rt. Rev. Chopin Cusachs
will host the meeting. Bishop Cusuchs
is a bishop in the American Anglican
Convocation. The presiding bishop of
the AAC is the Rt. Rev. Martin Sigillito.
The AAC has parishes in the United
States and England.
Dates for the Jamestown, Virginia
College of Bishops meeting have been
set of June 19-24, 2007. Bishops will
celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the
first communion in Virginia at this time.
A Holy Communion Service will be
conducted in the old Church building on
Jamestown Island. The present church
building sits on the site of the first
building and the location of the first
meeting of a democratic body in the
New World. The first Communion was
celebrated by the Rev. Robert Hunt on
the Third Sunday after Trinity in 1607.
Bishops from the following provinces of
the ACIC who are expected to be in
attendance are:
- Anglican Church of Virginia
- The Orthodox Anglican Church of
Haiti - The Anglican Free Church of
Australia - Diocese of the Good Shepherd
- American Anglican Convocation
- Mexican Independent Episcopal
Church - Anglican Church in America-TAC
(Central America) - Anglican Church of South
- Anglican Church of North India
- Missionary Districts of Africa
- Diocese of the Caribbean and
New Granada and the Holy
Catholic Church (WR)
Bishop Johnson
The historic actions of the
bishops of the "new"
Anglican communion are a
relief and welcomed. The
continuing church has had
less than adequate success in
unifying since the first
Anglicans left the Episcopal
Church in the 1960's and
70's. Now with other
departures we have another
opportunity to come
together. I hope this is
achieved in the coming years.
The ACIC and ACOVA have
worked towards this goal and
have experienced wonderful
success. Not only are US
bishops coming together but
we are experiencing
traditional bishops from
around the world who have
the same challenges and
hopes. The ACIC offers the
greatest hope of unity in my
opinion.
Our mission in the years
ahead must be to reach souls
for Christ who are not and
have not been in any church
but have need of the saving
grace of God. As in the
centuries past with God's
help we will succeed.
Bishops interested in this
movement are invited to ask
for information.
Please Contact me at:
Bishop Larry W. Johnson
International Secretary
ACIC
582 Simons Way,
Front Royal, VA (USA) 22630
email: asv@shentel.net
&
Declaration of Revival
Resolution
for
Revival and Restoration of the Anglican Faith Worldwide
Whereas, continuing Anglican Churchmen worldwide desire greater union and communion,
Whereas, the Anglican Faith is under attack by forces of evil resulting in the abandonment
of the traditional faith of the primitive church and the Faith given to us by the ancient
fathers of the church,
Whereas, prayer for a new Great Awakening of the Christian Faith is essential for the
cure of souls of God’s people worldwide,
Whereas, the orthodox Anglican faith must be preserved as a gift to be passed to our
children and generations to come,
Whereas, there is an urgent necessity for this statement of manifest destiny and a seat of
Communion,
Whereas, the first permanent English Colony and Church in America was established at
Jamestown Island in 1607, and whose establishment in the Commonwealth of Virginia has
been continuous for four-hundred years,
Whereas, the Jamestown Colony was a parish of the Bishop of London with an
established Church and priest named the Rev. Robert Hunt,
Whereas, our Anglican forefathers who came to America at Jamestown were
communicants of the Church of England and practiced and planted their faith by the use
of the Book of Common Prayer,
Whereas, the first representative assembly to meet in America met in the Anglican Church
at Jamestown for the purposes of self government,
Whereas, Virginia is known as the New World birth place of democracy and religious
freedoms,
Therefore, be it Resolved and Acknowledged, that the undersigned are in
Communion and agree that the Jamestown colonists, guided by the hand of God
Almighty, did give birth to new world Anglicanism and churchmanship; providing hope for
people worldwide desiring to breathe free and to attain self government and to escape
from tyrannical forms of oppression; and likewise as a signatory to this manifesto do
pledge to work for a Great Awakening of the Christian Faith.
Be it further Resolved, that the Anglican Church of Virginia is and shall be recognized
and designated as the locus of the renewal of worldwide Anglican Faith committed to the
Truth as revealed in the Authorized Version of the Holy Bible, and the traditional Books
of Common Prayer dated 1549, 1552, 1662, 1928 and valid translations of these
aforesaid Books of Common Prayer and Holy Bible.
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy
Ghost.
This Resolution is attested and witnessed by the affixing of the seals and signatures of
followers of Jesus Christ and representatives of the Anglican Faith.
Manifesto Signatures
Signed June 24-26, 2005
Mexico Synod of the ACID
The Rt. Rev. Melvin H Pickering, Anglican Diocese of the Good Shepherd (USA)
The Rt. Rev. Dr. George W. Conner, Anglican Diocese of the Good Shepherd (USA)
The Rt. Rev. Kenneth G. Walsh, Jr., Anglican Diocese of the Good Shepherd (USA)
The Rt. Rev. Ruben Rodriguez M. Vicrnes, Anglican Church in America-TAC (Central
America)
The Rt. Rev. Jorge B. Martinez, Mexican Independent Episcopal Church (Mexico)
The Rt. Rev. Luther Pierre-Tousaint, Orthodox Apostolic Anglican Church of Haiti
(Caribbean)
The Rt. Rev. Martin Sigillito, Esq., American Anglican Convocation (USA and England)
The Rt. Rev. Chopin Cusachs, American Anglican Convocation (USA and England)
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Larry W. Johnson, The Anglican Church of Virginia (USA)
The Rt. Rev. Joseph Desir, The Orthodox Apostolic Anglican Church of Haiti (Haiti)
The Rt. Rev. Ernest Kelly, The Australia Free Church of the Anglican Church of Virginia
(Australia)
The Rt. Rev. Vincent Thakore. The Diocese of the South and India (USA and India)
Between
ANGLICAN CHURCH OF VIRGINIA
And
ANGLICAN CHURCH OF INDIA
For
An Anglican Fellowship
Definitions
• ACI refers to all Churches, Dioceses, Priests and Bishops in Anglican Church of
India.
• ACOVA refers to all Churches, Dioceses, Priests and Bishops in Anglican Church
of Virginia.
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen
NOW, THEREFORE, the ACI and the ACOVA mutually agrees as follows:
Agreement
• ACI and ACOVA are ‘Continuing Anglican’ churches and follow the faith of
‘Traditional Anglicans’.
• ACI and ACOVA mutually respect and recognize each other’s total independence
as a Church.
• ACI and ACOVA will work towards a fellowship between both churches based on
Anglican faith.
• ACI and ACOVA will work together for the betterment of Anglicans worldwide
especially in India.
• ACOVA can represent ACI in United States of America meanwhile ACI can
represent ACOVA in India.
• All contacts to ACI will be only through the undersigned ACI officials and all
contacts to ACOVA will be only through the undersigned ACOVA officials.
Terms and Termination
The intent of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to formalize agreement to a
set of principles rather than to serve as a business agreement or contract. ACI and
ACOVA can terminate this MOU at any time with mutual consent. Otherwise, this
MOU could be used as a guideline to maintain the fellowship between ACI and ACOVA
and will be effective until another MOU is signed between the undersigned officials.
Signed this second day of July in the year of our Lord Jesus Chris 2005.
For Anglican Church of Virginia For Anglican Church of India
Arch Bishop Dr. Larry Wilson Johnson Arch Bishop Dr. Stephen Vattappara
Chancellor James Lewis Johnson, Esq. The Rev. Stephen J. Vattappara
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