Hugo Blankingship served as the first Chancellor of the Anglican Church in North America under the Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop emeritus. As a key servant leader in the Anglican realignment in North America, his observations capture both the reasons for, and the principles behind, the formation of the Anglican Church in North America. In his own words, “What follows is my account of how orthodox Anglicans withstood the storm and created a new Anglican church, including a detailed account of the Governance Task Force which developed a constitution and canonical structure for the ACNA.”
But these Reflections are much more than that! They present a ringside seat at the key events, including the principal actors, that led to the Anglican realignment here in North America and across the globe. You will read inside insights into the trial of Bishop Walter Righter, the Anglican Primates Meeting in 2003, the Windsor Report, the formations of the ACNA and “Unsung heroes.” The American Anglican Council is honored to publish these Reflections as the first history in what we hope will be a series from the founders of the Anglican Church in North America.
“The ACNA from its humble beginnings has grown into an established leadership position among the Anglican Church worldwide,” writes Chancellor Blankingship. “The ACNA membership has increased to 134,689, congregations to 1,062, while dioceses were reported at 29 due to certain consolidations for membership and geographical reasons. The churches finances had increased as well. In 2014, the budget was $1.7 million while in 2019 it was $2.48 million.”
But at a time when some observers believe the Anglican Church in North America is finished, Hugo Blankingship’s Reflections remind us that God’s hand, and God’s grace, has been and will continue to be with us in remarkable ways:
“So, what does all of the foregoing tell us? First, that God will not allow the Church of Jesus to self-destruct. There is still hope for the Episcopal Church. In its earlier, better days, the Episcopal Church made mighty contributions to the advance of Christianity and the Anglican cause both in the United States and other parts of the world and deserves our prayers for restoration. Second, that the Anglican way is as close as any other to following the teaching of the Apostles and preserving the faith once delivered to the saints. Finally, and not surprisingly, God calls on those He wishes to carry out His objectives, even the unexpecting and unprepared, but always with a carefully chosen leader.”
Gracious, hopeful, and inspiring, we commend these Reflections for your reading. You can find the whole manuscript here [Reflections on the ACNA (PDF)]. Enjoy!
Canon Phil +
